in the wake of your leave Lyrics
So as you canyoneered from our world upwards
And the angels took their place
I was the loser at your funeral
And no emotion conveyed
It was drawn out in vain
And the idiot I am just figured
In the wake of your leave
That I'd never hear from you again
[Pre-Chorus]
And that I'd sing
With all this feeling
That your spirit would afford me
[Chorus]
My hand on heart
It's not a thing that I've been dreaming of
And it goes without my blessing
And leaves me in a rut
But it comes and goes
And shows me all I'm missing
And it comes and goes
[Verse 2]
I was there at the backstage, trying
But the words, they never came
And I was available for a statement
But I just hung my head in shame
It felt nothing to me
All the ceremony I'd wasted
And then I'd thank them and leave
And say, "God bless you all, goodnight"
And then I'd think
The grave was turning
And that nothing would absolve me
[Chorus]
My hand on heart
It's not a thing that I've been dreaming of
And it throws me without warning
And leaves me in the dust
But it comes and goes
And fills me when I'm empty
Then it comes and goes
And I will need it when it's gone
[Bridge]
It quakes and moves
Then breaks, then shatters over me
In shapes of all these quiet sacred things I need
[Chorus]
My hand on heart
If there's a line or something in these songs
That are worthy of some mention
You're free to let me know
But it comes and grows
And leaves me in my weakness
And it comes and goes
My hand on heart
It's not a thing that I've been dreaming of
And it goes without my blessing
And leaves me in a rut
But it comes and goes
And holds me when I'm sleepless
Then it comes and shows
How I need you when you're gone
About
“I wanted a sunny, bright and melodic indie pop track with an angular, repetitive hook. I had listened to Reich’s “Shiviti Hashem L’negdi (I Place The Eternal Before Me)” on repeat one day, and loved transcendent vocal refrains that are phasing in and out of the piece.
I suppose this is some reflection about how I became dependent on grief for solace and inspiration. The cycle of numbness to acceptance to yearning plays a role in my approach to grieving my dad’s death — most of the time.
I feel a bit futile as a person as a result. The Auckland Gospel Choir and a profoundly talented group of Cook Islander drummers, musicians and cultural representatives were able to take part in this. Lush, syrupy strings reminiscent of a Capra film were important to giving it this sense of cinematic grandeur — and maybe allowing us to not be so self-effacing, but embrace the uncoolness of eschewing hipness and other vanities".
- David Le'aupepe
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
“I wanted to reflect on how I became dependent on grief for solace and inspiration,” Le’aupepe says of the song. “The cycle from numbness to acceptance to yearning plays a role in my approach to grieving my dad’s death. As a result, most of the time, I feel a bit futile as a person.”
- 2.in the wake of your leave
- 4.returner
- 5.unison
- 8.spirit boy
- 9.brothers
- 10.forbearance
- 11.the man himself
- 12.hand of god
