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Florazheng1015 Posted 20 years ago
Song Writing & Lyrics

Same Old Lang Syne

1b00Hi All,02b02br
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01b00Please kindly give me a hand. What is the meaning of below sentence? 02b02br
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01b00what did they try to reach? and what is the meaning of " beyond the emptiness"? 02b02br
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01b01u00And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,02u02b02br
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01b00Thanks !02b02br
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01b00CONTEXT02b02br
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01b02b02br
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01b00Same Old Lang Syne02br
02b02br
01b00(Dan Fogelberg)02br
02br
00Met my old lover in the grocery store,02br
00The snow was falling Christmas Eve.02br
00I stole behind her in the frozen foods,02br
00And I touched her on the sleeve.02br
02br
00She didn't recognize the face at first,02br
00But then her eyes flew open wide.02br
00She went to hug me and she spilled her purse,02br
00And we laughed until we cried.02br
02br
00We took her groceries to the checkout stand,02br
00The food was totalled up and bagged.02br
00We stood there lost in our embarrassment,02br
00As the conversation dragged.02br
02br
00We went to have ourselves a drink or two,02br
00But couldn't find an open bar.02br
00We bought a six-pack at the liquor store,02br
00And we drank it in her car.02br
02br
00We drank a toast to innocence,02br
00We drank a toast to now.02br
00And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,02br
00But neither one knew how.02b0-
  

Top answer

02br 00 They toast to the future (beyond the emptiness). 02br 02br 00 Neither person knew how or what to toast to in the future, because it is the one dimension of which they have no knowledge. I also think the tone of the final lines indicates that both people have lived empty lives apart.

— Lazarus

  • 02br 00 They toast to the future (beyond the emptiness).
  • 02br 02br 00 Neither person knew how or what to toast to in the future, because it is the one dimension of which they have no knowledge.
  • I also think the tone of the final lines indicates that both people have lived empty lives apart.
  • in other words, do they or don't they reconcile?
  • 02br 02br 00 Lazarus0-
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6 Answers
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Florazheng101512cite11b12br
10We drank a toast to innocence,12br
10We drank a toast to now.12br
10And tried to reach beyond the emptiness,12br
10But neither one knew how.12b12blockquote
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00 Hi Florazheng1015--02br
00
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0Hi Lazarus, 02br
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00Thanks so much for your interpretation. You are helpful.02br
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00Flora0-
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0 hi. yea. i know this was already answered. but oh well. lol. i think. it has to do with how both of them feel empty inside. insignificant in a way. they are trying to be something more. trying to find something or someone to console in. something to become. fill the hole. 0-
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1b01font00Hi Umm.me, 02font02b02br
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00I just read your post. Thanks!02br
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00Flora:)02br
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It basically means that after talking to someone with whom he had a history with, at one point, they run out of things to say or talk about and both are at that point where they'd like to say something, but nothing comes to mind. It's just easier lyric-wise to say "And tried to reach beyond the emptiness, but neither one knew how".
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Each one knew there was something missing in their lives. Each one thought the other was that something. Sadly, it turned out that even in the company of beloved friends, the void could not be filled i.e. "they tried to reach beyond the emptiness." They were looking for fulfillment, but they were looking in the wrong place.
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