Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a restless wanderer, moving through a desolate landscape of "bone rivers" and shadows. This figure, shrouded in a "black velvet cloak," seems to be on a solitary, perhaps arduous, journey. The imagery suggests a persistent movement, "high and low," driven by an internal force, like an "arrow flung from her bow." The cloak itself becomes a potent symbol of concealment and resilience. The central tension lies in the contrast between the wanderer's hidden suffering and the external world's reactions. She navigates "crocodile tears" and a "lump in her throat," implying a deep, perhaps unacknowledged, pain. Yet, she "hid it all away" within the protective, yet isolating, confines of her cloak. This suggests a deliberate choice to shield herself, even as the world around her weeps or perhaps judges. The repeated phrase, "black velvet cloak," acts as an anchor, emphasizing the constant presence of this protective, yet concealing, layer. It’s not just an item of clothing but a state of being, a way of processing the "poison barb" and the "aching sting" of life. The lyrics suggest this cloak allows her to move through darkness, making her "invisible" to certain threats while also isolating her. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics stems from their evocative, almost mythical, portrayal of enduring hardship. The bridge's assertion that "everything destroyed comes back again" offers a glimmer of hope, suggesting that even after immense suffering and concealment, there is a potential for renewal. The cloak, while hiding pain, also enables the wanderer to survive until this eventual return.