Simile

Song Meaning

The lyrics for "Simile" open with a striking paradox: a "letter unsent" that still "arrived some years later." This sets a tone of communication happening outside conventional channels, almost as if thoughts or feelings find their way regardless of direct action. It's a quiet reflection on the strange, often delayed, nature of emotional resonance. This sense of pre-destined or indirect communication extends to art itself, with a "song sometimes, written for love / Long before it is alive." Yet, this innate drive to create seems to clash with external forces. The "poems sighed to sweet faces" are then "Caught away in some damned machine," suggesting a loss of intimate connection or the dehumanizing effect of modern life on genuine expression. Central to the lyrics is the repeated struggle "To liken things to other things / Trying to describe other things." This phrase underscores the inherent difficulty of articulation, a challenge further highlighted by the image of someone "singing a description of a song he cannot write." It's a meta-commentary on creative block, where the feeling is present but the form eludes, perhaps because it's "how hard it is to cry" – a deep emotional blockage. The final lines introduce a poignant self-doubt, questioning if the "words in the wrong places" or "spaces stumbling in between" are the problem. This internal critique emphasizes that the struggle to express isn't just about external conditions but also the very tools of language and art. The search for a "brighter time" to truly connect and describe remains an elusive, ongoing endeavor.