Some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
Oh but I know love as a fading thing
Just as fickle as a feather in a stream
See, honey, I saw love,
You see it came to me
It puts its face up to my face so I could see
Yeah then I saw love disfigure me
Into something I am not recognizing
See the cage, it called. I said, come on in
I will not open myself up this way again
Nor lay my face to the soil, nor my teeth to the sand
I will not lay like this for days now upon end
You will not see me fall, nor see me struggle to stand
To be acknowledged by some touch from his gnarled hands
You see the cage it called. I said, come on in
I will not open myself this way again.
You see the moon is bright in that treetop night
I see the shadows that we cast in the cold clean light
I might fear I go and my heart is white
And we race right out on the desert plains all night
So honey I am now, some broken thing
I do not lay in the dark waiting for day here
Now my heart is gold, my feet are right
And I'm racing out on the desert plains all night
So some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
All that I know love as a caging thing
Just a killer come to call from some awful dream
And all you folks, you come to see
You just to stand there in the glass looking at me
But my heart is wild, and my bones are steel
And I could kill you with my bare hands if I was free
That it makes a fiery ring
Oh but I know love as a fading thing
Just as fickle as a feather in a stream
See, honey, I saw love,
You see it came to me
It puts its face up to my face so I could see
Yeah then I saw love disfigure me
Into something I am not recognizing
See the cage, it called. I said, come on in
I will not open myself up this way again
Nor lay my face to the soil, nor my teeth to the sand
I will not lay like this for days now upon end
You will not see me fall, nor see me struggle to stand
To be acknowledged by some touch from his gnarled hands
You see the cage it called. I said, come on in
I will not open myself this way again.
You see the moon is bright in that treetop night
I see the shadows that we cast in the cold clean light
I might fear I go and my heart is white
And we race right out on the desert plains all night
So honey I am now, some broken thing
I do not lay in the dark waiting for day here
Now my heart is gold, my feet are right
And I'm racing out on the desert plains all night
So some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
All that I know love as a caging thing
Just a killer come to call from some awful dream
And all you folks, you come to see
You just to stand there in the glass looking at me
But my heart is wild, and my bones are steel
And I could kill you with my bare hands if I was free
Lyrics submitted by andromedas, edited by smallwonderrobot, wuzen, jorindemergan, caligirlmel, starmatter, bndemattei, starbolin, markothebeast, ameo, jjcico, feenster, gripdamage, nadolsw, virtueforall, stephanien, Kotownik, johnny1006, starboards, mightymash7, N3TSIRK, mcramelga, DiogoLopes
"Song For Zula" as written by Matthew Houck
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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I opened myself up to that kind of love, a love that made me struggle so in its cage. But I won't do it again.
When I'm free of this love. I will not ever be trapped in its cage again, but instead be free to run light and unchained, not caged and waiting to be killed by such a fickle thing as love.
All of you who have been burned by love...standing there in the glass created by that fiery ring of your own love...will see me unburdened by it. If I was free from this love, you would see me strong again. A killer myself, not victim of one.
PS: line ba line
I interpret the song as a sort of progression as the singer first comes to realize that love, deep vulnerable love, is nothing like the romanticized fantasy version of it he pieced together in his mind based on society's false portrayal of it. He's loved and lost and now feels foolish, heartbroken, and exposed after the experience changed him from something wild and independent and free into something desperate, reactive, and needy. Rather than being a prison, the cage represents the comfort and stability of a long term relationship that he enjoyed being trapped in.
He then realizes that he's now not who he used to be and knows that he needs to move on rather than wallowing in pity and depression but his tone betrays his words. He knows that he's emotionally crippled and wants to move on but there's an undeniable weakness in his voice as if he's still trapped in the throes of emotion and trying to convince himself of these independent things that he's capable of.
The third stanza begins with a memory of the two of them but then turns the scenario on himself alone as if to show that he's starting to realize (or actually believe) that he doesn't need her by his side in order to live the sort of life he'd concocted in his mind for the two of them. Eventually the symbol of love as a comforting cage takes on a new meaning and begins to represent the cage of emotional heartache which he still finds himself trapped inside despite coming to his previous revelations. Friends and family see the pain he's enduring but are unable to truly empathize with him. Though well meaning, their pity causes him to feel like an animal behind a wall of glass at the zoo which he detests. He knows that he's temporarily weak but resents their pity and knows that he's stronger than they think and once he's had time to mourn and heal his wounds he'll be back out on racing on the desert plains.
I advise everyone to watch the music video if you're interested in further exploring the allegorical nature of these lyrics.
Heart-wrenching video and a heart-wrenching song. Impossible not to relate these lyrics to your own relationships and love, it's universal and beautifully captured.
Love is a burnin' thing,
And it makes a fiery ring
Bound by wild desire
I fell into a ring of fire.
deadoceans.com/blog/2012/12/phosphorescents-muchacho-coming-march-19th-stream-song-for-zula/
This song has totally devastated me too, btw. It's unbelievable. Brilliant.
Some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
Oh but I know love as a fading thing
Just as fickle as a feather in a stream
See, honey, I saw love, you see it came to me
It puts its face up to my face so I could see
Yeah then I saw love disfigure me
Into something I am not recognizing
See the cage, it called...I said, come on in
I will not open myself up this way again
Nor lay my face to the soil, nor my teeth to the sand
I will not lay like this for days now upon end
You will not see me fall, nor see me struggle to stand
To be acknowledged by some touch from his gnarled hands
You see the cage, it called...I said, come on in
I will not open myself this way again
You see the moon is bright in that treetop night
I see the shadows that we cast in the cold clean light
My feet are gold and my heart is white
And we race right out on the desert plains all night
See honey I am not some broken thing
I do not lay in the dark waiting for thee
No my heart is gold, my feet are light
And I am racing out on the desert plains all night
So some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
Ah but I know love as a caging thing
Just a killer come to call from some awful dream
O and all you folks, you come to see
You just to stand there in the glass looking at me
But my heart is wild and my bones are steam
And I could kill you with my bare hands if I was free