Ore Hill
Badlees Lyrics
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Some kinda pill and homemade wine
He left his english bride
And a love he couldn't deny behind
Folks have come to say
He nearly gave the land away
He couldn't understand
How a man could own the land anyway
When the grandpa had had his fill
He'd take a walk up old ore hill
To the land of a thousand shadows
And things would come around
From the day that he was born
The mountain had been his home
He'd sit late afternoon
Watch the shadowsreach the moon alone
Then shewanakw-nan came
And things began to change
He dealt against his will
And moved down off the hill ashamed
CHORUS
Well, he died at 39
Glad to leave this world behind
Tired of holding on
To a place he didn't belong
To find...
That grandpa had lost his will
To take a walk up old ore hill
To the land of a thousand shadows
And things would come around
CHORUS
The Badlees' song Ore Hill is a melancholic tribute to the singer's grandfather who lived on the titular mountain for his whole life but was forced to move away due to rapid changes in the world around him. The song weaves a story about the life of the old man, reflecting on his perseverance through hardships and his love for the land that shaped his character. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the life and experience of the singer's grandfather, culminating in his untimely death at 39. The song reflects on how the world changed around the grandfather, and how the land that once gave him a lot of meaning started to become meaningless for him.
The song's chorus talks about how the grandfather would take a walk up old ore hill when he had had enough, and how the shadows would come out to meet him. The chorus is reminiscent of the peace and solitude that the grandfather sought on the mountain. The lyrics suggest that the grandfather felt most at home on the hill and that he was capable of enjoying nature's beauty there in its purest form. In the verse, the song expresses the singer's grief at his grandfather's passing and how the grandfather found it impossible to hold on to a place he didn't belong towards the end of his life. The song concludes with the realization that the grandfather had lost his will to take a walk up the ore hill, and that things had moved on.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, he died at 39
The singer of the song passed away at the age of 39.
Some kinda pill and homemade wine
The singer's cause of death was a combination of a pill and homemade wine.
He left his english bride
When he died, he left his English wife behind.
And a love he couldn't deny behind
The artist had a love that he couldn't deny, but it was left behind when he died.
Folks have come to say
People have come to say
He nearly gave the land away
They say that he almost gave his land away.
He couldn't understand
The singer couldn't comprehend
How a man could own the land anyway
How anyone could own land in the first place.
CHORUS
Refrain/Chorus of the song
When the grandpa had had his fill
When the artist's grandfather had had enough
He'd take a walk up old ore hill
He would take a walk up old Ore Hill.
To the land of a thousand shadows
To a place that was referred to as the land of a thousand shadows.
And things would come around
Things would fall into place as they should.
From the day that he was born
Since his birth
The mountain had been his home
The mountain had always been the singer's home.
He'd sit late afternoon
In the late afternoons, he would sit quietly.
Watch the shadows reach the moon alone
He would watch the shadows lengthen as the moon rose.
Then shewanakw-nan came
Then a person named Shewanakw-nan arrived.
And things began to change
Changes started to occur when this person came into the picture.
He dealt against his will
The artist did something he didn't want to do.
And moved down off the hill ashamed
As a result of his actions, the artist moved down from the hill in shame.
CHORUS
Refrain/Chorus of the song
Well, he died at 39
The song closes by echoing the opening lines, stating the singer's death at 39 years old.
Glad to leave this world behind
The artist was happy to leave this world behind when he passed away.
Tired of holding on
He was tired of holding on.
To a place he didn't belong
He felt like he didn't belong in the place where he was living.
To find...
Only to discover that
That grandpa had lost his will
The artist's grandfather lost his will.
To take a walk up old ore hill
He no longer had the desire to take a walk up old Ore Hill.
To the land of a thousand shadows
To the place that was referred to as the land of a thousand shadows.
And things would come around
Where things would fall into place as they should.
CHORUS
Refrain/Chorus of the song
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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