A story to ponder on a Sunday afternoon busy with holiday preparations. Take a break. Sit down and watch; it’s short — have a cup of tea why don’t you? Listen to the words, to the lovely melody.
This is one of my favorite videos. I’m a sucker for puppets, and there’s the whole archeological thing going on. I haven’t thought about it in a while, and then a search for something unrelated, reminded me. The song is by Josh Ritter. The video by Liam Hurley.
There are different takes on the song’s meaning. Being an optimist on matters of the heart, I prefer to think that the story is about boundless, never-ending love.
What do you think?
A Wilderness of Words 
I’m with you, Mary. Boundless. Endless. Love.
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I also love that there are all kinds of ways to tell a story. The stories may be sad, or shocking, or life affirming, it’s the presentation of a different experience, a different point of view that I look for.
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Wow. I love the song. It was kind of sad though. Reminds me of the movie “Somewhere in Time” where two loves are separated by time and space.
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I, know – me, too. I also love ‘Somewhere in Time.’ It’s one of my favorite movies. Both this song and the movie are a little sad, if you think of it in terms of something ending. That’s why I like the notion that love will go on (cue Celine Dion song) ;-).
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🙂
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The voice and accompaniment are exquisite. The animation is gorgeous. I like your take on all of it. Thank you Mary for the delightful divertimento.
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I’m glad I could help!
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Mary, you find the most unusual things. This was very haunting and disturbing on an deep level. It resonates with the eternal pursuit of love and acceptance, the head/heart turning world that distracts one from the goal with promises of golden joinings that in the end turn to dust leaving us longing for the true gift which we discarded in the past, in our haste to get to the future. It seems to lead one to contemplate ‘being in the moment’ and understanding the validity and value of that moment. Very bittersweet, not too dramatic or overly saccharin. Really enjoyed the ride on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Thank you.
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What can I say, Barb, I’ve always been drawn to the unusual. 😉 In this case, I heard someone sing this song at a local “follies” a while back, and I was also haunted by the music. The woman pointed me to the video. I was, and still am, fascinated by it on different levels.
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Lovely post, Mary — and I agree with your take.
PS: attempted to post a comment earlier — twice. Still not showing. Hm.
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Huh. I saw your first comment post right away. Interestingly enough, when I was preparing today’s post, I could see in the side panel of the Dashboard, that there was a comment pending. It took me a while to find it and it turned out to be one of your comments that need approval. Don’t know why. WP must know by now how much I “approve” of you!!
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Sigh. I couldn’t understand all the words at the end, but it was lovely and sad. I got past life issues, and this brought them to mind. 🙂
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If you take the lyrics on their own, it’s very sad. So much in life is. I love what the video brings to the words. (Surely, it can be no mistake that the tale is told using puppets?!)
I glad you got through your life issues – “Are you cursed?” . . . “I think that I’m cured.”
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Heh, no, I didn’t get past my life issues, I have past-life issues. Big time. But I’m working on those too – probably won’t ever be cured, but I’ll settle for…settled, I guess. It’s definitely not a curse. 🙂
What DOES the song say right at the end – the couple of lines before he said he hoped she would forget the question? I couldn’t make it out, despite several tries. I’m not good at hearing things sometimes, which is why I watch my own TV with the closed captioning on, generally. Plus I can see my colors for the words that way.
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Ha! Boy did I read your first comment wrong. (I wish I remembered anything from my past lives.) I should have known. Here are the last two stanzas:
She stops going out, she just lies there in bed
In hotels in whatever towns they are speaking
Then her face starts to set and her hands start to fold
And one day the dry fig of her heart stops its beating
Long ago on the ship, she asked “Why pyramids?”
He said “Think of them as an immense invitation”
She asks “Are you cursed?” He says “I think that I’m cured”
Then he kissed her and hoped that she’d forget that question
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Oh, I see. It was that line about the pyramids I wasn’t getting, thanks. I have a hard time processing certain auditory stuff (unless it’s clairaudient!), and usually I read lips a little to make up for it, but it doesn’t help when they’re not moving them! 😛
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Thanks for sharing – I agree with you! Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
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Thanks, Clay. Wishing you a Christmas full of good cheer and a healthy, happy New Year!
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I was thinking ‘Love Will Keep Us Together’ by Neil Sedaka.
Cool puppet video, with a most hauntingly beautiful song. I thoughtbit was fun, because they are on a boat, and then go to the Art Institute in Chicago, where I’ve spent much time. Right now I’m sitting on a large boat in Roche Harbor procrastinating… What better way than reading some blogs… I have to do some work I don’t want to do, and am telling myself this is really important. I’m on an iPad, and it’s hard to catch all the lyrics. I’ll check it out when I get home. Thanks, Mary. Have to go now and do that job now.
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Thanks, Ted – now I’ve got that Sedaka song stuck in my head! 😉 I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Do listen to the song again when you can hear it properly.
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That is such a beautiful tune… and the lyrics of course… I looked them up and see he does not go to the Art Institute in Chicago (as I thought I heard), but the Big One in NYC. An interesting story… so sad and true.
I did finish the job on the boat. Not as bad as I thought, of course, but it gave me a chance to find this.
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I’m glad, Ted – both that the job on the boat is done, AND that you found and enjoyed to video. Cheers!
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