Paradise
A New Dawn Unveiled: Reflections on Change and Redemption in John Wesley Harding's 'Paradise'
Lyrics
Everything's changed and it's all for the best
Signifies a significant change has occurred, viewed positively.
And it's all gone according to plan
Indicates that the change aligns with a predetermined plan or intention.
It's out in the open and now it's all over
The situation is now publicly known and concluded.
Three cheers for every woman and man
Celebration for all individuals, appreciating everyone.
Terry and julie still stand on the bridge
Names of individuals (possibly fictional) remaining only in memory.
But only in our memory
They exist in memory but not in reality; no longer physically present.
Don't look to them to draw a conclusion
Suggests not expecting a definite decision or solution from them, but rather showing love and letting them be.
Just love them and set them free
Advises showing affection and allowing freedom instead of seeking conclusions from them.
Julie hangs out by the banks of the river
Julie spends time near a polluted river's banks.
Where the garbage all flows to the sea
Refers to waste flowing into the sea from the river.
Something's washed up, it's sacrifice to her
Symbolizes an offering or symbolic object brought to her by the river.
From the twentieth century
Relates the object to the 20th-century era.
She sees the smokestacks and she sees the city
Julie observes industrial structures and the urban landscape.
She sees the stadium's covered in snow
Describes a snow-covered stadium within the city.
The streets have been cleaned except for the bedrooms
Implies city streets are cleaned, except for the homeless people's places.
Of all the people with nowhere to go
Highlights the homelessness issue in the city.
Terry will clutch at threads where the rope was
Symbolizes Terry holding onto remnants of something lost.
As he's freefalling fast to the floor
Depicts Terry's rapid descent without recognition or attention.
But nobody claps because nobody's watching
Indicates lack of an audience or spectators to witness Terry's fall.
It's his lawyers who get all the applause
Lawyers receive applause instead of Terry, emphasizing legal proceedings.
Time's on the move, and I'm on the redeye
Speaker's journey on an overnight flight, seeking inspiration for another song.
Where I'm hoping to find one more song
Expresses the quest for creative inspiration.
But it's like looking for rain in the river
Searching for something rare or elusive, likened to finding rain in a river.
Better not leave it too long
Advises against delaying the search for too long.
Terry and julie filled out the coupon
Both Terry and Julie win tickets to a show.
And they won tickets tonight to the show
Despite winning tickets, they are attracted to shopping malls rather than the show.
But it's the aisles in the new stores that beckon
Describes the allure of newly opened stores.
As they shine a divine guiding glow
Portrays the stores as having an enticing, almost divine appeal.
The bridge through the city, it has just crumbled
Symbolizes collapse or breakdown of an essential connection in the city.
And that link is what kept them all sane
That connection was crucial for maintaining people's sanity.
The two of them tumble into the river
Both Terry and Julie fall into the river, neglecting to resurface.
Forget to come up for air again
Indicates neglect of basic needs or survival while engrossed in something else.
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