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Lilies
Bat for Lashes Lyrics


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Again tonight I sang a song, a prayer if you will
Fell to the floor on blackened knees, and all the trees fell still
Press my hands between my thighs, and poured the thistle milk
Begged the thunder bolts to strike and mark me as alive

All of the lilies on the hill
All of the lilies on the hill
All of the lilies on the hill
Scented the night

And so I finished up my prayer, rose slowly and I stared
But I was empty as a grave and ghost less was the air
Laid back to bedden my eyes and searched those frivolous skies
Again begged the thunder bolt to strike to mark me or else I will die

All of the lilies on the hill
All of the lilies on the hill
All of the lilies on the hill
Scented the night

Any second before I sleep
Any second before I sleep

Did I believe what I did see?
Did I believe what came to me?

Appeared a figure of a man, waving upon the hill
To the window I ran and saw what he had sent
Children of a private world, to beacons conceived in milk
Hundred marching to my door are bringing dreams to drink

Thank God I'm alive!
Thank God I'm alive!


All of the lilies on the hill
All of the lilies on the hill
All of the lilies on the hill
Scented the night

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Lilies by Bat for Lashes evoke a feeling of desperation and pleading for some sort of validation or sign of life. The song begins with the singer singing a song or prayer, hoping to be struck by lightning and marked as alive. The imagery of falling to the floor on blackened knees and pouring thistle milk over her hands provides a hauntingly beautiful visual of desperation.


As the song progresses, the desperation builds, with the singer repeating the chorus of "All of the lilies on the hill, scented the night." This could be interpreted as a sort of plea to the natural world to acknowledge her existence, or perhaps a reference to the fragility of life and how even something as small and delicate as a lily can have a profound impact.


The singer continues to beg for some sort of validation or sign, but is left feeling empty and ghost-like. However, the song takes a turn near the end when a figure of a man appears on the hill and sends children to the singer, bringing dreams to drink. The song ends on a hopeful note with the lyrics "Thank God I'm alive!".


Overall, the lyrics to Lilies are intricate and poetic. The song provides a deep exploration of themes such as desperation, life and death, and the human desire for validation and acknowledgment.


Line by Line Meaning

Again tonight I sang a song, a prayer if you will
Once more, I expressed my emotions through vocalization and called it a prayer


Fell to the floor on blackened knees, and all the trees fell still
I collapsed to the ground grasping my knees and the surroundings grew silent


Press my hands between my thighs, and poured the thistle milk
I squeezed my hand and poured the extract from the plant over my fingers


Begged the thunder bolts to strike and mark me as alive
I prayed for a bolt of lightning to strike and remind me of my existence


All of the lilies on the hill
The flowers grew in abundance on the slope nearby


Scented the night
The fragrance of the blossoms filled the air


And so I finished up my prayer, rose slowly and I stared
After I concluded my prayer, I stood up gradually and gazed into space


But I was empty as a grave and ghost less was the air
However, I felt nothing inside myself and the atmosphere was still and lifeless


Laid back to bedden my eyes and searched those frivolous skies
I laid down on my bed and closed my eyes, looking up at the meaningless sky


Again begged the thunder bolt to strike to mark me or else I will die
Once more, I pleaded for lightning to strike and remind me I'm alive, or else I'll feel dead


Any second before I sleep
At any moment, right before I doze off


Did I believe what I did see?
Did I trust what was in front of me?


Did I believe what came to me?
Did I believe what I received?


Appeared a figure of a man, waving upon the hill
A man came into view, standing on the hill and moving his hand


To the window I ran and saw what he had sent
I ran towards the window and observed what he had presented


Children of a private world, to beacons conceived in milk
Offspring of a hidden realm, crafted as symbols using milk


Hundred marching to my door are bringing dreams to drink
Hundreds are advancing to my entryway, bringing dreams to indulge in


Thank God I'm alive!
Expressing relief and gratitude for being alive




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: NATASHA KHAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Rach

"Lilies"

Again tonight I sang a song, a prayer if you will
Fell to the floor on blackened knees, and all the trees fell still
Press my hands between my thighs, and poured the thistle milk
Begged the thunder bolts to strike and mark me as alive

All the lilies on the hill
All the lilies on the hill
All the lilies on the hill
Scented the light

And so I finished up my prayer, rose slowly and I stared
But I was empty as a grave and ghostless was the air
Laid back to bed and dulled my eyes and searched those fruitless skies
Again begged the thunder bolt to strike to mark me or else I will die

All the lilies on the hill
All the lilies on the hill
All the lilies on the hill
Scented the night

And in the second before I sleep
And in the second before I sleep

Did I believe what I did see?
Did I believe what came to me?

Appeared a figure of a man
Waving upon the hill
To the window I ran
And saw what he had sent
Children of a private world
To be conceived in milk
Hundred marching to my door
All bringing dreams to drink

Thank God I'm alive!
Thank God I'm alive!

All the lilies on the hill
All the lilies on the hill
All the lilies on the hill
Scented the night



All comments from YouTube:

Faelan L

Bat for lashes deserves so much more recognition.

Annie Apple

She really does! But sometimes I'm kinda glad she doesn't coz she's too special...I'm 30 this year and I dunno what I would've done without her for the last 17years. She really has been fucking everything!!

Lau Saili

💯

Lantern Light

Since being on the twilight soundtrack I believe they may have (: I hope so because as soon as I heard “let’s get lost” while watching twilight (not sure which one from the saga) I fell in loooove with it!

Stephanie Thompson

Yes but all the great voices do she goes above most heads sadly

Austin Trousdale

Faelan L BFL got a shout-out in a mini-doc that TrashTheory just released.

2 More Replies...

ree landen

When she sings "thank God I'm alive!" I get chills every time.

Noelle Bresca

This song is scary, but in a good way. Listening to her pure voice in the middle of the night, suddenly I want to run to the woods, lie there on wet moss and watch the Moon, the stars...

Eoin Everard

What a song! Cinematic and epic, yet still intimate and beautiful. Probably my favorite so far from her. You can tell it means so much to her and I'm presuming it's about the writers block she says she had when it came to writing the album. Starts off in the depths of despair before exploding into an artistic epiphany and a feeling of sheer joy at simply being alive. We don't really get this kind of thing from most pop musicians, do we? Natasha is a special talent

Elaine Bell

Just by watching the video I can tell so much effort was put into it's construction. I appreciate such dedication to art. The puppetry is awesome, the stop-motion is astounding, Natasha's face paint is beautiful, the animation is playful, and everything else completes the masterpiece to accompany her emotive music. I can't help but smile at the happiness of my inner child and be inspired to create my own art as I watch this piece again and again. <3

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