Sonnets 44 and 45

Song Meaning

Paul Kelly's interpretation of Shakespeare's "Sonnets 44 and 45" isn't merely a recitation; it's a resonant exploration of longing and the torment of separation. The lyrics, steeped in the language of the Elizabethan era, grapple with the limitations of the physical body when the mind and heart yearn to be elsewhere. It's a profound meditation on the push and pull between presence and absence, a theme that resonates across centuries. The 'dull substance' of flesh becomes a cage, trapping the speaker while his thoughts race towards the beloved. The juxtaposition of swift thought and sluggish earthbound existence creates a palpable tension, a yearning that transcends the purely romantic. The speaker isn't just missing someone; he's experiencing a fundamental conflict between his physical self and his emotional desires. Shakespeare, through Kelly's voice, dissects the very elements that constitute human existence. Earth and water, heavy and slow, represent the speaker's grounded reality, the source of his 'heavy tears.' In contrast, air and fire, 'slight' and 'purging,' embody thought and desire, the swift messengers that bridge the distance between lovers. The speaker's life, composed of these four elements, is thrown into disarray when the latter two are absent, leaving him 'oppress'd with melancholy.' This isn't simply sadness; it's a near-death experience, a depletion of the very essence of being. The sonnet, and Kelly's rendition, becomes a study in elemental imbalance, a portrait of a soul starved for connection. The cycle of joy and sorrow, triggered by the return and departure of these 'swift messengers,' highlights the speaker's dependence on external validation. The brief assurance of the beloved's 'fair health' brings momentary joy, but it's fleeting. The immediate dispatch of thought and desire back to the beloved suggests a restless, almost addictive need for reassurance. This constant back-and-forth reveals a deeper vulnerability, a reliance on the other's well-being for the speaker's own emotional survival. It's a poignant depiction of codependency, masked in the elegant language of courtly love. Kelly's musical choices, whatever they may be, serve to amplify this inherent tension in Shakespeare's verses.