Amanda

The singer looks back on his life and is surprised by how quickly he has grown older. He loves Amanda deeply, but he also seems to feel that his life as a traveling or working musician may not offer her the comfort or status she deserves. The repeated refrain makes his affection sound sincere, while the contrast between love and regret gives the song a wistful tone.

Looking in the mirror “in total surprise” suggests that age has crept up on him before he was ready to notice it. “The hair on your shoulders” may refer to hair falling onto his shoulders, a sign of a youthful, unpolished appearance, while “the age in your eyes” points to time and experience. Calling Amanda the “light of my life” is an affectionate metaphor: she brings warmth and meaning to his world. “Fate should’ve made you a gentleman’s wife” suggests he thinks she deserved an easier or more respectable life than his own.

The song does not clearly say that Amanda is unhappy, or that the singer wants to leave her. His words may express guilt about the limitations of his chosen life, but they may also be a self-conscious, tender way of admiring her. The refrain can sound both loving and resigned: he praises Amanda while imagining a different future she might have had.