The Big Hurt
Endless Longing: The Painful Echo of Absence in "The Big Hurt" by Scott Walker
Lyrics
Now it begins, now that's you've gone
Commencement of a painful period now that you have departed.
Needles and pins, twilight till dawn
Experiencing emotional pain and suffering, comparing it to the feeling of needles and pins, lasting from twilight till dawn.
Watching the clock till you return
Constantly monitoring the passage of time until your return.
Lighting that torch and watching it burn
Symbolically igniting a torch and witnessing it burn, possibly representing the intensity of emotional distress.
Now it begins, day after day
Emphasizing the repetition of the painful experience day after day.
This is my life, ticking away
Describing the singer's life as time passes away.
Waiting to hear footsteps that say
Anticipating the sound of footsteps as a sign of enduring love returning.
Love will appear and this time to stay
Hoping that love will reappear and remain this time.
Each time you go
Expressing the recurring pain of your departure.
I try to pretend
Attempting to deceive oneself by pretending that the pain is finally over.
It's over at last
Conveying a desire for the suffering to end, suggesting a cycle of hope and disappointment.
And this time the big hurt will end
Addressing the expectation that this time the profound emotional pain will finally cease.
Now it begins, now that's you've gone
Reiteration of the commencement of anguish after your departure.
Needles and pins, twilight till dawn
Repeating the metaphor of needles and pins, emphasizing the extended duration till dawn.
But if you don't come back again
Expressing uncertainty about your return and contemplating when the suffering will end.
I'll wonder when, oh when will it end
Reflecting on the persistent pain and questioning when it will eventually conclude.
The big hurt
Summarizing the emotional ordeal as "The big hurt."
The big hurt
Repeating the phrase "The big hurt" for emphasis.
The big hurt
Reiteration of the significant emotional pain conveyed throughout the lyrics.
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