1
We got up early
And washed our faces
And walk the fields
And 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
And in the dark places
Our young men
Hid with their guns
In the forests
And in the dark places
And washed our faces
And walk the fields
And 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
And in the dark places
Our young men
Hid with their guns
In the forests
And in the dark places
Lyrics submitted by stentorian
In The Dark Places [Demo] Lyrics as written by Polly Harvey
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Ok - I'm still thinking about this song.
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?
@blue412 Hi blue. Love PJ and this album is amazing. Love all of your thoughts on it, and agree for the most part with all you have to say. <br /> <br /> Here's what I think about this particularly spectacular track in response to your questions. Imagine, if you will, ANY and EVERY war or battle - the Crusades, any world war, or battle that you can imagine across time. I think that's important to remember because war is recurring. It's key to concept of the entire album.<br /> The mountains are indeed damned because many soldiers die crossing them, even though there is no actual fighting happening. They are cold and high, there is no food to hunt, it's too cold to get proper rest; the conditions are plain and simply hellish. <br /> <br /> The line repetition goes back to what I was saying about all the wars throughout time - she's counting out all the places where there have been battles fought: in the fields, in the forests, at night and all day, fighting all throughout the fall, spring, summer and winter. And always, it's the young men they want to send. They want the young, strong, virile, brave, passionate and unafraid to fight, and possibly die. So these countries, these governments, whoever is ultimately the big "THEY" - they send our young men, and our young men are on the battlefield. They are the ones in the trenches, scared to death, hiding with guns in these unimaginable places, under these senseless, horrific conditions, in the dark, where no man should be - literally no man's land - again and again and again over these thousands of years of wars and battles and fighting. And we keep doing it! We keep fighting! I think the "So" in the lyric is really a bit of sarcasm. Like a nonsensical proof of sorts. As in - "War solves absolutely nothing, so let's go to war!" She says it again and again and by the 3 or 4th time, her voice is almost agonizing. You know the part when she's like "Our young mennnnnn" and her voice goes high and painful. I think she reflecting on that loss - all those young men, senselessly dead. And for WHAT? What is this amazing secret that we should all know about? What a sad and crying shame.<br /> <br /> And after all this time, not one man or woman has learned, revealed, discovered, unveiled, through war, the secrets of this world: Whatever it is that we keep fighting over, whatever in this world that is so fucking important that we keep killing each other over, it hasn't presented itself yet. <br /> <br /> War is hell. So, shall we go to war?