Bear's Den have released four studio albums: Islands (2014), Red Earth & Pouring Rain (22 July 2016), So that you might hear me (26 April 2019), and Blue Hours (13 May 2022). Islands peaked at number forty-nine on the UK Albums Chart. The band has also issued six EPs: Agape (2013), Without/Within (2013), Only Son of the Falling Snow (2019), Christmas, Hopefully (2020), The Quiet Winter Light (2022), and First Loves (2023).
The band has been nominated for several music awards throughout their career, with "Above the Clouds of Pompeii" earning the band a nomination for the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 2015. The band received two nominations at the UK Americana Awards in 2016, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for "Agape".
Above the Clouds of Pompeii
Bear's Den Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pompeii beneath, she lay above
How she haunted our home
How she haunted our home
You were a god in my eyes
Above the clouds, above the skies
You were a god in my eyes
You took me walking through the town
Showed me the statues underground
Said just don't they look in peace
Sometimes I wish that was me
I was the son you always had
Tugging at your coat when you were sad
I was the son you always had
I was the son you always had
Don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
Just don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
You said stay in the car and wait
There's just some things I have to say
Don't you know I miss her, too
I miss her just as much as you
So my father and my son
As you end what she's begun
You'll lie patient by her side
With roses red come lilies white
I was too young to understand
The flowers slipping from your hands
I was too young to understand
I was too young to understand
I was too young to understand
The flowers sleeping in her hands
I was too young to understand
I was too young to understand
Don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
Please, just don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
And just don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
Please, just don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
The Bear's Den's song "Above the Clouds of Pompeii" is a poignant exploration of grief, loss, and the feeling of being haunted by the past. The first verse tells of the singer's home built on the slopes of Pompeii, with the town's history haunting them. The second verse explores the relationship between the singer and their father, who they saw as a god-like figure. The father takes his child on walks around the town and shows them the underground statues. The child wishes for peace, and the father is portrayed as a grieving figure.
The chorus then echoes throughout the song, as the father tells his child to hold their head up high and not to cry, as that is what the mother would have wanted. The bridge of the song is the most heart-wrenching, as the father reveals that they are visiting the mother's grave. He speaks to her, acknowledging his own grief, and telling her that he misses her just as much as their child. The last verse then shows the father and child lying by the mother's side, with flowers in their hands, symbolizing their lost love.
The lyrics are powerful and emotional, with the song's instrumentation building as the narrative unfolds, adding to the mounting sense of loss and grief. The song beautifully captures the nuances of the grief process, as well as the importance of support and empathy in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
We built our home out on the slopes
We constructed our dwelling on the slopes
Pompeii beneath, she lay above
The ruins of Pompeii were situated below our home
How she haunted our home
Pompeii's history left a lasting impact on our dwelling
You were a god in my eyes
I held you in high regard, as if you were a divine figure
Above the clouds, above the skies
I viewed you as superior, almost otherworldly
You took me walking through the town
You showed me around the area
Showed me the statues underground
You revealed the underground statues to me
Said just don't they look in peace
You remarked how peaceful the statues looked
Sometimes I wish that was me
I found myself yearning for that same sense of calm
I was the son you always had
I was like a son to you, always seeking your approval and attention
Tugging at your coat when you were sad
I would try to comfort you during times of sorrow
Don't cry
Please refrain from shedding tears
Hold your head up high
Stay strong and resilient
She would want you to
Pompeii, or perhaps a loved one, would want you to be strong
You said stay in the car and wait
You instructed me to remain in the vehicle and be patient
There's just some things I have to say
You had some important things to share with me
Don't you know I miss her, too
I also feel a sense of loss and longing for her
I miss her just as much as you
My grief is as profound as yours
So my father and my son
As the father and son in this scenario
As you end what she's begun
As you complete the tasks she started
You'll lie patient by her side
You'll rest next to her, staying calm and collected
With roses red come lilies white
With a bouquet of red roses and white lilies
I was too young to understand
I was too naive to comprehend
The flowers slipping from your hands
The flowers dropping from your grasp
The flowers sleeping in her hands
The flowers resting in her palms
Please, just don't cry
I implore you to not cry
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andrew Donald John Davie, Johannes Egenberg Refsdal, Kevin Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@amaracruentus2922
ABOVE THE CLOUDS OF POMPEII - Lyrics
We built our home out on the slopes
Pompeii beneath, she lay above
How she haunted our home
How she haunted our home
You were a god in my eyes
Above the clouds, above the skies
You were a god in my eyes
You were a god
You took me walking through the town
Showed me the statues underground
Said just don't they look in peace
Sometimes I wish that was me
I was the son you always had
Tugging at your coat when you were sad
I was the son you always had
I was the son you always had
Don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
Just don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
You said stay in the car and wait
There's just some things I have to say
Don't you know I miss her, too
I miss her just as much as you
So my father and my son
As you end what she's begun
You'll lie patient by her side
With roses red come lilies white
I was too young to understand
The flowers slipping from your hands
I was too young to understand
I was too young to understand
I was too young to understand
The flowers sleeping in her hands
I was too young to understand
I was too young to understand
Don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
Please, just don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
And just don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
Please, just don't cry
Hold your head up high
She would want you to
She would want you to
@sneeky2144
There really is something special about this performance. When they all come in towards the end and the synchronisation is top, you can see them smile because they know something magical is happening . There truly is something beautiful about a few of guys with some instruments who can create something like that.
@timmsagen767
Yeah, that is awesome 😍
@claraphedra
everytime he sings "don't cry" i'll just cry harder.
@halesw9513
It’s Mother’s Day. I find myself here every single year on all the hardest days. I snuck away just to hear it alone and take it in.
@kuhakguha196
The fact that the accoustic sounds so close to the original is testimony to the fact of how natural their voices and sounds are...
@erinrelm
I lost my mother when I was three. I know exactly what they're talking about. This absolutely broke my heart. "I was too young to understand the flowers sleeping in her hands."
@joelfriend4728
Music can be such an essential part of grief. Not only in the songs we hear about loss but also for those that write the songs. From the time he lost his mother, this song was being written in him because he navigated through grief as he grew up.
What a beautiful way that his talent, creativity, and reflection formed in him through the years until he was at a place to get these words out in this way.
@saunokchakrabarty8384
It's not every day you get to see something so beautifully pure.
@lauracaddick
This song evokes such powerful emotions in me. It reminds me of someone who is an integral part of my life, my very existence, my soul. I don't know how to be without him xxx
@karenwashington2366
Brings me to tears every time I hear this song. So emotional and heart felt. Amazing. Simply amazing song.