"Hoverover" written by Wee Stirling, 1988
Verse 1:
(Harmonica whispers with an anxious breath)
She, the self-made canvas—bare, unadorned
(Flutes spiral around, a dance of freedom lost)
His hues encroach, a spectrum unsought, forlorn.
(Viola twines a thread of questioning through the melody)
Love, like ivy, climbs too high, can wound,
(Violin stirs, the signal of a heart's chaotic sound)
Entangled in affection, where in silence once cacooned.
Instrument Note:
The harmonica, symbolic of her voice, starts solo, expressing the feeling of suffocation and tenuous boundaries. The flute conveys the spiraling loss of her solitude, while the viola and violin intersect, questioning the complexity of love that feels invasive.
Verse 2:
(Cello pulses like a steady heartbeat)
Choked by his well-meaning vines, she gasps for air,
(Celtic Harp echoes her desire for space with delicate plucks)
Seeking solace in the void he fills with care.
(Flute whispers her doubts as a quiet undercurrent)
Who's in the wrong? The smothered or the embrace?
(Violin crescendos, a rush of anxious defiance)
Self-orphanned heart hides in mist - affection displaced.
Instrument Note:
The cello represents the reliable yet confining beat of their relationship, with the harp reflecting her longing for freedom. The flute’s soft undertone is her internal dialogue, swaying between affection and ambiguity, and the violin adds intensity to her struggle for autonomy.
Bridge:
(Viola weaves a solo of introspection)
Encased in zeal's eager throb, she contemplates flight,
(Flute flutters, the beating wings of her uncertainty)
Drawn in by warmth, yet hidden in plain sight.
(Harmonica and cello trade phrases, a duet of conflict)
A tapestry of him and her—too tight the weave,
(Celtic Harp joins, a phantom caress)
In the loom of his love, her spirit fights to breathe.
Instrument Note:
The viola’s solo sets the scene of her emotional retreat, while the flute symbolizes her vacillating heart. The harmonica and cello play off each other, signifying the frictional harmony, and the Celtic harp adds texture, like the ghost of independence brushing past them.
Verse 3:
(Cello and viola begin in solemn agreement)
In the theatre of her mind, a play surreal,
(Harmonica's voice returns, the sound of resolved solitude)
She scripts her lines - an unspoken appeal.
(Violin underlines the fragility of self-discovery)
Can she give? Can she learn to take?
(Flute rises above, a clear path among shadows)
She'll ponder her psyche, so much at stake.
Instrument Note:
The solemn collaboration of cello and viola narrates the complexity of her internal world. The harmonica reenters with a resolve towards independence, while the violin emphasizes her delicate expedition through self-discovery, with the flute symbolizing her clarity amongst the love that overwhelms her.
The song begins slowly and imperceptibly gains tempo, building to where the final verse is almost a cathartic scream. The last line, after a brief pause, is spoken softly and slowly, fading away.
Presentation Ideas:
Mystic Squared's iconic formation of the three tall redheaded background singers protectively curved around Wee Stirling's diminutive form is brought tighter to a claustrophobic degree.
The mood could shift with each verse, portrayed through changes in lighting (from warm to cool tones) to mirror her emotions.
In a live performance, the artists could be located at varying distances from the singer (if one is present), symbolizing her feelings of suffocation and need for space.
Abstract visuals in the backdrop become increasingly oppressive and then recede in correspondence with the song’s lyrical themes.
Rutt Divyek, male lead vocal and presumably the song's antagonist, stays far from the rest of the band almost in shadows and only contributes his harmonica.
Trivia
"I had essentially raised myself since I was 12. I had always been my own master and kept my own time. Suddenly I was at the whim of this whole other person who was incredibly kind and devoted to me. But he was always there, and I was not used to that. And I had these long inner monologues about whether he was smothering me or I was just not up to being loved. The song was born out of that. But [Rutt] was a wonderful man—I don't want anyone listening to that song to think otherwise. Some have taken away that Rutt's silence and distance in the song presentation is his disagreement, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It was symbolic of him giving me my say and some space."