he ain't heavy. he's my brother

[Nefertiti]

"The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where"


1. Does “many a winding turn” mean ‘many winding turns’?


2.“that leads us to who knows where”
Does ‘that’ refer to the road instead of winding turns?

"His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there"


3. “His welfare is of my concern”

Does 'welfare' mean his brother's health and happiness?


4. Does “No burden is he to bear” mean ‘he is no burden for me to bear’ or ‘he is not my burden’?




"For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother "


“He would not encumber me.”
5. What does ‘would’ mean?
6. Is it the same in meaning as ‘he wouldn’t burden me’?





”If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another “

7. Does the quote above mean ‘the thing would make me feel sad only if people don’t
share their gladness of love to each other’?



Thanks


He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother LYRICS

[Soup]

1. many a winding turn

many a

Numerous ones, as in Many a little boy has wanted to become a fireman. This adjective is always used with a singular noun, a usage dating from about 1200. Also see many is the.
many a: Information and Much More from Answers.com

many a is a locution that is followed by a singular noun, which in turn takes a singular verb: Full many a flower is born to blush unseen … (Thomas Gray, Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard). See AGREEMENT.
many a. The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993

2. ... many a winding turn (that) leads us to ...
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. conditional sense
6. Yes
7. Yes

[Nefertiti]

re 1. "many a winding turn” vs. ‘many winding turns’

Any difference in meaning between the two?


re 2. So, 'that' refers to 'many a winding turn' not 'the road'. Correct?

re 5. Why it's conditional?


Thanks

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by Nefertiti

re 1. "many a winding turn” vs. ‘many winding turns’

Any difference in meaning between the two? No.


re 2. So, 'that' refers to 'many a winding turn' not 'the road'. Correct? No, it refers to the road.

re 5. Why it's conditional? It is conditional because it is a hypothetical situation, if the situation was reversed "he would not encumber me".


Thanks

1. "many a winding turn” vs. ‘many winding turns’

Any difference in meaning between the two? No.


re 2. So, 'that' refers to 'many a winding turn' not 'the road'. Correct? No, it refers to the road.

re 5. Why it's conditional? It is conditional because it is a hypothetical situation, if the situation was reversed "he would not encumber me".

[Nefertiti]

Hi, bhaisahab

re 5. Why it's conditional? It is conditional because it is a hypothetical situation, if the situation was reversed "he would not encumber me".

Can you give more examples?

Thanks

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by Nefertiti

Hi, bhaisahab

re 5. Why it's conditional? It is conditional because it is a hypothetical situation, if the situation was reversed "he would not encumber me".

Can you give more examples?

Thanks

I will do this for him because I know that if I needed it, he would do the same for me.

[Soup]

Originally Posted by bhaisahab

re 2. So, 'that' refers to 'many a winding turn' not 'the road'. Correct? No, it refers to the road.

Actually, that refers to the closest noun, which is (many a winding) turn.

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by Soup

Actually, that refers to the closest noun, which is (many a winding) turn.

Actually, I think that the intended meaning of the lyrics is that "that" refers to the road, paraphrase it as; The road that leads us to who knows where, is long and with many a winding turn.

[Soup]

Originally Posted by bhaisahab

Actually, I think that the intended meaning of the lyrics is that "that" refers to the road, paraphrase it as; The road that leads us to who knows where, is long and with many a winding turn.

Interesting. To me it's a metaphor for life; the road is life's purpose, the winding turns leading us away from that purpose.

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by Soup

Interesting. To me it's a metaphor for life; the road is life's purpose, the winding turns leading us away from that purpose.

I agree that it's a metaphor for life but I see it as; the road, (which is as you say life's purpose) is long and winding (echoes of another song here) and leads us who knows where. Which one of us knows where the road of life will lead us?