Splendor by M83 Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Ethereal Journey of Existence


You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for M83's Splendor at Lyrics.org.
Article Contents:
  1. Music Video
  2. Lyrics
  3. Song Meaning

Lyrics

What have we to show?
Barren feelings and dust for crow
We can’t ever know
When it’s time to go

That’s the way to see the end
Glowing out along the river bend
It’s not goodbye my only friend
Yesterday started over again

Full Lyrics

In the vast universe of contemporary music, M83’s ‘Splendor’ glistens like a delicate cosmic event—rare, profound, and deeply stirring. The song, a masterful blend of ambient textures and emotional profundity, hails from the band’s 2011 opus, ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.’

Frontman Anthony Gonzalez, the visionary behind M83, has a penchant for infusing his work with layers of existential musings, often cloaked in synths and soaring melodies. ‘Splendor’ is no different, offering listeners a beautifully enigmatic piece that prompts reflection on life, death, and the ineffable moments of transition that define our existence.

The Cosmic Ballet: Understanding the Ephemeral Nature of Life

‘Splendor’ opens with a line that sets the existential tone: ‘What have we to show? Barren feelings and dust for crow.’ It’s a poignant reminder of life’s fleeting impermanence, where our experiences and emotions often fade into the abyss, leaving behind a haunting sense of ephemerality.

Anthony Gonzalez challenges us to ponder on our legacy, the residue we leave in the wake of our journey. The ‘dust for crow’ serves as a metaphor for the remnants of a life once vibrant, now reclaimed by the earth—a Shakespearean musing on the inevitability of mortality.

Waves of Nostalgia: The Lyrical Bridge Between Past and Present

One cannot help but be swept by the elegiac current as Gonzalez sings, ‘It’s not goodbye my only friend.’ There is an affirmation in those words, a resolve to see the continuity of relationships beyond the confines of our temporal world.

The song transcends the traditional narrative of loss, instead giving life to the concept of cyclical existence—’Yesterday started over again.’ This recurring theme resonates with the notion that every ending ushers in a new beginning, a perspective that finds beauty in the eternal dance of creation and dissolution.

A Palette of Melancholy: The Musical Mise-en-scène of ‘Splendor’

To distill meaning solely from lyrics would be to overlook the rich tapestry of sound M83 weaves. The instrumental accompaniment of ‘Splendor’ is a haunting mosaic of melancholia infused with hope. Its crescendos and decrescendos embody the pulsating rhythm of life itself.

The track’s expansive soundscape invites listeners into a meditative space, where the line between the terrestrial and celestial becomes indistinct. Every chord and harmony contributes to an audiovisual splendor reminiscent of gazing out into a universe where wonder and sorrow coalesce.

Unlocking the Hidden Meaning: Between the Lines of ‘Splendor’

‘That’s the way to see the end, Glowing out along the river bend.’ Within these words lies a paradox of luminosity and terminus. Gonzalez proffers an image of the end not as opaque darkness, but a luminous event—a ‘glowing’ that promises something beyond the known.

The ‘river bend’ symbolizes not just life’s meandering journey but also hints at a secretive vantage where one can glimpse the transitional ‘glow’ of life turning the corner, moving from the visible to the mystical. These lines invite a deeper contemplation of what lies beyond our sensory perceptions.

An Ode to Infinity: The Memorable Lines that Echo Eternity

Heartrending and vivid, ‘When it’s time to go’—these simple yet evocative words are a universal signal. They vibrate with the human condition, from the inexorable pull of time to the acceptance of life’s ultimate passage.

In the economy of expression, Gonzalez distills the essence of transition. He reminds us that our presence here is but a brief spell, and in acknowledging our departure, ‘Splendor’ becomes an ode to the human spirit’s eternal quest for meaning and its graceful acceptance of the inevitable.

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