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Description
This picture, and the song, are both highly symbolic. I'm going to pay attention to the song on its own first, talking about what Hanson wrote it for.

Hanson spent a long time in Africa, Mozambique to be precise, as they recorded their album, "The Walk" A group of children sang along with some of the tracks. The Hansons have sent money to foundations over there to help build wells, provide healthcare, build schools, and along with TOMS shoes they've sent countless pairs of shoes to children in need. They've done so much to change the world and encourage us all to do the same with whatever we have, however we can.

For their album, "Take the Walk EP" they gave us a song inspired by a more tragic side of their experiences.

At the Charlotte concert in October of 2008, they sang this song, along with three others on the EP. This song was inspired by a walk through a cemetary, where most of the graves were for small children, taken much too soon by sickness and disease. They used their hands held apart to give us an idea of how small those caskets are, and just how terrible it is, children dying from diseases that in many cases can be prevented.

This song was written from the perspective of a parent losing a child in this way. It was a picture I knew I'd struggle with at first, simply because of how touching, symbolic, and "real" the situation is. As usual I was inspired while listening to the song, and I'll explain to you how the picture itself is symbolic in a moment. It was hard to want to draw a picture for this song, simply because it is very touching, and you can feel the pain in the words. It's one of those songs that needed real justice. I'll share the lyrics with you now.

And remember, Hanson wrote this. I could never write something so moving...

This is by far, the saddest song Hanson has ever written.

I'll never walk away from this,
I'll pull you closely to my chest.
With a father's breaking heart,
I walk you one last time into the dark.

There are no reasons to explain.
A silent killer bears no blame.
There are no answers though I pray,
I die though this is not my grave.

And I lay you down, lay you down.

I'll carry you child to a place you can rest,
Sweet tears they seep into the lids,
As I put you down to bed.
It tears me into pieces watching you,
Fight to fill your lungs with breath.
There's no need to struggle.
There's no need to struggle.

I lay you down, lay you down, 'cause you'll cry no more.
I lay me down, lay me down.

Well I'm not ready, I'm not ready for this.
Oh well I'm not ready, I'm not ready for this.

There rise no branches from this soil,
My broken spirit steals my voice.
I have no secrets to my name,
Only the shadows hide my shame.

And so I lift you upon my shoulder,
Inside a splintered wooden chest.
To Avalon we line the streets,
I only hope that you'll finally rest.

I'm not ready for this.

I lay you down, lay you down, 'cause you'll cry no more.
I lay me down, lay me down.

I'd gladly lay me down,
Lay me down...

...

When I first got this song, I listened to it all day. I didn't have the lyrics to start, but knew it by heart by that evening. I cried the first time I heard it.

It is sung by Isaac and Zac. Isaac sings the lead, but Zachary sings that heart-wrenching verse written on the picture, the one "knife through your heart" verse of the song, not that the rest of it is any kinder.

Anyway, only two people will understand the true symbolism here...the two I explained "Music is Love" to.

Basically, and this isn't a part of either of my series, TSoTL or WoLaD, Auron and Lairen have their first son, and at first he's healthy, but something goes wrong very fast, and they're told he's going to die...that nothing can be done.

So on their last night with him, they notice how hard he fights to stay alive. They wonder if maybe he doesn't want to leave them, if maybe he's afraid, if perhaps he doesn't know that it's okay to let go.

And so they tell him, "It's okay, you can let go now. There's no need to struggle."

They suffer through watching him die, while at the same time both of them would switch places with him in an instant. Once he dies, part of them dies as well. They lay him down, and so they lay themselves down.

Lairen obviously takes it very hard, and Auron does too, but has to put up that brave face to keep Lairen alive, beginning to fear he's going to lose her as well.

Anyway...that baby, their oldest son, is named Alex. Most of you have seen the pictures of him, that's him. You can see the black patch of fur around his eye.

...think about it. Auron and Lairen are supposed to be Aaron and me. ...why do you think I named their oldest son Alex?

I named him after the baby in the dream.

...I'm losing Aaron, and so Alex is dying. If Aaron ever calls me and tells me to leave him alone, Alex will be gone. I'll have to let him go...he won't exist.

I grieve. It's losing a child...it's not the same, but I feel that pain, if not as hard as I would were I really going through what Lairen is here.

But...yes, that is why this picture is symbolic.

It's impossible...to let go.

And so, the saddest Hanson song after "With You in Your Dreams" has extended its words to your thoughts.

Could you let go?

"Lay Me Down" Song and Lyrics (c) Hanson
Auron, Lairen, and Alex (c) *Inuyashas-hanyougirl

~ Camillia

Description
This picture, and the song, are both highly symbolic. I'm going to pay attention to the song on its own first, talking about what Hanson wrote it for.

