Song Meaning

These lyrics paint a vivid picture of a life spent in transit, haunted by a dream of settling down. The speaker, a self-described "drifter," recounts telling stories of a future where he'd finally "take your hand / And sing you songs." This opening establishes a deep, unfulfilled longing for connection and stability. The central tension lies between this imagined future and the speaker's present reality. He feels "growing older," his past "songs that I have sung" now merely "echo in the distance." The dream of a shared life, where an invitation to "Come lay with me love me / And I would surely stay," never materialized. Instead, he's left with the persistent, almost monotonous sound "Of a windmill goin round," a melancholic symbol of time passing and a life that keeps turning without him finding his anchor. The craft here is subtle but devastating. The image of "blindness is confusing / It shows that you're not here" is particularly striking. It suggests a moment of desperate hope, where the speaker's longing is so intense he almost perceives the desired person's presence, only for reality to deliver a crushing blow. This isn't just physical blindness; it's an emotional one, where desire obscures the truth of absence. Ultimately, the lyrics are effective because they capture the quiet resignation of a life lived on the periphery. The repeated declaration, "I guess I'll always be / A soldier of fortune," isn't a proud boast but a weary acceptance. It suggests a life dictated by circumstance or an inherent restlessness, forever preventing the deep connection he once yearned for. The fading echoes and the ceaseless windmill sound underscore a profound sense of loneliness and a future that has already passed.