Song Meaning
These lyrics immediately immerse us in a vivid, sensual memory of profound intimacy. The speaker, a widow, recalls a shared bed that was far more than just furniture; it was a "spinning world" of adventure and deep connection. This "second best bed" becomes the stage for a love that felt boundless and creatively inspiring.
The core tension arises from the stark contrast between this cherished space and "the other bed, the best," reserved for guests who merely "dozed on, dribbling their prose." The lyrics suggest a deliberate inversion of value: the materially superior bed is mundane, while the "next best bed" is where true, vibrant "living laughing love" flourished. This highlights how genuine connection often thrives outside conventional expectations.
The craft here is particularly striking in its blend of the physical and the intellectual. The speaker describes her body as "a softer rhyme / to his, now echo, assonance," and his touch as "a verb dancing in the centre of a noun." This sophisticated, almost academic language elevates their physical intimacy to an artistic, poetic act. It's a love so profound it transcends mere sensation, becoming a form of creation itself, as she dreams "he'd written me, the bed / a page beneath his writer's hands."
Ultimately, these lyrics are effective because they champion an intensely personal, intellectual, and sensual love over superficiality. The final image, "I hold him in the casket of my widow's head / as he held me upon that next best bed," is incredibly poignant. It suggests that the most cherished memories of love, especially those formed in intimate, unconventional spaces, become an enduring, sacred presence, outlasting even death itself.
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