☝️ Key Points
- The song is about loss, loneliness, and the desperate search for the past presence of a loved one.
- The repeated chorus shows an apparent indifference towards the relentless progression of time.
- The singer feels that another year makes no difference to someone who has lost everything and has become accustomed to loneliness.
- The song reveals that the main character prays out of fear and expresses their pain through crying.
- The song portrays the emotions of a person dealing with loss and loneliness while time keeps moving forward.
Interpretation
The song 'What's Another Year' by
Johnny Logan, written by Shay Healy, is an emotional song about loss, loneliness, and the despair that comes with the passage of time. The singer describes his constant anticipation and search for someone who is no longer there, possibly indicating the loss of a loved one. The repeated refrain 'What's another year?' could show indifference towards time that keeps moving forward while he is trapped in his sadness and loneliness. He poses the question 'What's another year to someone who's lost everything that he owns? What's another year to someone who's getting used to being alone?' This implies that he is in a phase of life where he has become accustomed to loneliness and loss, and that another year seems to make no difference anymore. In the lines 'I've been praying such a long time, That's the only way to hide the fear' he admits to praying out of fear, which may be his only way of coping with his situation. And in the lines 'I've been crying such a long time, With such a lot of pain in every tear' he expresses his deep sadness and pain, which he expresses through crying. Overall, the song showcases the emotions of someone dealing with loss and loneliness, and trying to cope with time that continues unabated.