April Come She Will by Simon & Garfunkel Lyrics Meaning – Seasons of Emotion in a Folk Classic
Lyrics
When streams are ripe and swelled with rain
May, she will stay
Resting in my arms again
June, she’ll change her tune
In restless walks she’ll prowl the night
July, she will fly
And give no warning to her flight
August, die she must
The autumn winds blow chilly and cold
September, I remember
A love once new has now grown old
Within the delicate weaves of Simon & Garfunkel’s folk tapestry emerges a song that captures both the transient beauty of nature and the wistful progression of human emotions. ‘April Come She Will,’ a track filled with poetic complexity, often goes unnoticed against the backdrop of the duo’s more prominent hits like ‘The Sound of Silence’ or ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water.’ Yet, in its succinct verses, it unveils the profound relationship between the cyclical changes of the seasons and the inevitable shifts within our personal relationships.
Embarking on an auditory journey that begins with the blooming hope of April and ends with the wistful remembrance of September, the song traverses a landscape lush with metaphor and sentiment. This article peels back the layers of ‘April Come She Will,’ exploring its poignant lyrics and uncovering the hidden meanings behind its tranquil, soothing melody.
A Serenade to the Seasons: Love’s Evolution Through Nature’s Lens
Art has long drawn inspiration from the variegated patterns of the seasons, and ‘April Come She Will’ stands as a testament to this enduring artistic tradition. In a simple yet evocative manner, Simon & Garfunkel’s tender narrative aligns each month with a specific stage in a romantic relationship. This alignment not only emphasizes the ever-changing character of love but also connects us to a universal, almost primordial understanding of time as we resonate with the natural metaphors at play.
Through the graceful turn of phrase, the song illustrates how affection, like the seasons, blossoms and fades. It starts with the ‘ripe and swelled’ streams of April, symbolizing love’s promising start, and ends with a September that brings with it the bittersweet nostalgia for a love that has matured, transformed, and ultimately been laid to rest amidst the autumn leaves.
Unraveling The Song’s Hidden Meaning: A Chronology of Heartache
Beyond its bucolic charm, ‘April Come She Will’ may hide a deeper, darker layer of meaning. What starts as a ballad of renewal subtly transitions into an elegy by the song’s conclusion. Its brevity is deceptive; within its short duration, listeners experience the birth, life, and death of a relationship—a complete emotional life cycle compressed into two minutes of lyricism.
April’s vitality wanes by August, where ‘die she must,’ which can be interpreted as an unflinching acknowledgement of love’s impermanence. The poetic cruelty in acknowledging that all things must end, including the most ardent of loves, is both a reflection on the inevitability of change and a commentary on the necessity of letting go.
The Influence of Folk Tradition on Poignant Storytelling
Drawing upon the rich vein of traditional folk balladry, Simon & Garfunkel have imbued ‘April Come She Will’ with a timeless quality. This influence is evident not just in the acoustic simplicity of the composition, but also in its narrative structure—a sequence of events, months in this case, that follow one after the other, telling a compact story that leaves a lasting impact.
Folk music has a long-standing history of distilling complex human experiences into poignant, digestible stories. Similarly, ‘April Come She Will’ capitalizes on the folk tradition of using nature and the passage of time as an allegory for deeper human truths, emphasizing how minimalism in lyrics can be a vessel for profound emotional explorations.
December’s Absence: The Silence That Speaks Volumes
In the omission of December from the song’s narrative, one finds an intriguing aspect of ‘April Come She Will.’ This absence communicates a silence that is felt—resonating with the void left behind after the fervor of a relationship’s lifecycle has come and gone. The missing December can be seen as the moment of reflection, the emptiness that accompanies the end of one chapter and the haunting anticipation of the next.
The skipped month also alludes to the idea that some periods in our lives are simply inarticulable, where experiencing the stillness is more profound than any lyrics could express. In this empty space, listeners find their own stories and feelings surfacing, enhancing the song’s personal relevance and universality.
Memorable Lines: The Echoes of Love’s Seasonal Symphony
‘June, she’ll change her tune / In restless walks she’ll prowl the night,’ stands out among the lyrics for its striking imagery. It encapsulates the unease that creeps into a once-peaceful love, as June’s arrival signals the beginning of turbulence. Meanwhile, ‘September, I remember’ elicits an unforgettable emotional epiphany—a mournful glance back at what once was and will never be again.
These lines serve as the epitome of the song’s storytelling prowess, where each word resonates with a weight far beyond its simplicity. Even without the full context of the song, they evoke a sentiment that’s universally understood: the shifting sands of love, time, and the poignant resonance of memory.
