oh, Hyacinth part 1 Song Lyric Dissection

​The myth of Apollo and Hyacinth is one that is heartbreaking and underappreciated. While there are a couple different versions of the myth, the one I based this and “oh, Hyacinth part 2” off of is the one that goes like this: Hyacinth was a Spartan prince and essentially everyone, including godly beings, found him beautiful and wanted to be with him. Among these gods were Apollo, god of music and light, and Zephyrus, the god of the western wind. Hyacinth wound up being in a loving relationship with Apollo, and this made Zephyrus incredibly jealous. One day, while Apollo and Hyacinth were discus throwing, Zephyrus, in a fit of jealousy, manipulated the wind so that Apollo’s discus hit Hyacinth in the head and killed him. Apollo was devastated, unable to live with the fact that his discus was the reason that the love of his life was dead. Apollo immortalized Hyacinth into a flower. Despite having multiple chances to, Apollo never married out of respect for Hyacinth. This song is from the perspective of Apollo and follows the story of their short but intense relationship. 

"That sigh of relief turned right into the wind
How it’s me that you chose, I’ll never know
But you made it to me, stepped right through their hot air
Now we make our own heat, breathe next to me"

Despite being a god, Apollo feels relieved that a mortal fell in love with him. This is a testament to Hyacinth’s ability to make all infatuated with him. 
As mentioned before, many were pining after Hyacinth. He ultimately chooses Apollo and ignores the adoration of the others. 

"Oh Hyacinth, I expect nothing in return
With the world as my witness, I present you with these words"


The whole world quite literally is watching their relationship, especially because Apollo is a god.

"Oh Hyacinth, oh Hyacinth
I’d never thought I’d ever win
But you’re proving to me
There’s a first time for everything"

Apollo’s love for Hyacinth humbles him and makes  him feel bashful. It makes him more human. 
One of the first times in ancient mythos/ history that a same-sex relationship is depicted. 

"So the arrow flies, its life is by the wind
But a steady hand can only lengthen its span
So put yours in mine, and trust me with your darkest parts
I can only hope to repay you with every brand new day"

Wind is a heavy motif in this song because of Zephyrus’s presence in the myth. Arrows are also a symbol of Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis. These lines assert that the wind is the main tool that allows an arrow to fly, but the archer behind the bow can only make the shot more powerful if they are steady and calm.
Later in mythology, Apollo becomes the sun god (not to be confused with Helios, who IS the sun). He feels such love for Hyacinth that he doesn’t believe that the sun continuing to rise is a large enough gesture to express his love.

"Oh Hyacinth, it’s looking good
With the world as my witness, I make my intentions understood"

"Oh Hyacinth, oh Hyacinth
Every breath has been for you since
You kissed my forehead
And I got to breathe in your scent"

Breath is another important motif in this song, since it is so tragically and unfairly taken away from Hyacinth.  

"It seems so natural to me that we fit in each other
Yet I know that we don’t fit in
My dear, what can we do to make this last longer
If an arrow dies when there is no wind"

The soulmate-ism of it all.
A reference to the jealousy they are met with, but also to the fact that they have to deal with that jealousy in a heteronormative society.
A callback to the second verse. No matter how adept an archer is, the arrow won’t fly far if the wind isn’t there to lengthen its journey. 
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