Literary Lyrics: "Far Away" by Ingrid Michaelson

Originally I thought of doing the song "Breakable" for this month's Literary Lyrics, in honor of being done with nursing school in less than a week (HOORAY), but when I went back through my Literary Lyrics posts I saw that I'd already done it. Guess favorites really are favorites. However, because I am in the Ingrid mood now, I picked the song "Far Away." I am moving to a completely new place in less than two weeks, and while there are things that I will definitely miss here in Utah (re: family, friends, and mountains) I am excited for a new start -- especially after this rough summer. So here's to daydreaming about a big escape and actually managing it. :)


I will live my life as a lobsterman's wife on an island in the blue bay.
He will take care of me, he will smell like the sea,
And close to my heart he'll always stay.

I will bear three girls all with strawberry curls, little Ella and
Nelly and Faye.
While I'm combing their hair, I will catch his warm stare
On our island in the blue bay.

Far away far away, I want to go far away.
To a new life on a new shore line.
Where the water is blue and the people are new.
To another island, in another life.

There's a boy next to me and he never will be anything but a boy at the bar.
And I think he's the tops, he's where everything stops.
How I love to love him from afar.

When he walks right pass me then I finally see on this bar stool I can't stay.
So I'm taking my frown to a far distant town
On an island in the blue bay.

Far away far away, I want to go far away.
To a new life on a new shore line.
Where the water is blue and the people are new.
To another island, in another life.

I want to go far away.
Away away, I want to go far away, away, away
I want to go far away, far away.

Where the water is blue and the people are new.
To another life, to another life.
To another shore line
In another life.

Literary Lyrics: "Ghost" by Ingrid Michaelson

I should probably be doing a Christmas-themed Literary Lyrics post this month, but I was so awed by this beautiful new song that I couldn't wait to post about it. Ingrid Michaelson has been my favorite singer for years, and her new single gives me chills! I think it shows a certain power, when a song's lyrics can make me ache with sadness even though I am perfectly happy with my own life. And when I want to listen to it again and again, despite the sad feelings it brings up.

Do you remember when the walls fell
Do you remember the sound that the door made when you closed it on me
Do you know that I went down to the ground
Landed on both my broken hearted knees

I didn’t even cry
Because pieces of me had already died

I’m a ghost
Haunting these halls
Climbing up walls that I never knew were there
And I’m lost
Broken down the middle of my heart, heart
I’m broken down the middle of my heart, heart, heart

You know you make me a ghost
You make me a ghost

I’m an invisible disaster
I keep trying to walk but my feet don’t find the solid ground
It’s like living in a bad dream
I keep trying to scream but my tongue has finally lost its sound

I’ve got to say goodbye
To the pieces of me that have already died

I’m a ghost
Haunting these halls
Climbing these walls that I never knew were there
And I’m lost
Broken down the middle of my heart, heart
I’m broken down the middle of my heart, heart, heart

You know you make me a ghost
Oh, you make me a ghost
You make me a ghost
(You take the breath all away from me, you take it away)
You make me a ghost

I don’t cry
I don’t try anymore

I’m a ghost
I’m a ghost
And I’m lost
Broken down the middle of my heart, heart
I’m broken down the middle

I’m a ghost
Haunting these halls
Climbing up walls that I never knew were there
And I’m lost
Broken down the middle of my heart, heart
I’m broken down the middle of my heart, heart, heart

You know you make me a ghost
You know you make me a ghost

Literary Lyrics: "Breakable" by Ingrid Michaelson

Ingrid Michaelson is my favorite.

Literally. Not just, oh I really like her, so I'll say she's my favorite. She is THE favorite.

And with the heavy volume of time I have been spending in the hospital lately, I've found this song especially appropriate. It is the first Ingrid Michaelson song I ever heard, the only one I've performed for an audience, and definitely still my favorite. The words are simple but certainly have some meaning packed into them. Enjoy.

This picture is from myemospace.com. Appropriate, n'est-ce pas?

Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
Just a cage of rib bones and other various parts
So it's fairly simple to cut right through the mess,
And to stop the muscle that makes us confess

And we are so fragile,
And our cracking bones make noise,
And we are just,
Breakable, breakable, breakable girls and boys

And you fasten my seat belt because it is the law
In your two ton death trap I finally saw
A piece of love in your face that bathed me in regret
Then you drove me to places I'll never forget

And we are so fragile,
And our cracking bones make noise,
And we are just,
Breakable, breakable, breakable girls and boys

And we are so fragile,
And our cracking bones make noise,
And we are just,
Breakable, breakable, breakable girls-
Breakable, breakable, breakable girls-
Breakable, breakable, breakable girls and boys