Kiki Arochas, Staff Writer
As we all have seen recently, and in life in general, tragedy is ultimately inevitable. Life “takes and it takes and it takes” goes the line, and nothing we say or do can change that. We live to lose, all the while living in denial of that fundamental truth. But what happens, when such tragedy is self-inflicted? What happens when the tragedy is not something that can be blamed on external forces, rotten luck or the divine, but can only be placed on the face in the mirror? Such is the subject matter of Skillet’s ballad “Lucy,” whose gorgeous and tortuous lyrics have rung in my head forever since. Written here is my line-by-line adventure in experiencing the song and discovering its true meaning for the first time.
Hey Lucy, I remember your name.
I left a dozen roses on your grave today
On first listen, the song came across to me as a story about a lost lover. This lyric immediately gave me a jolt of ,“wow okay, this is going to be a sad song.”
I’m in the grass on my knees wipe the leaves away
Just came to talk for a while, got some things I need to say.
This beautiful imagery of the setting showcased in full color the scene of the singer, as he faces the grave of his lost one; I could see it vividly.
Now that it’s over, I just want to hold her
I’d give up all the world to see, that little piece of heaven looking back at me
As beautiful as the words are, it’s really the vocals that sell the full emotional impact of the lyrics here. John Cooper’s (the lead vocalist and songwriter) complete agony as he sings this part never fails to touch me. At this point, I was already sold on loving the song, and doing my utmost not to tear up.
Now that it’s over, I just want to hold her
I’ve gotta live with the choices I made, and I can’t live with myself today
The duality of “live” struck me here: literally living, as in carrying on in life, and living in the sense of coping with oneself. Skillet really outdid themselves here. But what choices could he be referring to?
Hey Lucy, I remembered your birthday.
They said it brings some closure, to say your name.
I know I’d do it all different if I had the chance
But all I got are these roses to give, and they can’t help me make amends
The ‘they’ presumably refers to counselors helping the singer face the grief. I was doing all I could at this point not to start bawling. But through it all, my curiosity levels reached a breaking point. Why does he want to make amends? Did he not treat her right? Or is there something else at play? I had to find out.
Now that it’s over, I just want to hold her
I’d give all the world to see that little piece of heaven looking back at me
As the chorus came back for a second round, I began searching up, “Lucy song meaning.”
Now that it’s over, I just want to hold her
I’ve gotta live with the choices I made, and I can’t live with myself today
To paraphrase Cooper, he told StereoTruth that, though he usually doesn’t write songs this way, this song in particular can serve multiple interpretations, and can be about loss in general. But, I read later, Cooper chose not to reveal his meaning of “Lucy” for a long time, as it was very personal and special to him. Interesting…
Here we are, now you’re in my arms
I never wanted anything so bad
Aha! It seems he finally revealed the true meaning of the song at a concert in November 2010. Glad someone wrote it down. Let’s see what he said…
Here we are, for a brand new start
Living the life that we could have had.
“Listen up while I tell you a story about a young girl and a young guy who were in a tough situation,” he began.
Me and Lucy walking hand in hand
Me and Lucy, never want to end
“They didn’t know what to do when they found out that she was pregnant; they were young, they didn’t have any money, they were scared, they didn’t want to tell anybody, they didn’t know what to do, and the only option that they could see was to terminate the pregnancy.”
Just another moment in your eyes, I’ll see you
In another life, in heaven!
Where we never say goodbye
“So that’s what they decided to do… they went to a clinic, they had the procedure done, and at first they felt relieved that all their problems had gone away.”
Now that it’s over, I just want to hold her
I’d give up all the world to see that little piece of heaven looking back at me!
“But then something happened that they did not expect. And that’s over the next few weeks, which turned into a few months, they began to feel an intense sadness… and a pain and an agony and a guilt that wouldn’t go away.”
Now that it’s over, I just want to hold her
I’ve gotta live with the choices I made, and I can’t live with myself today
“They didn’t know what to do, so they finally went to see a counselor; they said look – tell us what to do, we just don’t know, and the counselor made a suggestion.”
Here we are now you’re in my arms
Here we are for a brand new start
“The counselor said here’s what you need to do – stop acting like you had a procedure, and act like you had a death in the family.”
I’ve gotta live with the choices I made, and I can’t live with myself today
“So the couple went home and they made three decisions. Number one, they decided to have a funeral service for the baby;”
Me and Lucy walking hand in hand
“number two, they bought a tiny little headstone;”
Me and Lucy, never want to end
“and the last decision to make was what to name the baby.”
I’ve gotta live with the choices I made, and I can’t live with myself, today.
“After a couple weeks they finally decided they would call her… Lucy.”
Hey Lucy, I remember your name.