Words in a song: “How every mouth sings of what it's without so we all sing of love”
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It is from Iron and Wine song "Innocent bones". As a non native English speaker, I struggle to understand the exact meaning. It is thoroughly a grammatical question.
- Does it mean that, because everyone is singing about things they lack, "we" simply sing about love, and lack nothing? or
- Does it mean that everyone is singing about things they lack and "we" too sing about a thing we lack - love?
I think I do not understand the meaning of "so" in this sentence.
meaning meaning-in-context translation songs
edited Oct 16 at 21:15
Laurel
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asked Sep 16 at 18:29
VictoriaJen
22
add a comment |
up vote
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It is from Iron and Wine song "Innocent bones". As a non native English speaker, I struggle to understand the exact meaning. It is thoroughly a grammatical question.
- Does it mean that, because everyone is singing about things they lack, "we" simply sing about love, and lack nothing? or
- Does it mean that everyone is singing about things they lack and "we" too sing about a thing we lack - love?
I think I do not understand the meaning of "so" in this sentence.
meaning meaning-in-context translation songs
edited Oct 16 at 21:15
Laurel
29.8k655106
asked Sep 16 at 18:29
VictoriaJen
22
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because the interpretation of poetry or song lyrics is off-topic.
– Hot Licks
Dec 16 at 0:15
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
It is from Iron and Wine song "Innocent bones". As a non native English speaker, I struggle to understand the exact meaning. It is thoroughly a grammatical question.
- Does it mean that, because everyone is singing about things they lack, "we" simply sing about love, and lack nothing? or
- Does it mean that everyone is singing about things they lack and "we" too sing about a thing we lack - love?
I think I do not understand the meaning of "so" in this sentence.
meaning meaning-in-context translation songs
edited Oct 16 at 21:15
Laurel
29.8k655106
asked Sep 16 at 18:29
VictoriaJen
22
It is from Iron and Wine song "Innocent bones". As a non native English speaker, I struggle to understand the exact meaning. It is thoroughly a grammatical question.
- Does it mean that, because everyone is singing about things they lack, "we" simply sing about love, and lack nothing? or
- Does it mean that everyone is singing about things they lack and "we" too sing about a thing we lack - love?
I think I do not understand the meaning of "so" in this sentence.
meaning meaning-in-context translation songs
meaning meaning-in-context translation songs
edited Oct 16 at 21:15
Laurel
29.8k655106
asked Sep 16 at 18:29
VictoriaJen
22
edited Oct 16 at 21:15
Laurel
29.8k655106
asked Sep 16 at 18:29
VictoriaJen
22
edited Oct 16 at 21:15
Laurel
29.8k655106
edited Oct 16 at 21:15
Laurel
29.8k655106
edited Oct 16 at 21:15
Laurel
29.8k655106
29.8k655106
asked Sep 16 at 18:29
VictoriaJen
22
asked Sep 16 at 18:29
VictoriaJen
22
asked Sep 16 at 18:29
VictoriaJen
22
22
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because the interpretation of poetry or song lyrics is off-topic.
– Hot Licks
Dec 16 at 0:15
add a comment |
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because the interpretation of poetry or song lyrics is off-topic.
– Hot Licks
Dec 16 at 0:15
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because the interpretation of poetry or song lyrics is off-topic.
– Hot Licks
Dec 16 at 0:15
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because the interpretation of poetry or song lyrics is off-topic.
– Hot Licks
Dec 16 at 0:15
add a comment |
2 Answers
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To sing about what we are without. To sing of something. meaning: a topic
To be without= to lack, to be without food.
Ergo, if a mouth sings of what it is without, it sings about what it lacks.
And here the songwriter says that is love. The mouth lacks love.
Presumably kisses,which can signify love in some way, I guess.
It is not the greatest line I have ever read......
The reason this is not great is: the mouth might lack teeth...
Anyway, mouth here apparently stands for any person.....that is called synecdoche in poetry. Using a word associated with something to name the thing.
Here,mouth=person, or person in need.
answered Sep 16 at 18:49
Lambie
7,2151931
You didn't explain 'so' (= therefore) -- the writer implies that we all lack love.
– AmI
Oct 17 at 5:34
So is ergo=therefore.
– Lambie
Oct 17 at 12:33
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
If you think about a mouth as representative of an entire person, because it is the part of the body that has the function of communicating, whether by song or by speech, a "mouth singing of what it lacks" could also mean a "person talks about what they don't have".
When you use this wording, consider it to mean, then:
"How a person talks about what they don't have"
Talking about what they don't have is followed by "so they all sing of love", where so here is a conjunction meaning therefore, so (and I just used it here in the same sense) it means that they talk about love.
All together, this is saying "People don't have love so they talk about it."
answered Nov 15 at 23:02
psosuna
1,781314
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
To sing about what we are without. To sing of something. meaning: a topic
To be without= to lack, to be without food.
Ergo, if a mouth sings of what it is without, it sings about what it lacks.
And here the songwriter says that is love. The mouth lacks love.
Presumably kisses,which can signify love in some way, I guess.
It is not the greatest line I have ever read......
The reason this is not great is: the mouth might lack teeth...
Anyway, mouth here apparently stands for any person.....that is called synecdoche in poetry. Using a word associated with something to name the thing.
Here,mouth=person, or person in need.
answered Sep 16 at 18:49
Lambie
7,2151931
You didn't explain 'so' (= therefore) -- the writer implies that we all lack love.
– AmI
Oct 17 at 5:34
So is ergo=therefore.
