Thumbing my Way

Eraserhead

No matter how cold the winter, there's a springtime ahead

After a really cold winter in the UK, this weekend has made me appreciate this song even more. Really beautiful song.

thumbin-my-way

Mmmmm, couldn't agree more!

All the rusted signs
we ignore throughout our lives
choosing the shiny ones instead...

eugenetwhi

i always thought this verse was a bit melancholy. i could never tell if he was referring to suicide or if its something from the past bringing him down.

I let go of a rope,... thinking that's what held me back
And in time I've realized,... it's now wrapped around my neck
I can't see what's next,... from this lonely overpass
Hang my head and count my steps, as another car goes past

redpoint

eugenetwhi wrote:

i always thought this verse was a bit melancholy. i could never tell if he was referring to suicide or if its something from the past bringing him down.

I let go of a rope,... thinking that's what held me back
And in time I've realized,... it's now wrapped around my neck
I can't see what's next,... from this lonely overpass
Hang my head and count my steps, as another car goes past

This is one of my favorite songs to play and sing - such a great chord progression. My interpretation is that the song is about leaving a loved one/ situation - either breaking up with someone, moving away from home, etc. - then realizing that they meant so much more to you. Now you're trying to find your way back to them.

In this verse, I think by letting go of the rope, he left that person/ situation "thinking that's what held me back". Now, the person/ situation haunts him ("it's now wrapped around my neck"). The rest is about the lonely state he's in now.

This song makes me think twice sometimes. The grass isn't always greener on the other side - you have to make sure you appreciate what you have here and now.

PKTrekGirl

^ That has always been my take on this song also...and as I have been going through a period of transition myself, I have listened to this song many times over the past year.

I think that the meaning can be expanded from the idea of heaven being a person though. Although the song refers to a person - a lover released and then missed (and appreciated) much more later, I think it could be expanded to refer to a place or situation one really loved...but let go of for whatever reason, thinking it would be best to move on, but then later discovering that maybe that wasn't the case.

I like how the song sort of leaves it open ended as to what happens to the guy. Because going back in search of heaven? I guess that sometimes that might work...but you can't always count on it.