What He Wrote by Laura Marling Lyrics Meaning – A Haunting Lament Interwoven with Myth and History
Lyrics
He cut out my tongue
There is nothing to save
Love me, oh Lord
He threw me away
He laughed at my sins, in his arms I must stay
He wrote
I am broke
Please send for me
But I am broken too
And spoken for
Do not tempt me
Her skin is white and I’m light as the sun
So holy light shines on the things, you have done
So I asked him how he became this man
How did he learn to hold fruit in his hands?
And where is the lamb that gave you your name?
He had to leave, though I begged him to stay
Left me alone, when I needed the light
Fell to my knees, and I wept for my life
If he had’ve stayed, you might understand
If he had’ve stayed, you never would have taken my hand
He wrote
I’m low
Please send for me
But I’m broken too
And spoken for
Do not tempt me
And where is the lamb, that gave you your name?
He had to leave, though I begged him to stay
Begged him to stay in my cold wooden grip
Begged him to stay by the light of this ship
Me fighting him, fighting life, fighting dawn
And the waves came and stole him and took him to war
He wrote
I’m broke
Please send for me
But I’m broken too
And spoken for
Do not tempt me
Forgive me, Hera, I cannot stay
Cut out my tongue, there is nothing to save
Love me, oh Lord
He threw me away
He laughed at my sins, in his arms I must stay
We write
That’s all right
I miss his smell
We speak
When spoken to
That suits us well
That suits us well
That suits me well
In the haunting ballad ‘What He Wrote’, Laura Marling delves into a world where love and lament are interwoven with mythical references and historic undertones. The British songstress, known for her poetic lyrics and folk-infused melodies, weaves a tapestry of emotion that beckons listeners into a melancholic story of loss and devotion.
The song is a beautiful but sorrowful narrative exploring themes of abandonment, love, and sacrifice, overlaid with references that invoke ancient deities and wartime separation. Marling’s evocative storytelling and sublime musical arrangements create a landscape that’s ripe for interpretation and expression, offering a depth of meaning waiting to be unraveled.
Love and Sacrifice: An Eternal Dance
Marling’s lyrics often touch on the time-honored theme of love’s sacrifice, and ‘What He Wrote’ is no exception. The song’s protagonist speaks of a love fraught with the pain of separation and miscommunication. Through the metaphor of a relationship, Marling might be highlighting the broader sacrifices made during times of war or strife, as suggested by the references to being ‘taken to war’ and the plea, ‘Please send for me’.
The dichotomy of love—as a source of both comfort and pain—is palpable here, as the character grapples with the complexities of an absent lover, whose commitments seem to lie elsewhere, leaving her in a state of existential despair. This duality resonates with anyone who has endured the agony of waiting for a loved one caught in circumstances beyond their control.
The Muted Voice: Metaphors for Powerlessness
A striking aspect of the song is the recurring image of silenced voices, foreshadowed by the chilling opening lines where the protagonist declares, ‘He cut out my tongue, there is nothing to save.’ The metaphor of muteness is powerful. It speaks to themes of being stripped of one’s agency and the inability to change one’s fate or even plead one’s case.
The voice cut out could allude to the historical silencing of women or perhaps the muted voices of those who have suffered in the shadows, their stories and pains unchronicled. Marling captures a sense of erasure that is both deeply personal and reflective of a universal history of disempowered voices.
Invoking Hera: The Song’s Hidden Meaning
Marling’s invocation of Hera, the Greek goddess associated with marriage and women, at the beginning and end of the song, suggests an appeal to divine witness or judgment. Hera, often betrayed by Zeus in myth, symbolizes the woman wronged in her most intimate relationships.
The invocation serves as a plea, but also as an appeal for understanding and perhaps even forgiveness for succumbing to the arms of a flawed partner. It injects a layer of classical tragedy into the modern narrative, evoking timelessness in the suffering of love and betrayal.
The Lamb and the Light: Motifs of Innocence and Guidance
Throughout the song, Marling introduces symbols that deepen the emotional terrain—the lamb representing innocence or perhaps a christening of identity and the light as guidance or truth. The singer questions the departure of the lamb, contemplating whether loss of innocence led to the unraveling of the man she loved.
The imagery of begging to stay ‘by the light of this ship’ conjures visions of a guide that once illuminated a path but is now beyond reach, deepening the sense of abandonment. These motifs bind the narrative to the universal struggles of keeping faith and seeking direction in the most trying of times.
Echoing Through Time: Memorable Lines That Resonate
‘He laughed at my sins, in his arms I must stay,’ echoes as a powerful refrain in ‘What He Wrote.’ It encapsulates a bittersweet submission to a flawed partner, acknowledging their judgment yet revealing a compulsion to remain within the folds of their flawed embrace.
The repetition of the protagonist’s correspondence, ‘I am broken too,’ underscores her shared fragility with the absent lover. It bonds them in shattered imperfection and unspoken understanding, revealing the complexity of human relationships in times of hardship and distress. Marling’s craftsmanship turns these lines into haunting echoes that linger long after the song ends.
