>>Evacuee Interpretations<<

EVACUEE

To me, this song is about the sadder events in life. The events which bring people together through a common loss. Whether this loss is moving out, a divorce, or even death, we will all have to cope with these types of losses sooner or later. This song expresses deep sorrow of these woeful events. In order to survive, one must learn to clear their eyes of tears and continue to have a clear perspective of the future. Time will do its healing process, but things will never be the same after dramatic events happen; they alter our lives altogether. I also feel strongly that this song is a tribute to all the parents of the world.

Special Note: The lyrics to this song were put on the gravestone of a girl who had died in the TWA crash of 1997 by her mother. Enya had wanted to comfort the survivors, but due to a car accident she was in, she was unable to attend.

Each time on my leaving home
I run back to my mother’s arms,
one last hold and then it’s over.

Watching me, you know I cry,
you wave a kiss to say goodbye,
Feel the sky fall down upon me!

All I am,
a child with promises
All I have
are miles full of promises of home.

If only I could stay with you,
my train moves on, you’re gone from view,
Now I must wait until it’s over.

Days will pass, your words to me,
it seems so long; eternity,
but I must wait until it’s over.

Each time on my leaving home
I run back to my mother’s arms, This opening passage shows gratefulness to not just mothers but fathers as well. Since mothers are often associated as the more nurturing parent, I believe that fathers which show just as much love are equal in this situation. The gratefulness is expressed through the hug. Each time one leaves home, there is a part of the soul which doesn’t come home. In some tragic events, the person never even returns. So, seeing that this may be the last time to gaze into the mother’s eyes, we should be fortunate to be alive right now. Although mothers can be quite aggravating, it would be wise to show your love now before it’s too late.

one last hold and then it’s over. This line shows true respect for one’s parents. Even though the hug may last an eternity, it is all too short when one has to part for a long period of time, during which there will be no comforting contact with Mum or Dad.

Watching me, you know I cry,
you wave a kiss to say goodbye, This is where we part. Such a sorrowful event, but, fulfilling her part of the bargain, the mother gives one last shine of comfort. Waving a kiss to comfort those dreary tears, every parent knows the pain of parting with their best friend.

Feel the sky fall down upon me! This is where we feel extreme sadness and despair. We feel that we are on our own, with nobody to turn to. We must find our own way, use our own intuitions without the help of our guardians. All this weighted pressure is expressed as the falling sky crushing our belabored shoulders.

All I am,
A child with promises
All I have
are miles full of promises of home. By calling oneself a child, we feel vulnerable and weak. Since promises are oral contracts which bind, we have lengthy promises with home. This means that the glue which attaches us to home will reach out and keep us safe. Nothing will separate us from home; that is how we feel.

If only I could stay with you,
my train moves on, you're gone from view, As we leave home and comfort, we have a dreary longing of turning back, hopping off that train, and running back to our parents. But it is not possible. Our train speeds on, and we are now out of view of home.

Now I must wait until it’s over. With no more chance to turn back, there is nothing else to do but continue down our journey. Although this parting may seem unnecessary, in the end, there will be endless such journeys which lead us away from home. In the end, we will have to learn to part forever, when death is the train.

Days will pass, your words to me,
it seems so long; eternity,
but I must wait until it’s over. Be it days, weeks, or months, any length of time spent away from home is much too long. We surround ourselves with the comfort of home on our journeys (photos, furnishings, etc.), but nothing can replace the real thing. Such a long time it is to have to wait, but wait one shall. We wait until it’s over, when everything is alright again. Although the time spent may be an eternity, when we look back at it, we will see that it is only a brief moment, for death is truly the eternal wait.

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Each time on my leaving home I run back to my mother’s arms,	This opening passage shows gratefulness to not just mothers but fathers as well. Since mothers are often associated as the more nurturing parent, I believe that fathers which show just as much love are equal in this situation. The gratefulness is expressed through the hug. Each time one leaves home, there is a part of the soul which doesn’t come home. In some tragic events, the person never even returns. So, seeing that this may be the last time to gaze into the mother’s eyes, we should be fortunate to be alive right now. Although mothers can be quite aggravating, it would be wise to show your love now before it’s too late.
one last hold and then it’s over.	This line shows true respect for one’s parents. Even though the hug may last an eternity, it is all too short when one has to part for a long period of time, during which there will be no comforting contact with Mum or Dad.
Watching me, you know I cry, you wave a kiss to say goodbye,	This is where we part. Such a sorrowful event, but, fulfilling her part of the bargain, the mother gives one last shine of comfort. Waving a kiss to comfort those dreary tears, every parent knows the pain of parting with their best friend.
Feel the sky fall down upon me!	This is where we feel extreme sadness and despair. We feel that we are on our own, with nobody to turn to. We must find our own way, use our own intuitions without the help of our guardians. All this weighted pressure is expressed as the falling sky crushing our belabored shoulders.
All I am, A child with promises All I have are miles full of promises of home.	By calling oneself a child, we feel vulnerable and weak. Since promises are oral contracts which bind, we have lengthy promises with home. This means that the glue which attaches us to home will reach out and keep us safe. Nothing will separate us from home; that is how we feel.
If only I could stay with you, my train moves on, you're gone from view,	As we leave home and comfort, we have a dreary longing of turning back, hopping off that train, and running back to our parents. But it is not possible. Our train speeds on, and we are now out of view of home.
Now I must wait until it’s over.	With no more chance to turn back, there is nothing else to do but continue down our journey. Although this parting may seem unnecessary, in the end, there will be endless such journeys which lead us away from home. In the end, we will have to learn to part forever, when death is the train.
Days will pass, your words to me, it seems so long; eternity, but I must wait until it’s over.	Be it days, weeks, or months, any length of time spent away from home is much too long. We surround ourselves with the comfort of home on our journeys (photos, furnishings, etc.), but nothing can replace the real thing. Such a long time it is to have to wait, but wait one shall. We wait until it’s over, when everything is alright again. Although the time spent may be an eternity, when we look back at it, we will see that it is only a brief moment, for death is truly the eternal wait.