Down
"Down" is the tenth track on Hourglass.
Lyrics
I need you tonight
You don't have to talk to me
And don't be polite
Take my body and soul
I feel so old
Down, on the ground
There's no one around
And the snow is falling
Down, on the ground
It's where I'm bound
To end up by morning, down
Just lay down beside of me
You know what I like
Take what you want from me
We don't have to fight
Take my body and soul
I feel so old
Down, on the ground
There's no one around
And the snow is falling
Down, on the ground
It's where I'm bound
To end up by morning, down
Oh down, oh down
And you comfort me
Until my legs go weak
Hold me closer, we won't speak
Down on the ground
There's no one around
And the snow is falling
Down, on the ground
It's where I'm bound
To end up by morning, down
Oh, we all keep falling
All down
And the world keeps turning
Dave's Take
"['Down'] is actually one of my favorites on the album and I just wanted to end the album in a very un-sort-of Hollywood way. The album for me has got a very kind of filmic quality about it and someone...in Berlin brought up about it being...sort of playing, reading like a book or playing like a film, and I liked that. 'Down' was the perfect song to end the album on. Throughout the recording...quite early on, I knew I wanted to start with 'Saw Something' and end the- what I call the first side of the album, with 'Miracles' and end the second side with 'Down.' So I kind of had a structure of how it was going to play out. I think 'Down' is one of the strongest sort of lyrics and melodies on the album, and I particularly like the slow, drawl-y sort of almost country-like feel of the music."1
My Take
Ugh, I can feel this song. The somber descending notes and the weakness and vulnerability heard in the vocals- I know I've definitely experienced times like this, where I just feel so beaten down by life and I just want to lay on the bed or floor and disappear. And when you're feeling that down, sometimes it is comforting to have that second person that Dave mentions, someone who is just there for you and provide physical closeness. Like he says in the song, they don't have to say anything- no words of advice, no words of sympathy, and definitely no judgment. I also wish I could be that person for someone, but it does take a lot of patience and understanding. The song is a depressing-sounding album closer, but it speaks for a person so vulnerable who feels like they can't speak and can only feel. From the handwritten lyrics in the CD booklet, this one looks like it has gone through a little bit of rework, too. The most intriguing part is that in the third verse, the first line that is crossed out is "your [sic] a sick one."
Music Video
There is no music video for this song.