She Believes In Me

She believes the witches fly, crazy 'cross the moon.
She believes in angel eyes in the corner of her room.
She believes the ships come home singing from the sea.
She believes in losers, oh, she believes in me.

She believes a pot of gold marks the rainbow's end.
And she believes a light will show the lonesome homeward friend.
She believes the weary soul one day will be free.
She believes in losers, oh, she believes in me.

Blow lightly wind so she can fly.
Blow lightly wind and I will see her by and by.
Away with fools who tell her I am make believe.
She believes in losers , oh, she believes in me

All lyrics copyright John Stewart

John has said that this song is about his mother

Interpretation

Belief is the main theme of this song. Most directly this refers to the power of love (a mother's?)- it's strength to stay unchanged over time. Linked to this is the power to believe in the imagination's (romantic and idealistic) recreation of the past through song. The singer's imagination brings the past back from a distant land - 'Ships come home singin from the sea'. Song is shown as a means of cathartic reunion with the past, and a way of giving it the immortality of song. The idea of coming home - linked to a return , a remembrance, a reliving of his bloodlines - is present throughout the album. The rainbow image (and the sun showing a lonesome friend home) are more images of reconnecting with the past, as well as of connecting the past with nature. The singer expresses the need to be free from the weariness of disconnection/travelling, to get home to the old community. In this song a childhood innocence is recreated. It's an innocence which is broken as part of traditional ritual. This is contrasted with a more grieved unspoken loss - that of the innocent honesty of the past compared to the present.