Only A Man
Mystical Reflections: Only A Man's Journey by Tess LeBlanc
Lyrics
By the riverbed, where the palm trees shed
Describing a location by a riverbed with shedding palm trees.
Their arms so we may shield our face
Palm trees' arms are used as a shield to protect faces from something.
I let the silt anoint my feet
The speaker allows silt to touch their feet in a slow day by the river.
In another of the slowest of days
Reflecting on a leisurely day and the passing of time.
Dahlia slept off her opiate
A character named Dahlia is sleeping after taking an opiate.
And Ilana nursed in the hay
Ilana is nursing in the hay, possibly a reference to caring for someone.
And my man got wind of the great fortune
The speaker's man learns about a great fortune nearby.
Only ever a mile away
Reiteration that the fortune is only a mile away.
Only ever a mile away
Repeating the proximity of the fortune, emphasizing its accessibility.
Oh, he was only a man
Stating that the man in question was only human.
Oh, he was only a man
Repeating the acknowledgment of the man's humanity.
We saw the Sadducees by the shallow sea
Observing Sadducees by a shallow sea and hair falling in skeins.
Where your hair fell around you in skeins
Describing a painful moment while combing someone's hair.
And it pained you, dear, as I combed it there
Acknowledging the person's pain, emphasizing their humanity.
After all, you are only a man
Asserting that, despite everything, the person is only human.
Had a dream you were leaving me
Recalling a dream where the person was leaving.
The water clung onto your skin
Describing water clinging to the person's skin.
Have you noticed that, after all that's passed
Noting the enduring impact of the person on the surroundings.
The grass is still flat where you've lain?
Reiterating the persistence of the person's impact on the grass.
The grass is still flat where you've lain
Repeating the idea that the grass remains flattened where the person was.
Oh, he was only a man
Reiterating that the man in question was only human.
Oh, he was only a man
Further emphasizing the human nature of the man.
Only a man
Stating again that the man was only human.
Oh, he was only a man
Reiterating that the man was only human.
The king of kings is dazzling
Describing the king of kings as dazzling in a land of cultists and clans.
In this country of cultists and clans
Noting the king's prominence in a challenging environment.
In the back, your kin is stumbling
Observing the speaker's kin stumbling in the background.
For a hold on your exultant plan
Suggesting a struggle for control over an exultant plan.
I can't rebuke you for that one sore tooth
The speaker can't criticize a particular flaw but warned about health.
But I warned you to think of your health, dear
Reflecting on a past warning about health.
Now by the riverbed
Returning to the riverbed and asking the person's thoughts about themselves.
Where we once broke bread
Recalling a shared moment of breaking bread by the river.
We must ask what you thought of yourself, dear
Prompting reflection on the person's self-perception.
Oh, he was only a man
Reiterating that the man was only human.
Oh, he was only a man
Emphasizing the human aspect of the man again.
Only a man
Reiterating that the man was only human.
Oh, he was only a man
Concluding the repetition that the man was only human.
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