Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
We got up early,
Washed our faces,
Walked the fields
Put up crosses.
Passed through
The damned mountains,
Went hellwards,
And some of us returned,
And some of us did not.
In the fields and in the forests,
Under the moon and under the sun
Another summer has passed before us,
And not one man has,
And not one woman has
Revealed the secrets of this world.
So our young men hid
With guns, in the dirt
And in the dark places.
Our young men hid with guns,
In the dirt in the dark
Our young men hid
With guns, in the forest
And in the dark places.
And not one man has,
And not one woman has
Revealed the secrets of this world.
And in the dark places.
Washed our faces,
Walked the fields
Put up crosses.
Passed through
The damned mountains,
Went hellwards,
And some of us returned,
And some of us did not.
In the fields and in the forests,
Under the moon and under the sun
Another summer has passed before us,
And not one man has,
And not one woman has
Revealed the secrets of this world.
So our young men hid
With guns, in the dirt
And in the dark places.
Our young men hid with guns,
In the dirt in the dark
Our young men hid
With guns, in the forest
And in the dark places.
And not one man has,
And not one woman has
Revealed the secrets of this world.
And in the dark places.
Lyrics submitted by stentorian
Track duration: 03:00
"In the Dark Places" as written by Polly / Harvey
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
IMO the first verse must be from the point of view of the soldiers (surely?). I suppose one of the few descriptive phases she uses in the song is the expression "damned mountains"? So why are they damned? Because they are cold and high? Because they are not alive?
Emphasis on nature but without glorification is significant too although I'm not sure exactly how. Maybe the sun and the moon are just the passing of time, since the soldier died. Is summer passing before us a young man who passes before the autumn years?
"In the fields and in the forests,
Under the moon and under the sun
Another summer has passed before us"
I also though that maybe the repetition of the same line (almost) three times from slightly different angles might be from those who betrayed the young men (like Jesus).
e.g. their country, their lover, society, their commanding officers? Is young men a euphemism for children?
Also, does the "so" at the beginning of the sentence "so our young men hid" verse mean that the young men hiding with guns somehow "caused" by the revelation (or non revelation) of the secrets of the world?
"not one man has
and not one woman has
revealed the secrets of the world"
I think the most revealing thing on this album is that she doesn't really relent, an intense album with this the most intense song i think.
As to what she may mean when she sings, "not one man has and not one woman has revealed the secrets of the world" maybe she is reflecting as a nihilist and fears with our unlimited means we are incapable of progress.
Perhaps this person is viewing history through the lens "not much has changed (fighting/conflict continues to dominate history) and even with all of these gifts at our feet, mankind (non-gender specific) has failed to transcend to a better way."
I don't know but it sure has me reflecting. Thanks blue412.
Was just thinking there too that while the first verse seems to be, on the surface at least, about the soldiers the second verse is from those that not fighting i.e. she says our young men. so it's either from the people left behind while they go to war, or even from the countrys point of view. The repetition of the dark places in that verse suggests fear to me, more than anything else. the fear that soldiers must feel, and the fear that those left behind must feel.
"Cruel nature has won again" on battleship hill is another very nihilistic sentence to me. so i'd agree with you.
Hmm... I'd go wit that, except for choice of the word "revealed" as opposed to "discovered."
"discovered" would jive better with your interpretation.
"revealed" seems to insinuate that they hold the secrets of this world, but refuse to give them up.
Not that I know what that means. But if we believe she's a good enough writer to choose her words carefully, I'm left a bit unsatisfied with your interpretation, even if I don't have a better one.