Song Meaning
The narrator lies on a blanket, utterly exhausted and wishing for an end to their suffering. The day is ending, a metaphor for their own life or spirit perhaps, and the overwhelming weariness is palpable. There's a stark contrast between the physical stillness and the internal desire for oblivion, highlighting a deep sense of despair.
This weariness is directly linked to a sense of being driven, as if by an external force. The phrase "From the west the gold was driven" suggests a relentless pursuit or extraction, possibly of wealth or ambition, that has left the narrator depleted. This external pressure culminates in the "death of day," mirroring the narrator's own wish to be dead.
The most striking element is the pull of the "distant stars in heaven." Despite the narrator's profound exhaustion and death wish, these celestial bodies exert a powerful, almost magnetic, influence, drawing their heart away. This suggests a yearning for something beyond their current suffering, a cosmic escape or a different kind of existence.
The repetition of "Those western stars / Draw my heart away" at the end emphasizes this profound, almost involuntary, shift in focus. It’s a moment of transcendence, where the vastness of the universe offers a silent, distant solace, pulling the narrator from the immediate pain of their "long hard day" towards an unknown, perhaps hopeful, horizon.
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