Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of longing and a search for someone named Polly. There's a sense of distance, with a "wild-bird" acting as a messenger or a symbol of freedom and knowledge of distant places, even appearing in dreams. This bird seems to understand the "ways of the winds," hinting at a natural, perhaps untamed, spirit that Polly embodies or is connected to. The central tension lies in the plea for Polly to "come home again" and "spread your wings to the wind." This isn't just a simple request for return; it's tied to the narrator experiencing "much of the pain / As it begins." The return of Polly seems to coincide with or even trigger the onset of this pain, suggesting a complex, perhaps bittersweet, reunion or a realization that Polly's absence has been a shield. The imagery of dreams is particularly striking. The narrator has "searched for you there" in dreams, but now the search has shifted "within." This internal turn suggests that the answers or the resolution to the pain, and perhaps Polly's return, are not external but deeply personal. The dreams, while covering "much time," paradoxically "leave blind the will to begin," indicating a stagnation or an inability to move forward despite the vastness of the dreamscape. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics comes from their evocative, almost mystical portrayal of absence and the complicated emotions surrounding a potential return. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the persistent yearning, while the shift from searching externally to internally highlights a profound psychological landscape. The connection between Polly's return and the onset of pain creates a compelling emotional ambiguity, leaving the listener to ponder the nature of this relationship and the cost of healing.