Joanna Newsom - On A Good Day Lyrics

I never knew you, love. But I held you in my hand and cried, both from the pain and the realization of what you were. I was so young. May you rest peacefully.

I can't get over the fact that the song ends so fast.

This song perfectly describes my first relationship. A horrible time in my life.

This song evokes in me the same feelings as do most Shakespeare monologues.

"our nature does not change by will,
right around the ruined mill, the creek is lying flat and still,
it is water,
though it's frozen."
Jesus Christ Joanna 😢❤

So unglaublich traurig. .. aber warum? So ist's halt..

I know the miscarriage interpretation is very plausible, but I also see it as not being able to be with someone - having all this love for a person, but not being able to do anything with it. For some reason or another a decision was made to not be together, but she's still carrying those feelings and imagining this alternate life.

Not as heartbreaking as a miscarriage, but still bittersweet.

This is really how I see it too. The "right down to what we'd name her" line, I think, makes people think miscarriage, but who hasn't met someone amazing and thought about all of the possibilities? Future, family. This song is beautiful to me because it's a really distinct moment in the process of getting over someone.

I think you hit the nail on the head.

Does anyone know the name of the instrument that makes the spring-like sound at 1:02-1:04? I think it's a Jew's harp (jaw harp?), but I'm not really sure. She's also used it many of her other songs.

This song only features harp and vocals. You might just be hearing the bass strings of the harp, which have somewhat of a twangier sound than the upper range, since they're made of steel or copper wire.

If this song isn't about a miscarriage then I'm the pope

Anybody 2018?

Good song. Horrible vocals

Fuzzy Ewok Good intention, horrible comment.

I agree. Robin Pecknold sings it better

For some reason it reminds me of dark eyes by bob dylan

Damn 1min48s was all it took to destroy me WOW

Ive been looking for this for so long

This song has got me into Joanna Newsome :)

Sounds like she had a miscarriage. Very pretty, but bittersweet.

Daisy Debar ohhh, I never interpreted it that way. interesting point of view

Thank you🙂 Just a theory of course..

that was my thought, too
"i saw a life and called it mine"
"the creek is lying flat and still"

also "right down to what we'd name her." this is a pretty major theme in a couple of other songs too, like Sprout and the Bean which appears to be about abortion "the difference between the sprout and the bean // it is a golden ring, it is a twisted string" "drawing near them was a white coat" etc. and Baby Birch which is fairly laden with references to a lost child. i dont know how much of that is drawn from joanna's personal life, or if she just finds a topic as tragic as this good for lyrical inspiration.

"the things I say" starts playing in my head every time I listen to this song again
Sometimes I just get stuck in a cycle of the two and cry like the most traumatized baby elephant ' ^'

If only this song was longer! One of her best.

Strangely, this song makes me cry more than any other song...
I think I know what it's about.

This song and baby birch make me ugly cry like no other

'Right down to what we'd name her'

this song is about our mother earth

I heard a cover of this song in Paper Towns

yeah I heard it too. wish they wouldve just used Joanna!

+Marceline Gray but Fleet Foxes is awesome man!

it was covered by robin pecknold, who is also a member of fleet foxes, I think and the cover is pretty awesome in that movie :)

Please send me your profile pic somehow. I think it's the cutest.

Just beautiful

love the lyrics 

Totally wish this song was longer!!!

Put it on repeat!

I most definitely do! lol

WHO THE FUCK IS THAT!?

This song makes me wanna cry

one of the most beautiful song ever created. and I mark my words.

This song gives me chills

and she gets to marry Andy Samberg. she has it all ):

This is definitely called "On a Bad Day"....

I love how all of her songs are as long or short as she sees fit. I believe that It's better this way. You can focus on the story and the melody without being under a time-constraint.

Oh, but it can! youtube.com/watch?v=xCJ6l5EdWpA

i would listen to joanna if i was drunk too man, you're not alone.

Why can't this be 10 years long?

😂😂 at least 12

I CAN FEEL UR LOVE JOANNA! I LOVE YOU 2!guys, friends, joanna's husband...im sorry but i think she was singing this song to me, bou me, n all for me...so yeah...sorry but the lady's spoken 4

I want it to be played at my funeral, the lyrics are perfect

Von Trier - Melancholia

I never even thought of that.. but it does fit doesn't it?

Oh, and to all lthe people who are "raping" the like/replay button, I have one thought: STOP IT! what if someone was reading your comment who had been raped? Don't feel so "cool" now do you? And you should know better. This, going out to all of you 20-somethings from a 13yr old.

Nice one Alex

Why the fuck do you people always have the inclination to be offended for other people? In all honestly I just find it obnoxious and presumptuous, and all it does is bring more negativity to a comment section. I guess you people just enjoy being offended so you decide to try and find it in every fucking thing that you come across?

deltiaz, I know you're going to hate me, but... you kind of sound like you are offended over the top because other people get offended so easily?

Raping the like button on this comment

Margarida Santiago I wasn't in the mood to see unwanted negativity at the time. And I guess it's totally ironic I got angry and brought even more negativity. I'm proud to say since then I have ventured to the Yamabushi mountains and became a monk for a couple of months and learnt the way of the bhudda and have honed the way of the jedi.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too short! :( But I still love it!

yeoo i just made a music vid for this if you care to check it out!! joannaa is lyfee

So original !

O_o I was searching for another song but,,,,, this blew my mind,,,! *raping the like-button*

this makes me soooooo sad... love it

@ferganddini I know what you mean. Like baby birch was a a baby she made up. Not a baby that was actually born.

Best song ever!?

This makes me want to cry

She has really beaten her voice into submission, it's beautiful but torturous.

does anyone knows if this has any connection with baby birch?
i totally relate both
beautiful :D

bridges and balloons

This song is truly beautiful. I’ve been listening to some of her other songs but everything else just sounds so weird. So far, this is her only song that I like. Can anyone suggest anything else?

Baby Birch

What kind of font is that?

I so very much wish this song was longer.

so 'cross the years and miles and through, on a good day, you can feel my love for you

Suzy R it's 2018 and I hope you'll see my comment! I don't know why but I want you to reply to my comment because I feel something that it should happen! I don't want any exact date but I hope you will do so. Thanks!

:O
i found my new lover.
speechless.

i think this song like baby birch is about a miscarriage, joanna mentions picking names for a girl and the line...'our nature does not change by will' no matter how different we want things we cannot control what nature has in store for us......
beautiful song!

The lyrics to this song are so beautiful.

I love this!