Northwind

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of a powerful, almost sentient "northwind" personified as an intimate, yet deadly, presence. It's depicted as "sitting at my bedside" and "lying down beside me," with "fingers of crystal lace" and "kisses of certain death." This chilling imagery establishes a tone of inescapable, cold intimacy, where the natural force becomes a seductive, fatal lover. The central tension arises from the narrator's plea to a "Lover" to "get here" and "drive from my mind / The northwind." This suggests a desperate struggle against the overwhelming allure and destructive power of this cold entity. The northwind's "icy breath" and "kisses of certain death" are contrasted with the implied warmth and safety the absent "Lover" represents, creating a conflict between succumbing to the inevitable cold and fighting for survival. The most striking craft element is the persistent personification of the northwind as a seductive, yet lethal, companion. The repetition of "Singing, 'Come to me!'" acts as a siren call, drawing the narrator (and the absent lover) towards the destructive embrace. The lyrics also subtly shift perspective, hinting at a broader context where "lovers are enfolding" and a "winter lover dormant lies," suggesting this struggle against the northwind's fatal comfort might be a universal experience of loss or finality. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their visceral, almost gothic, portrayal of an internal or external force that promises oblivion as a form of release. The stark contrast between the cold, intimate danger of the northwind and the desperate call for a human connection makes the narrator's plight feel both deeply personal and eerily inevitable, highlighting the seductive nature of surrender to overwhelming forces.