In the small hours

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a solitary night, where the narrator, awake in the "small hours," conjures music from memory. They "fiddled" with a "dreamland viol," recalling tunes from "years ago." This act of musical recollection is the immediate scene, set against the quiet backdrop of 2 or 3 AM, a time often associated with introspection and the blurring of reality. The central tension emerges as the narrator's imagined music summons spectral dancers into their chamber. These "fieldfolk - Saviours of corn and hay" appear to celebrate, dancing to "Haste to the Wedding." The imagery shifts from solitary reflection to a communal, almost ghostly revelry, driven by the very melodies the narrator conjures. This creates a poignant contrast between the narrator's present solitude and the vibrant, past-oriented celebration they are orchestrating. The most striking element is the narrator's realization at the end. As "morning's sly increeping" begins, they observe the dancers and the scene, concluding, "That Now, not Then, held reign." This is a moment of profound, melancholic clarity: the vivid, joyful past conjured by music is ultimately just a phantom, unable to overcome the reality of the present moment. The "windless whirls" of the dancers underscore the ethereal, insubstantial nature of this dream. This lyrical passage is effective because it grounds a complex emotional state in concrete, evocative imagery. The contrast between the quiet "small hours" and the boisterous, imagined wedding dance highlights a deep sense of longing for a past that can be remembered and even performed, but not truly recaptured. The final lines deliver a quiet, devastating punch, confirming the inescapable nature of the present, even when the past feels so alive.