Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a haunting picture of a child's desperate attempt to hold onto a loved one, Agathe, who is clearly in distress and undergoing a profound, possibly dangerous, physical change. The narrator, Hildegard, observes Agathe's nocturnal departures and her subsequent physical deterioration, marked by a mysterious "swelling." This leads to a desperate, secretive journey across a river to gather herbs, specifically "pennyroyal," which is historically associated with inducing abortions. The narrator's initial actions stem from a desire to confess what she saw, leading to Agathe's "trouble," and then to a desperate need to help, even if it means participating in a dangerous act. The central tension lies in Hildegard's conflicting roles: the observer who betrays, and the helper who enables. Initially, Hildegard's confession to "Mama" about seeing Agathe with a man results in Agathe's punishment and subsequent illness. This guilt fuels Hildegard's later actions, as she becomes complicit in Agathe's desperate attempt to resolve her condition. The repeated "No, no, no-no..." sung by Hildegard suggests an internal struggle, a horrified awareness of the unfolding events and her part in them, even as she physically assists. The most striking craft element is the fragmented narration, with Hildegard's "EYE," "HAND," and "MOUTH" speaking separately. This division highlights the narrator's internal conflict and the overwhelming nature of the experience. The "EYE" sees the illicit encounter and the aftermath, the "MOUTH" speaks the confession and the desperate pleas, and the "HAND" performs the physical actions of gathering herbs and supporting Agathe. This fractured perspective emphasizes the trauma and the narrator's inability to process the events as a whole, culminating in the devastating realization: "I shouldn't have seen! / Shouldn't have said! / I shouldn't have led her across the river!" These lyrics are effective because they capture the raw, visceral horror of a child witnessing and participating in a traumatic event with devastating consequences. The narrative doesn't explicitly state what Agathe is experiencing, but the imagery of the river, the "swelling," the "pennyroyal," and the eventual bleeding creates a powerful, unsettling atmosphere. The fragmented voices and the relentless repetition of "Agathe bleeds" underscore the irreversible tragedy and the narrator's profound, guilt-ridden brokenness, leaving the listener with a chilling sense of helplessness.

Rachael Duddy - Pop, Soundtrack

Confession

0 Plays

Duration: 3:29

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[HILDEGARD (EYE)] Agathe shares the bed with me But she has not been there at night for weeks Where does she go when she leaves through the window? I want to see [HILDEGARD] I follow her across the river [HILDEGARD (EYE)] I see Agathe and a man on a bed of leaves [HILDEGARD] She doesn't see me [HILDEGARD (EYE & HAND)] No, no, no-no... [HILDEGARD (MOUTH)] I don't want Agathe to leave me So I tell Mama what I saw about Agathe and the man And Mama's angry Agathe's in trouble And it's all because of me Now Agathe's changing She's swollen with somеthing What has gotten into her? [HILDEGARD] What has gotten into hеr? [HILDEGARD (HAND)] Agathe shares the bed with me But she can't sleep so she wakes me She needs something to take the swelling from her belly It's something from the river she needs [HILDEGARD] So we go across the river [HILDEGARD (EYE) and (MOUTH & HAND)] It's so dark I can barely see (No, no, no-no...) [HILDEGARD (MOUTH) and (EYE & HAND)] It's so quiet, Agathe tells me not to speak (No, no, no-no...) [HILDEGARD (HAND) and (EYE & MOUTH)] She needs my help, she needs me! (No, no, no-no...) [HILDEGARD] We pick pennyroyal by the banks of the river [HILDEGARD (MOUTH)] She eats-- [HILDEGARD (HAND)] One, two, three-- [HILDEGARD (EYE)] Lavender petals [HILDEGARD (MOUTH)] She eats-- [HILDEGARD (HAND)] One, two, three-- [HILDEGARD (EYE)] Minty leaves [HILDEGARD] Agathe staggers but says she'll feel better if we wait Then she falls to her knees Agathe's bleeding And I'm not helping "Don't look, don't speak, just stay with me" Agathe pleads, Agathe bleeds "Don't look, don't speak, just stay with me" Agathe pleads, Agathe bleeds [HILDEGARD (HAND), (EYE), and ((MOUTH))] A-ga-the bleeds (Agathe bleeds, and bleeds And bleeds, and bleeds) ((Agathe bleeds, and bleeds And bleeds, and bleeds, and bleeds)) Hours (Hours) ((Hours)) [HILDEGARD] Pass [HILDEGARD (HAND)] Agathe stares ahead at me but she does not stir [HILDEGARD (EYE)] The sun rises and I can see the blood on her [HILDEGARD (MOUTH)] I open my mouth to scream, but she whispers [HILDEGARD] Oooooh... She laid down to sleep by the river But never awoke I stayed with her by the river And I broke [HILDEGARD (EYE)] I shouldn't have seen! [HILDEGARD (MOUTH)] Shouldn't have said! [HILDEGARD (HAND)] I shouldn't have led her across the river! [HILDEGARD (EYE)] I shouldn't have seen! [HILDEGARD (MOUTH)] Shouldn't have said! [HILDEGARD (HAND)] I shouldn't have led her across the river!

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Writers: Grace McLean

Confession

Confession

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