Suddenly, all your history's ablaze
Try to breathe, as the world disintegrates
Just like autumn leaves, we're in for change
Holding tenderly to what remains
And all your memories, are as precious as gold
And all the honey, and the fire which you've stole
Have you running through all your red-cheeked days
Shaking loose these souls, from their sacred hiding space

Hold your heart courageously
As we walk into this dark place
Stand steadfast erect and see
That love is the province of the brave

Pushed under this expanse of bursting stars
Let this burning brightly illuminate the where we are
In this hollow that's lovers' voices occupy
Let it follow that we let it free, let it fly

Breaking open the walls of this cage
Intoxicated, oh so amazed
Much like falcons tumbling from the heights at play
Conjoined, talons engaged

Hold these hearts courageously
As we walk into this dark place
Stand steadfast beside me and see
That love is the province of the brave


Lyrics submitted by pasttense, edited by monomania

Province Lyrics as written by David Andrew Sitek Babatunde Omoroga Adebimpe

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Hipgnosis Songs Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Province song meanings
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22 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    I beieve this song is about a change in the people of America's collective conciousness and perspective over the past 7 or so years. I don't want to deconstruct the song because it loses its feeling and meaning that way, but in essense, the song is saying that the old American ideals can no longer be applied to the new world. We are coming to realize that our view of history is incredibly bias and that we are not the almighty, all-encompassing power we once thought we were. Our influence is waning. We are culturally unwise, immature if you will...and we are finally, as a young country, going through our growing pains. We, as a nation, are going to have to evolve with the rest of the world. This change is inevitable...like the change of color in the autumn leaves.

    The political message of the song is pretty clearly communicated throught the music video, where a women in military uniform representing America is being overwhelmed by the world around her. In the end, as hard as she tries to persist, she fails. Nature wins. The time for change has arrived.

    There are also words that represent America and its symbology throughout the song. For example:

    "love is the province of the brave" is a play on words of the gandhi quote...meaning that love should be of the utmost importance, especially in the land of the free and the home OF THE BRAVE.

    "Pushed under this EXPANSE OF BURSTING STARS Let this burning brightly illuminate the where we are" in reference to our flag's stars.

    "Much like falcons tumbling from the heights at play Conjoined, talons engaged" referring to America's symbology of a bald eagle falling from its pedastal in the sky...falling from grace that is.

    There are many references to courage and freedom and what we have taken from other people's that have preceeded us (native american's, etc.)...things all likely to be associated with America.

    The song emmotes, in my opinion, a very important message in these all to volatile times we live in.

    rog27on May 05, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "Much like falcons tumbling from our hearts that blaze Oh come join, ?(arms engaged)"

    should be:

    "Much like falcons tumbling from the heights at play conjoined, talons engaged."

    I think, and I may have gotten this from an article I read, that this song is about art, about how we feel like it's all been done--but how we can still create new things. I mean, there's a lot more, but that's one of the major premises, the one i think is most important in the consideration of these lyrics.

    metalmouthon September 13, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Can you guys hear Bowie in the song? I can, i can!!! The imagery in this song incredible. "Love is province of the brave"....love it!

    Lauranonceon September 14, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is amazing. The lyrics you have are pretty close, but these are the official ones, straight from the CD inside cover:

    "Suddenly, all your history's ablaze Try to breathe, as the world disintegrates Just like autumn leaves, we're in for change Holding tenderly to what remains And all your memories, are as precious as gold And all the honey, and the fire which you've stole Have you running through all your red-cheeked days Shaking loose these souls, from their sacred hiding space

    Hold your heart courageously As we walk into this dark place Stand steadfast erect and see That love is the province of the brave

    Pushed under this expanse of bursting stars Let this burning brightly illuminate the where we are In this hollow that's lovers' voices occupy Let it follow that we let it free, let it fly

    Breaking open the walls of this cage Intoxicated, oh so amazed Much like falcons tumbling from the heights at play Conjoined, talons engaged

    Hold these hearts courageously As we walk into this dark place Stand steadfast beside me and see That love is the province of the brave"

    Bigson November 29, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    If you go on I tunes and go to pod casts There is indie interviews and one of them is of kyp Malone talking about their new allbum. He stated that he saw written on a wall a quote that said LOVE IS THE PROVINCE OF THE BRAVE. it is an quote by Ghandi.

    nathanc16on January 18, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Hmm...

    I think this song is about letting go of the past, and moving on.

    "Suddenly, all your history's ablaze Try to breath as the world desintegrates"

    Everything is changing, and this/these person/people can't really adapt to the change well.

    "Just like autumn leaves we're in for change"

    Everything is going to change sooner or later wheather you like it or not. Or want it to change.

    "Holding tenderly to what remains"

    Whatever is left unchanged they cling to. They don't want to let go.

    "And all your memories are as precious as gold"

    Their memories have gotten so distant and old, they're like gold.

    I might be wrong, but that's my opinion on this song. :P

    WishHaxon January 20, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    to me, this song is about standing up for your beliefs (whatever they may be), and how it can fucking suck to do so, but if u love ur cause you'll stick with it. i mean let's face it; if u keep stickin ur neck out, someone's gonna take a swing at it. this song is about that time when they end up doing it, but ur belief is so strong that you can take it in stride. so that was longwinded and nonsensical but w/e

    madhattern8kon April 25, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    So good themselves they only felt they needed to shove Bowie on backing vocals :-) Fantastic band, fantastic song.

    dhobdenon July 12, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    a truly amazing song has a different meaning for everyone, i guess.

    this song speaks to me about watching my younger brother fight cancer for over a year, fighting the pain as he wasted away, fighting the pity of his family and friends. love is truly the province of that bravery.

    he was a painter. the lines "suddenly, all your history's ablaze" and "and all your memories, are as precious as gold" remind me of the moments when he said that all the things he had channeled into his paintings were being played like an endless film in his head, as he was at that point unable to paint.

    the chorus speaks to me about our final conversation.

    oldnoahon February 14, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave." ~Mohandas Gandhi

    Mr. Machineon January 31, 2009   Link

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