Lock All The Gates

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a serene, almost mythical scene, juxtaposed with a profound sense of loss or isolation. We see images of domesticity and care – "suckled the young lambs," "giving the weary sleep" – set against a backdrop of natural beauty like "snowy fields and lanes." There's a sense of sacredness, with "candlelight the sacred Alter shines," suggesting a ritualistic or deeply spiritual element. Yet, this peaceful tableau is undercut by the repeated, stark declaration: "But he was blind." This blindness becomes the central tension. It seems to represent a fundamental inability to perceive or connect with the world around him, despite his apparent role as a caregiver or seer who "read the stars inside her dream." The contrast between his actions – nurturing, guiding, even "driv[ing] the dragons into the nights" – and his internal state of blindness creates a poignant disconnect. The vision of "winter's love for spring" and "sweet chariots aflame" suggests a world of potential and beauty that he cannot fully grasp. The most striking shift occurs with the repeated command to "lock all the gates and bolt the chamber door." This action signifies a deliberate sealing off, a final act of containment or perhaps despair, driven by the realization that "nobody leaves or enters anymore." The plea for someone to "Come, come / Somebody come and lock / All the gates" is desperate, highlighting a desire for an end to this state of stasis, even if that end is absolute closure. The repetition of the opening imagery at the end, now with the added weight of the blindness and the locked gates, reinforces the cyclical nature of this sorrowful state. The effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their evocative, almost dreamlike quality combined with a sharp, unyielding emotional core. The gentle, pastoral imagery clashes with the stark reality of blindness and enforced isolation. The narrative builds not through explicit events, but through the accumulation of these contrasting images and the chilling refrain, leaving the listener with a powerful sense of unfulfilled potential and irreversible separation.