Thursday, July 20, 2006

Landslide

I've been listening to Fleetwood Mac in the car on the way to and from work this week. One song in particular really strikes a chord with me lately. It's Landslide, written and performed by Stevie Nicks. Here are the words:

Landslide
Written by S. Nicks

I took my love, I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
'Til the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I'm getting older, too

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I'm getting older, too
Oh, I'm getting older, too

Oh, take my love, take it down
Oh, climb a mountain and turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring it down

And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills...
Well, the landslide will bring it down
Oh, the landslide'll bring it down

For anyone who is not familiar with this song, Stevie Nicks sings is slowly, deeply, wistfully...all in that amazing voice of hers. I'm not sure why this song resonates within me right now. Might bear some exploring.

A friend who used to correspond with me wrote out the following lyrics in one of his letters as a description of the way he saw love. We were high-school aged at the time, and he was not the type of guy (football player, cuter than anything, with a sexy, hoarse voice) you'd expect to think so deeply about relationships. Maybe women start off on the wrong foot at a young age, seeing men as one-dimensional when it comes to love. If we bought into the battle-of-the-sexes humor about men, we could see them as incapable of love. I guess my friend showed me at a young age just how wrong that would be. I have to remind myself of the lesson from time to time. Anyway, here are the lyrics in question:

You're My Home
by Billy Joel


When you look into my eyes
And you see the crazy gypsy in my soul
It always comes as a surprise
When I feel my withered roots begin to grow

Well, I never had a place that I could call my very own
But that's alright my love,
'Cause your my home

When you touch my weary head
And you tell me ev'rything will be alright
You say use my body for your bed
And my love will keep you warm throughout the night

Well, I'll never be a stranger
And I'll never be alone
Where ever we're together that's my home

Home can be the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Indiana's early morning dew
High up in the hills of California
Home is just another word for you

If I travel all my life
And I never get to stop and settle down
Long as I have you by my side
There's a roof above and good walls all around
You're my castle, you're my cabin and my instant pleasure dome
I need you in my house 'cause you're my home


Why quote these two songs in the same post? I like the juxtaposition of Stevie's song about change against Billy's song about constancy. I can't decide if Stevie's song is about change within the context of her love or change at the cost of her love. Is the landslide taking down her childish self or taking down the love?

So what do you think? Is change the only constant, or can love be constant as well?


8 comments:

Pax Romano said...

I might be wrong, but I've always imagned that Landslide is about someone outgrowing another person...while they (the singer) may still be in love, they know it is time to move on.

It truly is a beautiful song.

Merci said...

You might be right. I think you can interpret it in more than one way, which makes it even more beautiful.

Zelda Parker said...

Both are great songs. I was only a moderate fan of Billy Joel until recently. Went to see him and this is now a favorite song. I played it to near death for weeks. This kind of songwriting reminds me of the stuff my high school girlfriends use to TRY to create.
The truth for me is that change is the only constant....you can grow and change but not always at the same pace.
LOL

Merci said...

Zelda-
We really are overdue for a long talk! Lunch, or movies or tea...soon!

Virginia Gal said...

Thanks for the lyrics to Landslide, it is a beautiful song, I like the Dixie Chick version as well.
as for love and life, beats me - Im so confused.

Merci said...

Virginia Gal-
I haven't heard the Dixie Chicks version.

Well, if Shakespeare is to be believed, confusion in love is half the fun of it!

Anonymous said...

I think its the mixture of the deep voice with the feeling of how life is passing over you all the time that makes this song so special

Leah said...

One of my dear friends sang You're My Home as part of my wedding service. Her voice is folk-y and raspy like Stevie's. It was funny to stumble upon this post and to have Nicks mentioned and You're my home mentioned all at one.
I wish Stevie Nicks would record you're my home. The way Billy Joel performs it is a bit too country for my taste.