Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: goth
Song Meaning of “Sixteen Days / Gathering Dust – Remastered” by This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil’s ‘Sixteen Days / Gathering Dust – Remastered’ is a melancholic song that speaks about the passing of time, and the inevitability of things fading away. The lyrics tell a story of a person who is looking back at a past that they can no longer touch, regretting having although regretting, but ultimately accepting, that life is fleeting. As the title suggests, sixteen days is a term that evokes a sense of the brevity of life. The song is mourning what has been lost, while also acknowledging the simple beauty of life’s little moments, describing how, in those days,
“We rose up to the beat
of the busy street
and watch it go around”
The title of the song ‘Gathering Dust’ which implies something becoming forgotten and powerless in the face of time. In the chorus the ambiguity of whether the person is describing themself or is referring to a significant other is used to emphasize the inevitability of things fading away.
Overall, this meaningful track paints the bittersweet nature of life and reminds us not to take things for granted, an important message to remind us all.