Thursday, December 13, 2018

"Let Her Go"

"Let Her Go" by Passenger made its debut in 2012 as the second song of the album All the Little Lights. Since being released in 2012, it has become increasingly famous and well known as a song about not taking things that you have for granted. Passenger discusses how you don't realize how much you miss something until you don't have it.

In "Let Her Go," Passenger uses numerous examples of poetic language to strengthen the content of the song. In the first verse, he says:

     Well, you only need the light when it's burning low
     Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
     Only know you love her when you let her go

He uses an "aaa" rhyme scheme, rhyming the last words of the three consecutive lines. This serves to enhance the meaning of the words and make them more powerful. The listener begins to reflect on their own experiences and wonder if they have been taking things in their life for granted. Furthermore, Passenger continues to say:


     Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

     Only hate the road when you're missing home
     Only know you love her when you let her go
     And you let her go

     Staring at the bottom of your glass
     Hoping one day you'll make a dream last
     But dreams come slow, and they go so fast


He continues his rhyming adding a "bbb" scheme to provide contrast to the feeling expressed in the "aaa" scheme. Not only do a lot of people take things for granted, they often do not realize how fast they disappear. When Passenger says "Staring at the bottom your glass," this phrase is often synonymous with drinking and depression. He uses this to show that people feel tinges of sadness as the things they were used to having disappear. Again, at this point, the listener will again begin reflecting, realizing that when something disappears it leaves a gaping hole. Passenger reflects this feeling by saying "But dreams come slow, and they go so fast." He means that when we have things, they can go away really fast. Therefore, the idea of the song is that it is good to never take things for granted, as when they disappear it can feel like a shock.





Here is the link for the full lyrics:


http://www.metrolyrics.com/let-her-go-lyrics-passenger.html





2 comments:

  1. I love this way of looking at it and how the lines were all comparisons of opposites. But I think the extremes are a bad way of looking at how to feel something. Only being able to experience one extreme to feel the other is probably a relative way of looking at something and can't be quantified, and could possibly be detrimental to how someone processes their emotions.

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  2. I love your look on the song,and your breakdown of the lyrics. I agree with your statement about the idea of the song. The lyrics make you think about your life and how we should cherish the moments we get.

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