Above the mountain, the mountain
An eagle is flying

High above the mountain
An eagle come down
To the soldier who falters
The soldier on the ground

By the mountain
I feel nothing
For in my own heart
Every tree is broken

The first tree will not blossom
The second will not grow
The third is almost fallen
Since you betrayed me so, since you

Overall Meaning

betrayed me so

PJ Harvey's The Mountain is a song that is heavily laden with symbolism, and it tells of a painful experience that the singer has endured, something that has left her broken inside. The first verse paints an image of an eagle soaring high above a mountain, a powerful and serene creature that is typically associated with freedom and strength. However, this image changes in the next lines, as the eagle descends to a soldier who is struggling on the ground, perhaps wounded or incapacitated. This juxtaposition of the eagle's strength against the soldier's weakness highlights the theme of powerlessness and vulnerability that runs through the song.

The second verse shifts the focus to the singer's internal state, and she confesses that she feels nothing when she looks at the mountain. This sense of numbness is juxtaposed with the vivid image of a broken tree, a metaphor for the pain and trauma that she has endured. The final lines of the song are especially poignant, as she highlights the consequences of being betrayed so deeply, in the form of trees that will not bloom or grow. In essence, the singer has been stripped of her capacity for growth and renewal.

Line by Line Meaning

Above the mountain, the mountain
There is a mountain standing tall and above that mountain is yet another mountain, creating a sense of vastness and prominence

An eagle is flying
In the sky above the mountains, a proud eagle is soaring and surveying the landscape below

High above the mountain
The eagle is flying at a great altitude, elevated high above the mountain peaks

An eagle come down
The eagle descends and lands on the ground

To the soldier who falters
The eagle finds a soldier who is weary and struggling to continue on

The soldier on the ground
The soldier is stationed on the mountainous terrain, surrounded by harsh, unforgiving conditions

By the mountain
Close to the mountain's edge, where the ground drops off and the view is breathtaking

I feel nothing
Despite the awe-inspiring beauty all around, the artist feels nothing, as if they are emotionally numb

For in my own heart
The lack of feeling is not external, but rather an internal emptiness within the artist's own heart

Every tree is broken
The natural world mirrors the artist's emotional state. Just as the trees are shattered and damaged, so is the artist's psyche

The first tree will not blossom
The singer cannot find joy or hope in the world around them

The second will not grow
The artist cannot seem to move forward or make progress in their life

The third is almost fallen
The singer is teetering on the edge of collapse or a complete breakdown

Since you betrayed me so, since you tore my soul
The singer's emotional brokenness can be traced back to a specific person who hurt and betrayed them deeply

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