Stanley Park
Stanley Park Reflections: Wings, Dreams, and the Circle of Life
Lyrics
See that gull on the old sea wall
Observing a seagull on the old sea wall
Some birds fly and others fall asleep
Reflecting on the varied destinies of birds—some fly while others rest/sleep
To the beating of their wings
Connecting bird movements to the rhythm of their wings
The wind sings, the wind sings
Emphasizing the poetic nature of the wind through repetition
See that babe at her mother's breast
Observing a baby at its mother's breast
If I could, I'd take my rest
Expressing a desire for rest and return to one's origin
Back in the belly from where I came
Reflecting on the maternal connection and birthplace
Nobody knows my name, knows my name
Highlighting anonymity and a sense of being unknown
Half-asleep in a bowl of gruel
Describing a state of half-consciousness in an unpleasant situation
No one told me life was cruel
Expressing a realization of life's harshness
My home is in this valley now
Stating a current sense of belonging to a particular place
But it's burning down, it's burning down
Symbolizing the destruction or decay of the belonging
If I find the fire escape
Expressing a desire for escape and a potential solution
I'll break the glass and put on my cape
Symbolically preparing for a transformative act
I'll pretend I'm Superman
Alluding to a superhero fantasy, possibly to cope with challenges
Where are my friends? Where are my friends?
Expressing a sense of isolation and questioning the presence of friends
I'm a poor wayfarer
Declaring a state of poverty and being a wanderer
I got no one to dry my eyes
Describing a lack of emotional support and comfort
Time to lay this body down
Contemplating the inevitability of death
In the frozen ground, the frozen ground
Imagining a burial in cold, lifeless ground
When I die, Lord, bring me back
Expressing a hope or request for a symbolic rebirth
As a snow-white gull, I'll make my tracks
Imagining a transformed state as a bird with pure, white feathers
On the sandy beach of the English Bay
Visualizing a serene location, English Bay, for the transformed self
Then I'll fly away, I'll fly away
Expressing a longing for ultimate freedom and departure
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