Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)/ Candles In The Rain

Ahh... Now that I see the lyrics (printed on both sides of the picture sleeve), I realize I've been mistaken all these years about one line, and enlightened about another I could never understand. I always thought Melanie was acting in the vanguard of the budding women's movement by singing: "We were so close, there was no room / We bled inside each others wombs." Though admirable, I thought the writer was leaving out half the population at Woodstock with that sentiment. Well, turns out I was wrong about that most significant word, "womb." She is really singing "wounds"! 

And the mysterious line at the end of the chorus is now clear:

Let your white birds smile up at the ones who stand and frown.

It's so great to be able to cross those mysteries off my list. :-)

Note: The A side features backing vocals by the Edwin Hawkins Singers. This beautiful 45 record has no notable flaws, grading Mint across the board (Labels, Vinyl, Audio), and the picture sleeve is nearly flawless!