Song Meaning

The lyrics of "Body of Years" present a stark, almost morbid, meditation on the accumulation of time and experience. The narrator views their past as a "cadaver of days," a collection of "bones" and "skin disappears" that they keep "hidden away." This imagery suggests a reluctance to confront or engage with their history, preferring to let it decay untouched, a "body of years that I leave all alone." The contrast between the desire to "visit that place" and the act of leaving it alone creates a palpable tension, hinting at a painful or burdensome past that the narrator cannot fully discard but also cannot bear to examine too closely. The central conflict emerges from the narrator's struggle with their own history and the actions they've taken. The phrase "body of work" in verse three, juxtaposed with "body of years," implies that their life's efforts are inextricably linked to their past, forming a permanent record that "you can't ever change." This leads to a feeling of being trapped, as the narrator admits to being an "Old soul who falls down" and "Can't stop tripping on these / Old roads I go down." The repeated imagery of falling and tripping underscores a cyclical pattern of self-sabotage or an inability to escape past mistakes, making the "body of years" feel less like a collection of memories and more like a persistent, inescapable burden. The most striking aspect of the writing is the persistent, almost obsessive, repetition of "body of years" and its variations, like "pile of bones." This refrain hammers home the weight of accumulated time, transforming it into something tangible and decaying. The comparison to "a sheet of veneer, each a piece of my soul" is particularly effective, suggesting that each year, each experience, has chipped away at their very essence, leaving behind a fragile, superficial layer over a core of something broken. The final line, "Like a pile of shit I can't seem to forget," is a brutal, visceral admission of how this accumulated past feels – not just a burden, but something foul and unforgettable that taints the present. Ultimately, these lyrics resonate because they articulate a universal fear of time's passage and the indelible mark it leaves. The narrator's internal struggle, depicted through morbid yet precise imagery, captures the feeling of being haunted by one's own history. The raw, unflinching language, especially in the latter half of the song, transforms a potentially abstract concept into a deeply personal and uncomfortable reckoning with the self, making the listener confront the weight of their own "body of years."

Mother Mother - Rock

Body of Years / Gouge Away (Live)

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Duration: 7:52

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[Part 1: Body Of Years] [Verse 1] All the remains of a cadaver of days I keep hidden away, keep them there just in case I wanna visit that place, blow the dust from the bones Off a body of years that I leave all alone [Chorus] Just a body of years [Verse 2] See the skin disappears and the blood turns to stone In a body of years now a pile of bones Like a sheet of veneer, aach a piece of my soul It's a body of years that I leave all alone [Chorus] It's just a body of years, now a pile of bones You know [Post-Chorus] Old soul who falls down Can't stop trippin' on these Old roads I go down Get back up and get my [Verse 3] Foot in the door and my face on the page Make my mark in the world with a bat and a blade It's a body of work that you can't ever change Like a body of years that you take to your grave [Chorus] It's just a body of years that I leave all alone It's just a body of years, now a pile of bones Like a sheet of veneer, each a piece of my soul [Post-Chorus] Old soul who falls down Can't stop tripping on these Old roads I go down Get back up and I'm a Old soul who falls down (body of years, body of years, body of years) Can't stop tripping on these (body of years, it's just a body of years) Old roads (body of years, body of years) Body of years [Chorus] It's just a body of years that I leave all alone It's just a body of years, now a pile of bones Like a sheet of veneer, each a piece of my soul Like a pile of shit I can't seem to forget Just a body of years that I leave all alone [Bridge] Telltale diary pages They unveil a ghost from the ages When bodies of years Were breaking from all of the weight Of diary pages Telltale diary pages, oh, oh (Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh oh) [Part 2: Gouge Away] [Chorus] Gouge away You can gouge away Stay all day If you want to [Verse 1] Missy aggravation Some sacred questions You stroke my locks Some marijuana if you got some [Chorus] Gouge away You can gouge away Stay all day If you want to (Ah, ah) [Verse 2] Sleeping on your belly You break my arms You spoon my eyes Been rubbing a bad charm with holy fingers [Chorus] Gouge away You can gouge away Stay all day If you want to [Outro] Alright, thank you so much folks Very exciting to be here, we love this city And we appreciate the invitation from Apple, iTunes It's a great stage I personally have a dysfunctional relationship with technology I don't spend enough time in Apple stores, but I This is a nice way to redeem myself, I think It's great, thanks for showing up guys We're Mother Mother from Vancouver, British Columbia

Credits

Writers: Ryan Guldemond

Body of Years / Gouge Away (Live)

Body of Years / Gouge Away (Live)

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