Hanson spent a long time in Africa, Mozambique to be precise, as they recorded their album, "The Walk" A group of children sang along with some of the tracks. The Hansons have sent money to foundations over there to help build wells, provide healthcare, build schools, and along with TOMS shoes they've sent countless pairs of shoes to children in need. They've done so much to change the world and encourage us all to do the same with whatever we have, however we can.

For their album, "Take the Walk EP" they gave us a song inspired by a more tragic side of their experiences.

At the Charlotte concert in October of 2008, they sang this song, along with three others on the EP. This song was inspired by a walk through a cemetary, where most of the graves were for small children, taken much too soon by sickness and disease. They used their hands held apart to give us an idea of how small those caskets are, and just how terrible it is, children dying from diseases that in many cases can be prevented.

This song was written from the perspective of a parent losing a child in this way. It was a picture I knew I'd struggle with at first, simply because of how touching, symbolic, and "real" the situation is. As usual I was inspired while listening to the song, and I'll explain to you how the picture itself is symbolic in a moment. It was hard to want to draw a picture for this song, simply because it is very touching, and you can feel the pain in the words. It's one of those songs that needed real justice. I'll share the lyrics with you now.

And remember, Hanson wrote this. I could never write something so moving...

This is by far, the saddest song Hanson has ever written.

I'll never walk away from this,
I'll pull you closely to my chest.
With a father's breaking heart,
I walk you one last time into the dark.

There are no reasons to explain.
A silent killer bears no blame.
There are no answers though I pray,
I die though this is not my grave.

And I lay you down, lay you down.

I'll carry you child to a place you can rest,
Sweet tears they seep into the lids,
As I put you down to bed.
It tears me into pieces watching you,
Fight to fill your lungs with breath.
There's no need to struggle.
There's no need to struggle.

I lay you down, lay you down, 'cause you'll cry no more.
I lay me down, lay me down.

Well I'm not ready, I'm not ready for this.
Oh well I'm not ready, I'm not ready for this.

There rise no branches from this soil,
My broken spirit steals my voice.
I have no secrets to my name,
Only the shadows hide my shame.

And so I lift you upon my shoulder,
Inside a splintered wooden chest.
To Avalon we line the streets,
I only hope that you'll finally rest.

I'm not ready for this.

I lay you down, lay you down, 'cause you'll cry no more.
I lay me down, lay me down.

I'd gladly lay me down,
Lay me down...

...

When I first got this song, I listened to it all day. I didn't have the lyrics to start, but knew it by heart by that evening. I cried the first time I heard it.

It is sung by Isaac and Zac. Isaac sings the lead, but Zachary sings that heart-wrenching verse written on the picture, the one "knife through your heart" verse of the song, not that the rest of it is any kinder.

Anyway, only two people will understand the true symbolism here...the two I explained "Music is Love" to.

Basically, and this isn't a part of either of my series, TSoTL or WoLaD, Auron and Lairen have their first son, and at first he's healthy, but something goes wrong very fast, and they're told he's going to die...that nothing can be done.

So on their last night with him, they notice how hard he fights to stay alive. They wonder if maybe he doesn't want to leave them, if maybe he's afraid, if perhaps he doesn't know that it's okay to let go.

And so they tell him, "It's okay, you can let go now. There's no need to struggle."

They suffer through watching him die, while at the same time both of them would switch places with him in an instant. Once he dies, part of them dies as well. They lay him down, and so they lay themselves down.

Lairen obviously takes it very hard, and Auron does too, but has to put up that brave face to keep Lairen alive, beginning to fear he's going to lose her as well.

Anyway...that baby, their oldest son, is named Alex. Most of you have seen the pictures of him, that's him. You can see the black patch of fur around his eye.

...think about it. Auron and Lairen are supposed to be Aaron and me. ...why do you think I named their oldest son Alex?

I named him after the baby in the dream.

...I'm losing Aaron, and so Alex is dying. If Aaron ever calls me and tells me to leave him alone, Alex will be gone. I'll have to let him go...he won't exist.

I grieve. It's losing a child...it's not the same, but I feel that pain, if not as hard as I would were I really going through what Lairen is here.

But...yes, that is why this picture is symbolic.

It's impossible...to let go.

And so, the saddest Hanson song after "With You in Your Dreams" has extended its words to your thoughts.

Could you let go?

"Lay Me Down" Song and Lyrics (c) Hanson
Auron, Lairen, and Alex (c) *Inuyashas-hanyougirl

~ Camillia