– Lambie
Oct 17 at 12:33
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
To sing about what we are without. To sing of something. meaning: a topic
To be without= to lack, to be without food.
Ergo, if a mouth sings of what it is without, it sings about what it lacks.
And here the songwriter says that is love. The mouth lacks love.
Presumably kisses,which can signify love in some way, I guess.
It is not the greatest line I have ever read......
The reason this is not great is: the mouth might lack teeth...
Anyway, mouth here apparently stands for any person.....that is called synecdoche in poetry. Using a word associated with something to name the thing.
Here,mouth=person, or person in need.
answered Sep 16 at 18:49
Lambie
7,2151931
You didn't explain 'so' (= therefore) -- the writer implies that we all lack love.
– AmI
Oct 17 at 5:34
So is ergo=therefore.
– Lambie
Oct 17 at 12:33
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
To sing about what we are without. To sing of something. meaning: a topic
To be without= to lack, to be without food.
Ergo, if a mouth sings of what it is without, it sings about what it lacks.
And here the songwriter says that is love. The mouth lacks love.
Presumably kisses,which can signify love in some way, I guess.
It is not the greatest line I have ever read......
The reason this is not great is: the mouth might lack teeth...
Anyway, mouth here apparently stands for any person.....that is called synecdoche in poetry. Using a word associated with something to name the thing.
Here,mouth=person, or person in need.
answered Sep 16 at 18:49
Lambie
7,2151931
To sing about what we are without. To sing of something. meaning: a topic
To be without= to lack, to be without food.
Ergo, if a mouth sings of what it is without, it sings about what it lacks.
And here the songwriter says that is love. The mouth lacks love.
Presumably kisses,which can signify love in some way, I guess.
It is not the greatest line I have ever read......
The reason this is not great is: the mouth might lack teeth...
Anyway, mouth here apparently stands for any person.....that is called synecdoche in poetry. Using a word associated with something to name the thing.
Here,mouth=person, or person in need.
answered Sep 16 at 18:49
Lambie
7,2151931
answered Sep 16 at 18:49
Lambie
7,2151931
answered Sep 16 at 18:49
Lambie
7,2151931
answered Sep 16 at 18:49
Lambie
7,2151931
7,2151931
You didn't explain 'so' (= therefore) -- the writer implies that we all lack love.
– AmI
Oct 17 at 5:34
So is ergo=therefore.
– Lambie
Oct 17 at 12:33
add a comment |
You didn't explain 'so' (= therefore) -- the writer implies that we all lack love.
– AmI
Oct 17 at 5:34
So is ergo=therefore.
– Lambie
Oct 17 at 12:33
You didn't explain 'so' (= therefore) -- the writer implies that we all lack love.
– AmI
Oct 17 at 5:34
You didn't explain 'so' (= therefore) -- the writer implies that we all lack love.
– AmI
Oct 17 at 5:34
So is ergo=therefore.
– Lambie
Oct 17 at 12:33
So is ergo=therefore.
– Lambie
Oct 17 at 12:33
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
If you think about a mouth as representative of an entire person, because it is the part of the body that has the function of communicating, whether by song or by speech, a "mouth singing of what it lacks" could also mean a "person talks about what they don't have".
When you use this wording, consider it to mean, then:
"How a person talks about what they don't have"
Talking about what they don't have is followed by "so they all sing of love", where so here is a conjunction meaning therefore, so (and I just used it here in the same sense) it means that they talk about love.
All together, this is saying "People don't have love so they talk about it."
answered Nov 15 at 23:02
psosuna
1,781314
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
If you think about a mouth as representative of an entire person, because it is the part of the body that has the function of communicating, whether by song or by speech, a "mouth singing of what it lacks" could also mean a "person talks about what they don't have".
When you use this wording, consider it to mean, then:
"How a person talks about what they don't have"
Talking about what they don't have is followed by "so they all sing of love", where so here is a conjunction meaning therefore, so (and I just used it here in the same sense) it means that they talk about love.
All together, this is saying "People don't have love so they talk about it."
answered Nov 15 at 23:02
psosuna
1,781314
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
If you think about a mouth as representative of an entire person, because it is the part of the body that has the function of communicating, whether by song or by speech, a "mouth singing of what it lacks" could also mean a "person talks about what they don't have".
When you use this wording, consider it to mean, then:
"How a person talks about what they don't have"
Talking about what they don't have is followed by "so they all sing of love", where so here is a conjunction meaning therefore, so (and I just used it here in the same sense) it means that they talk about love.
All together, this is saying "People don't have love so they talk about it."
answered Nov 15 at 23:02
psosuna
1,781314
If you think about a mouth as representative of an entire person, because it is the part of the body that has the function of communicating, whether by song or by speech, a "mouth singing of what it lacks" could also mean a "person talks about what they don't have".
When you use this wording, consider it to mean, then:
"How a person talks about what they don't have"
Talking about what they don't have is followed by "so they all sing of love", where so here is a conjunction meaning therefore, so (and I just used it here in the same sense) it means that they talk about love.
All together, this is saying "People don't have love so they talk about it."
answered Nov 15 at 23:02
psosuna
1,781314
answered Nov 15 at 23:02
psosuna
1,781314
answered Nov 15 at 23:02
psosuna
1,781314
answered Nov 15 at 23:02
psosuna
1,781314
1,781314
add a comment |
add a comment |
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I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because the interpretation of poetry or song lyrics is off-topic.
– Hot Licks
Dec 16 at 0:15