Sadie

Joanna Newsom's song "Sadie" is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of loss, memory, and the passage of time. The lyrics are rich with metaphors and imagery, creating a tapestry of emotions that reflect the complexities of human experience. The song opens with the image of Sadie, a figure who seems to represent a comforting presence, perhaps a pet or a loved one, who carries the narrator home and buries a bone—a symbol of something cherished and preserved for later reflection.

Throughout the song, Newsom delves into themes of mortality and the impermanence of life. The lines "And 'til then we pray and suspend / The notion that these lives do never end" suggest a struggle with the concept of death and the desire to hold on to the belief in eternal life. The recurring imagery of water, such as "Lead me to water, lord, I sure am thirsty," symbolizes a quest for purification and renewal, while also highlighting the inevitability of change and loss, as seen in "But the water / Got so cold / And you do lose / What you don't hold."

The song also touches on the idea of memory and the remnants of past experiences. The lyrics "And all that we built / And all that we breathed / And all that we spilt / Or pulled up like weeds / Is piled up in back / And it burns irrevocably" evoke a sense of nostalgia and the irreversible nature of time. The final verses, with their references to seabirds and the act of stitching, suggest a process of healing and coming to terms with the past. The song closes with a poignant call to Sadie to "dig up your bone / Exhume your pinecone," symbolizing the act of revisiting and cherishing memories, even as they bring a sense of melancholy.