Hills was born to a family of missionaries in India and grew up in Michigan. She studied at Interlochen, where she played in a band with Chris Brubeck and Peter Erskine. In 1976, she moved to Chicago and was a co-founder of the record label Hogeye Music. After releasing a few records on Hogeye, the label was bought out by Flying Fish Records in the mid-1980s. In 1984, Anne briefly was a member of a trio (along with Tom Paxton and Bob Gibson) known as the Best of Friends. In 1988 she began collaborating with Cindy Mangsen, with whom she released two duo albums. Together with Priscilla Herdman the three singers recorded as a trio in 1990 and again in 1997. In 1998, she contributed renditions to tribute albums for Pete Seeger and Phil Ochs. The 2000s saw her collaborating with Tom Paxton and singing in a fourpiece called Fourtold with Steve Gillette, Mangsen, and Michael Peter Smith.
In addition to her musical endeavors, Hills also acts on the live stage. Additionally, she collaborated with Liz Paxson on a children's book with an accompanying album, featuring Hills and her daughter, Tamlyn. She lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and is married to Mark Moss, editor of Sing Out!.
Fighting Giants
Anne Hills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your body thin and weakened as if you fought a giant
If I could stop the ticking the endless hours of waiting
If I could win a battle or keep hope from abating
Standing on the edges of your sorrow
Beating like a bird against the glass
Wishing time was something I could borrow
But I can only sit here, small comfort, indignation
So powerless to keep you from bowing resignation
And as the sun slips sideways, extinguished in the ocean
I see my face reflected in your eyes final motion
Standing in the depths of all my sorrow
Voices spilling round me like a wave
All the dreams I know you cannot follow
Still there are some others I might save
I watch you from a distance, see you struggle silent
Your body thin and weakened as if you fought a giant
The opening lines of Anne Hills’s "Fighting Giants" set a scene that many of us have witnessed at some point in our lives – watching someone we care about who is struggling to keep going day by day. The imagery used in this song is particularly poignant, describing the physical effects that this battle is having on the person "Your body thin and weakened as if you fought a giant." There is a sense of helplessness that the singer is experiencing; they want to help, but they just don’t know how. There is a sense that time is moving on relentlessly, which brings with it a feeling of urgency, and the singer expresses a wish to stop the clock, to put an end to the waiting and uncertainty.
The chorus takes us right into the heart of the singer’s emotional turmoil. They are standing on the edges of sorrow, hearing and feeling the pain that the other person is experiencing. They wish they could do something concrete, something to make a difference. But all they can do is watch and wait. There is an overwhelming sense of compassion, of the desire to be a comfort, but at the same time, there is frustration and even anger at the injustice of the situation. The line "Wishing time was something I could borrow" captures the sense that the singer herself feels trapped in this situation – she can’t move on until the other person does.
Line by Line Meaning
I watch you from a distance, see you struggle silent
I observe and pay attention to you from afar, as you silently fight your own battles
Your body thin and weakened as if you fought a giant
Your body looks frail and weak, as if you have engaged in a fierce battle with something or someone larger than yourself
If I could stop the ticking the endless hours of waiting
If I had the power to halt the passage of time, and prevent the seemingly unending hours of waiting and uncertainty
If I could win a battle or keep hope from abating
If I were able to emerge victorious from a battle, or prevent the fading of hope and optimism
Standing on the edges of your sorrow
I am standing near you, but not directly in the midst of your pain and sadness
Beating like a bird against the glass
Feeling trapped and trying to escape, like a bird desperately trying to fly through a window
Wishing time was something I could borrow
Wishing that I could borrow some extra time, or that time would slow down and become more merciful
And I would gladly give it if you asked
I am willing to offer any extra time I may have, if only it were within my power
But I can only sit here, small comfort, indignation
I am only able to sit beside you, providing limited comfort, feeling a sense of outrage and anger towards the situation
So powerless to keep you from bowing resignation
Despite my efforts, I am unable to prevent you from giving in to a sense of defeat and acceptance
And as the sun slips sideways, extinguished in the ocean
As the sun sets and disappears into the horizon, leaving darkness behind
I see my face reflected in your eyes final motion
I can see my own face reflected in your eyes, as if looking back at me during your final moments
Standing in the depths of all my sorrow
I find myself drowning in my own feelings of sadness and grief
Voices spilling round me like a wave
My thoughts and emotions feel overwhelming, crashing over me like a wave
All the dreams I know you cannot follow
I know there are dreams and aspirations you will not be able to fulfill
Still there are some others I might save
Despite this, there may still be some other dreams or hopes that I can help you achieve
Writer(s): Anne Hills
Contributed by Dominic G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.