Every Night and Every Morn

Song Meaning

The lyrics open with a stark, almost fatalistic observation: some are "Born to Misery" while others find "sweet delight." This immediate contrast sets a somber, reflective tone, highlighting an inherent, perhaps unfair, division in human experience from birth. It's a blunt statement about predetermined fates. A central tension emerges from this initial divide, deepening with the claim, "We are led to believe a lie." The narrator suggests our physical perception, seeing "thro' the eye," is inherently flawed and fleeting, "born in a night to perish in a night." This challenges the very foundation of how we understand reality, implying a deeper truth is obscured. The most compelling craft element is the nuanced distinction in how divinity is perceived. "God appears, and God is light / To those poor souls who dwell in night," suggesting comfort for the suffering. Yet, "But does a human form display / To those who dwell in realms of day." This implies that one's state of being—whether in "night" (misery or ignorance) or "day" (delight or understanding)—shapes their experience of the divine, rather than God having a single, universal form. These lyrics resonate because they force a re-evaluation of fundamental concepts: fate, perception, and spiritual truth. The repetition of "night and every morn" underscores life's cyclical nature, while the sharp contrasts between "Misery" and "sweet delight" make the philosophical arguments feel deeply personal. By critiquing the limitations of "the eye," the text pushes listeners to consider alternative ways of seeing and understanding the world around them.