"The Beacon" by A Fine Frenzy from the album Bomb in a Birdcage. 2009.
This song describes itself more elegantly than I ever could elaborate upon. I suggest you simply listen to it and make your own reactions. A beautiful piece that somehow creates an uplifting sadness.
Alright, here's a little bait you can nibble on. The lyrics describe a conversation between two people. One has gotten tired of life and seeks refuge in an end; the other cares for and depends heavily on the former to the point of a guiding Beacon of comforting light. The honest and loving words of the latter explain an understanding of the loneliness felt by the Beacon but an assured devastation that would swarm in an absence of its support. I haven't been able to pinpoint whether the relationship between the two falls under parent-child (where the parent is reaching death via age) or romantic partners (where the supporting lover is simply over-stressed and ready to permanently stop worrying). I think it could work either way really, and the listener can adapt the song based on personal experience and need. In either interpretation, the song displays gentle sweetness in the singer's description of the Beacon's importance. Yet the lines spoken by the guiding light itself, which only appear in the front half of the tune, carry sorrowful exhaustion. I don't want to quite it here; reading the words in your head will no doubt shatter the weight the singer manages in her somber vocals. So again, listen to the song. Again, everything I want to say about it pales in the song's own execution. Just a graceful and complete number, whether you relate more to the Beacon or the artist.
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