Lover, Leaver

Greta Van Fleet's 'Lover, Leaver' is a powerful exploration of the intense and often conflicting emotions that come with love and desire. The song opens with a vivid image of a holy figure setting the narrator's soul on fire, symbolizing the overwhelming and consuming nature of love. The flames of love and sweet perfume suggest a mix of passion and allure, while the reference to an angel straight from hell introduces a paradoxical element, indicating that this love is both divine and dangerous. The darkness and depth mentioned in the lyrics further emphasize the complexity and potential peril of such a profound emotional connection.

The second verse shifts to a more apocalyptic tone, with imagery of thunder, falling castles, and winter's embrace. These elements convey a sense of inevitable destruction and the transient nature of life and love. The mountain high against the sky watching as we pray suggests a higher power observing human struggles and desires, perhaps indifferent to the outcomes. The laughter and pride in the face of such adversity highlight a defiant acceptance of fate, suggesting that the characters in the song are aware of the risks but choose to embrace their passions regardless.

The chorus, with its repeated invocation of 'Lover, Leaver, Taker, Believer,' encapsulates the multifaceted nature of the relationship described in the song. Each word represents a different aspect of the emotional journey: the lover who gives and receives love, the leaver who departs, the taker who consumes, and the believer who holds faith. The final verse introduces darker, more supernatural elements, with references to the Witch of Endor and Satan, adding a layer of mythological and religious symbolism. These references suggest a struggle between good and evil, with the narrator caught in the middle, ultimately losing peace of mind as the fire of passion consumes him.