Small Things by Ben Howard Lyrics Meaning – Delving into the Profound Echoes of Contemplation
Lyrics
I walked down Mayflower Road again
The wailing sound
Echoes from the park seem so absurd
The bus takes hours
I knew it would but I can’t shake the sting
Can’t spend my time on everybody else
If buildings fell at least we’d be in matrimony
I can’t control the words
Kaleidoscope inside my head
Has the world gone mad
Or is it me?
All these small things they gather ’round me
Gather ’round me
Is it all so very bad?
I can’t see
All these small things they gather ’round me
Gather ’round me
Saw the police
Screaming something trivial like
“Keep the peace”
The world moves on and
You can’t shake the sound
know she’s home
Waiting on somebody holding life
All in my mind, the anvil and the weight upon my back
Has the world gone mad
Or is it me?
All these small things they gather ’round me
Gather ’round me
Is it all so very bad?
I can’t see
All these small things they gather ’round me
Gather ’round me
And I can’t see my love
Has the world gone mad
Or is it me?
All these small things they gather ’round me
Gather ’round me
Is it all so very bad?
I can’t see
All these small things they gather ’round me
Gather ’round me
In the tapestry of modern folk music, few songs weave introspection and societal observation as poignantly as Ben Howard’s ‘Small Things’. The track, firmly embedded into the artist’s thought-provoking oeuvre, presents a landscape where the mundane and existential seamlessly intertwine.
Howard’s lyrical prowess is on full display as he navigates through the intricate web of life’s trivialities juxtaposed against its colossal concerns. The narrative moves beyond the surface level, inviting listeners to dissect each verse for a deeper understanding. Here, we explore the dimensions of ‘Small Things’, peeling back its layers to reveal the rich emotional and philosophical ground it covers.
The Enigma of Mayflower Road: A Journey of Self and Society
When Ben Howard croons about Mayflower Road, it’s not just a physical path he’s traversing; it’s a symbolic passage through life’s cacophony. The ‘wailing sound’ engulfing him metaphorically represents the pervasive chaos of the external world that contrasts sharply with inner peace.
The struggle to navigate the intensities of daily life is palpable here, with ‘the bus takes hours’ serving as more than a lament on public transport—it becomes a metaphorical reflection on the slow passage of time amidst societal pressures.
The Allure of Collapse: Finding Matrimony in Ruin
The lines ‘If buildings fell at least we’d be in matrimony’ invoke the romanticism of shared disaster. In destruction there is unity, a concept Howard paints with both irony and longing. It’s an acknowledgment of human connection that seems most tangible when the world around us crumbles.
This desire for togetherness amidst chaos resonates with listeners who find solace in solidarity during their most challenging times, suggesting that even when the tangible world fades, our bonds remain.
A Mind’s Kaleidoscope: Inside the Artist’s Psyche
‘Kaleidoscope inside my head’—with these words, Howard visualizes the tumultuous nature of thoughts, ideas, and emotions swirling within. It’s a raw and candid admission of the clutter that can occupy one’s mind in an ever-complicated world.
The lyric serves as an intimate invitation into the artist’s mind, where simplicity is overshadowed by the overwhelming vibrance and confusion of a world wrestling with itself.
Echoes of Discontent: ‘Small Things’ and the Quest for Clarity
Grappling with the ‘small things’ that ‘gather ’round me’, Howard’s chorus is a meditation on the pervasive feeling of being overwhelmed by life’s minutiae while significant global and personal issues are at play.
The repeated questioning, ‘Has the world gone mad or is it me?’ is a powerful evocation of the struggle to find one’s place in a society in flux, where discerning the significant from the trivial becomes an increasingly taxing endeavor.
The Weight of the World: The Anvil and the Back
Perhaps the most striking metaphor, ‘the anvil and the weight upon my back’, vividly encapsulates the burdens that Howard—and by extension, his audience—carries. It’s a universal declaration of the heaviness that life can bestow, underscoring a shared human experience.
It’s in this collective empathy that ‘Small Things’ resonates so deeply, uniting listeners under the commonality of carrying weights that, at times, feel insurmountable, yet are rendered slightly more bearable through the communion of song.
