About
In life we encounter different types of love and through that we experience different forms of pain, but there is a unique space for the love that is shared between a child and their mother. It is a power that can bring light to the darkest places and hope to the hardest moments. It is a love that you can never truly lose and is always carried with you through your life. It is a source of true power and resilience to draw from when you need it most. It is a love that can never die. That is the true essence of Mother Said.
Mother Said is a song that reflects on overcoming the pain of losing somebody you love. On the surface the story is about a breakup and the words spoken by a mother to grant their child strength. And for most listeners this will be enough. But there is also a more intimate interpretation of the lyrics. An interpretation that speaks more truly to the harmonic implications of the song. The real source of power is derived from overcoming the loss of a different type of loving relationship, the unconditional bond that is formed between mother and child. When you reinterpret the lyrics and harmony through this lens, the real source of power is exposed.
The barrier most people will face in reaching this plane of interpretation is the idea of sacrificing everything for one last kiss. In our society we have a tendency to prioritise the type of love that in the Classical Greek Tradition would be considered Eros. It is an erotic form of love that manifests physically. In current popular culture the primary device of displaying this type of love is the medium of a kiss. But the Ancient Greeks had a different term for the love shared between a parent and their child. The Ancient Greeks referred to this type of Familiar love as Storge. If a listener is able to reimagine and empathise with the actions of the lyrics through this type of Storgic love, perhaps a more powerful level of emotional engagement to this song can be experienced.
Lyrics
“When you left you said it all,
With a smile and a tear,
Took my heart and left me cold
Bleeding wounds that never heal
But mother said, that love is never dead
You fight, you laugh, you drift apart and hate some things you said,
So be strong at heart, you’re only at the start
And your life is your own
So say you love me if you’re leaving
Our Love is more than just a feeling,
It’s the force that keeps us breathing
So say you love me if you’re leaving
From the day that I was born,
Through the life that I have lived,
I would sacrifice it all,
For the chance of one more kiss”