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The scent of thyme carried on the wind,
Stings my face into remembering
Cruel nature has won again.
Cruel nature has won again.
On Battleship Hill's caved in trenches,
A hateful feeling still lingers,
Even now, eighty years later.
Cruel nature.
Cruel, cruel nature.
The land returns to how it has always been.
Thyme carried on the wind.
Jagged mountains, jutting out,
Cracked like teeth in a rotten mouth.
On Battleship Hill I hear the wind,
Say "Cruel nature has won again."
Cruel nature has won again.
Cruel nature has won again.
Cruel nature has won again.
Stings my face into remembering
Cruel nature has won again.
Cruel nature has won again.
On Battleship Hill's caved in trenches,
A hateful feeling still lingers,
Even now, eighty years later.
Cruel nature.
Cruel, cruel nature.
The land returns to how it has always been.
Thyme carried on the wind.
Jagged mountains, jutting out,
Cracked like teeth in a rotten mouth.
On Battleship Hill I hear the wind,
Say "Cruel nature has won again."
Cruel nature has won again.
Cruel nature has won again.
Cruel nature has won again.
Lyrics submitted by stentorian
Track duration: 04:08
"On Battleship Hill" as written by Polly / Harvey
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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To me it defines the true meaning of memorial days such as ANZAC day here in Australia - beyond all the flag toting and children too young to understand marching in their forebears medals.
My great-grandfather who raised my mother was the only male survivor of his siblings of the first world war. He had four brothers. The only reason he didn't die was because he was too young to go. It really brings home the message of the slaughter that was world war one - when I heard this song I thought of him and how he would have reacted. He was a farmer - a scottish crofter. He would have understood the references to nature at a deep level. It seems all the more sad to me that the generation who went through that will never hear this song. Never hear that we still remember them.
"Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing that thyme was a source of courage.
It was thought that the spread of thyme throughout Europe was thanks to the Romans, as they used it to purify their rooms and to "give an aromatic flavour to cheese and liqueurs".
In the European Middle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares. In this period, women would also often give knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer.
Thyme was also used as incense and placed on coffins during funerals as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life."
Reference to 'nature' i think is man's nature not the earth's; it is man's nature to brutally kill, fight in wars etc.