Have you ever heard a song and thought “I wonder what they were trying to say when they wrote this song”? Sometimes it’s good to NOT understand because it leaves it open for interpretation. “Lucy” by the band Skillet is that kind of song. I drew some early conclusions but wasn’t 100% sure what they were after. Here’s what I found out…
Vocalist and chief songwriter John Cooper told StereoTruth.net: “Typically I don’t write in a way where a song can have an open ended interpretation, but this is a song about loss and can be applied to a whole range of situations. It has a gist of regret where you wish you had done things differently and it could be about mourning the loss of someone who died or a relationship. It seems sad, but it’s strangely hopeful because it gives off the idea that you can change your life right here and now – you have been given a second chance so you can remember to live and love with no regrets.”
I also found this:
At a recent concert (2010) John Cooper explained that the song Lucy was about a young couple who find themselves expecting a child. They aren’t ready to be parents; so, they decide to have an abortion. Some months later, after dealing with depression and great sadness, they decide to seek a counselor. The counselor tells them they need to treat the abortion as a death in the family and grieve as such. The couple buy a casket, a headstone, and a cemetery plot and hold a funeral, which they do…for the baby they come to name Lucy. The song deals with their feelings of regret, but the hope that they will see her someday in heaven.
So there you have it. If you’ve never heard it, here’s “Lucy” by Skillet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8UB3VMN20Q
Great Song!! I think we all have a “Lucy” situation, whether a person or a incident where we say; “I wish I never would have….I should have….Maybe I could have…..I wish so much of my Christian walk was not hindsight, but I am sure glad there are second, third and beyond chances. The challenge for me is that “when I remember Lucy’s name”, I look to find some way to move forward, grow stronger, help someone else, and not get bogged down in the guilt, shame, etc that often latches onto not so pleasant memories. Thanks for sharing….
No doubt about that my friend. So many Lucy’s in my life I have lost count. I love the line in Benjamin Button where they say “Life is understood backwards but must be lived forward”. Or like Fireflight says “I’m not what I have done, I’m what I’ve overcome”. It’s the journey that makes us stronger and teaches us things. It’s the grace that gets us through it.