Gentry
Echoes of Lost Voices: Chris Garneau's Gentry Tale
Lyrics
i used to go to the field and to the sea
Reflecting on past experiences in nature, going to fields and seas.
i used to smell the lilac and the tree
Recalling the sensory experience of smelling lilacs and trees.
i had a voice
Expressing a previous ability to have a voice.
and i had eyes
Noting possession of eyes, indicating the ability to perceive.
i had eyes
Repetition emphasizes the loss of the mentioned eyes.
born in a lot in gentry tennessee
Referencing a birth in Gentry, Tennessee, possibly a small town.
thousands were caught
Describing a situation where many were ensnared or affected.
in a lifetime guarantee
Highlighting a sense of permanence or inevitability.
we had no eyes
Stating a collective lack of eyes, suggesting a shared blindness.
we had no voice
Emphasizing a lack of voice, indicating an inability to express.
we had no voices
Reinforcing the idea of a collective absence of voices.
but we used to have a voice
Contrasting the current state with a past ability to have a voice.
voices
Emphasizing the significance of the lost voices.
and we used to
Recalling a time when there was possession of eyes.
have eyes
Reiterating the past possession of eyes.
we saw the light
Describing an ability to perceive light in the past.
we saw the light
Reaffirming the past ability to perceive light.
we saw the night
Acknowledging the past ability to perceive the night.
and we used to
Recalling a time when there was a voice.
have a voice
Reiterating the possession of a voice in the past.
we sang in flight
Describing singing in flight, possibly metaphorical.
in flight
Repeating the idea of singing in flight, emphasizing movement.
in plight
Introducing the term "plight," possibly referring to a difficult situation.
we sang in plight
Repeating the concept of singing in a difficult situation.
but we used to have a voice,
Contrasting the current state with a past possession of a voice.
a song.
Summarizing the loss with the mention of a song that is no longer present.
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