Of Things Yet to Come

Song Meaning

The lyrics open on a scene of profound loss, with the speaker recounting a year when many friends "span away, not to return." A superficial acceptance, "It was for the best," quickly gives way to a deeper, more personal pain, questioning if they are "best left in the past." This initial tension sets the stage for a narrative grappling with grief and the difficult, often contradictory, process of moving on. The central emotional conflict lies in the speaker's attempt to cultivate growth while remaining deeply tethered to a lost connection. Despite efforts to "trim my leaves" and make space, the chorus reveals a persistent attachment: "I'm still wedded to the idea that you / Are still there again / Somewhere underneath." This image suggests a buried hope or a refusal to fully acknowledge absence, highlighting the profound struggle to reconcile an idealized past with a painful present. A particularly poignant craft element is the recurring phrase, "You were a good man / You were the best," which punctuates the verses like a eulogy or a haunting internal thought. This constant affirmation of the lost person's character underscores the depth of the speaker's reverence and the void left behind. It also provides context for the speaker's attempts to find purpose, putting faith "in what's to come / For it's the thing you would have done," suggesting a life lived, in part, as a tribute or continuation. What makes these lyrics so effective is their unflinching portrayal of grief's messy reality. The speaker admits that "The pills don't cure, they keep at bay," merely shifting days from "black" to "grey." The bridge delivers a heartbreaking blow, acknowledging the loved one is "less than a memory," a "faint facsimile." The final, repeated refrain of "Of things yet to come" feels less like a confident declaration and more like a desperate, almost prayer-like mantra, a fragile hope clutched in the face of overwhelming sorrow and the painful admission, "I don't know how to get over you."