[Kristoferson]

Lyrics:
well I know it’s just a spring haze
but I don’t much like the look of it
and if omens are a godsend like men
breezing in

certain these clouds go somewhere
billowing out to somewhere

in a single engine cessna
you say we’ll never make it there
so all we do is circle it

uh-oh, let go, off on my way
unseen this eternal wanting
uh-oh, way to go, so I get creamed
waiting for Sunday to drown
uh-oh, way to go
waiting on Sunday
waiting on Sunday to land
uh-oh, way to go
waiting on Sunday
waiting on Sunday to drown

so I know it’s just a spring haze
but I don’t much like the look of it
and all we do is circle it

and I found out where my edge is
and it bleeds into where you resist
and my only way, way out, is to go
so far in

billowing out to somewhere
billowing out Luna Riviera
billowing out to somewhere

uh-oh, let go, off on my way
unseen this eternal wanting
let go, so if I really get creamed
waiting for Sunday to drown
waiting on Sunday to drown

why does it always end up like this
why does it always end up like this
why does it always end up like this

let go, uh-oh, off on my way
unseen this eternal wanting
let go, way to go
so I get creamed
waiting on Sunday to drown
uh-oh, waiting on
waiting on Sunday
waiting on Sunday to land
uh-oh, waiting on
waiting on Sunday
waiting on Sunday to drown
waiting on Sunday to drown

waiting on Sunday
waiting on Sunday to land
uh-oh, so if I really get creamed
I'm waiting for Sunday to drown


Spring Haze is one of my favorite Tori songs. It has such a sense of delicate calmness during the verses, but the chorus brings in a more intense push that builds up perfectly to reach the "why does it always end up like this?" bridge. There's so much emotion in Tori's vocal on the bridge: anger, resignation, sadness; All can be felt in just that repeated line. Musically, I also love the strange noises that populate the song and really mark it as a TVAB track, and the production is crystal-clear.

Lyrically, this song remains a bit of a mystery. I don't believe Tori's ever revealed anything about its meaning, although there's been speculation that the song is related to the death of JFK Jr. (since he died in a plane accident that involved in a single-engine Cessna, and drowned on a Sunday). That speculation obviously makes sense, but to me, Spring Haze is a song about longing for adventure and constantly pushing ahead, even when you know there's danger. In that sense, it can be applied to an experience, a relationship, all kinds of things. You can land or drown, and you don't know which, so you're always waiting and waiting. The bridge covers the moment when things don't turn out like you expected, or when the worst-case scenario comes true, but at the end, there's still the desire for more experiences.

Spring Haze is always excellent live as well. Here are some videos, and I'll upload some mp3s a little later. I'll also try to get into its connections to other tracks on TVAB, and some of the amazing 2007 improvs that preceded Spring Haze performances.


Dallas 2001


Bloemendaal 2010


Frankfurt 2007


Houston, TX 2003