Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[leslie]

Hi,

I came across the lyrics of The Innocence Mission and found one line of it baffled me. Could anyone help out paraphrase this line for me? Thank you very much.

Brotherhood of Man

All day, since your haircut in the morning,
you have looked like a painting, even more than usual.
We are in the wind, planting the maples.
We meet an older man who seems to know
I miss my dad.
And he smiles through the limbs.
We talk easily with him
until the rain begins.
This is the brotherhood of man.

Waiting at the airport on my suitcase,
a girl traveling from Spain became my sudden friend,
though I did not learn her name.
And when the subway dimmed
a stranger lit my way.
This is the brotherhood of man.

I never can say what I mean
but you will understand,
coming through clouds on the way. This is the brotherhood of man.
_________________
Less Is Blessed

[CP]

Seems the writer is staying with the airplane theme from the previous stanza. Airplanes come through the clouds, so there is the image of you (the "you" of "you will understand") on the way to the one singing, flying in through the clouds.

That's my take on it. Probably other people will see it differently -- one of the good things about lyrics and poetry.
_________________
You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb