This band was from Scotland, their name is deri… Read Full Bio ↴take it to Beggars Opera
This band was from Scotland, their name is derived from a novel by the poet John Gay in 1728. The musicians of BEGGAR'S OPERA were Martin Griffiths (vocals), Rick Gardiner (guitar and vocals), Alan Park (keyboards), Gordon Sellar (bass, acoustic guitar and vocals), Virginia Scott (Mellotron and vocals) and Raymond Wilson (drums and percussion). BEGGAR'S OPERA made a lot of records but remained acting in the shade of most progressive rock bands.
The Witch
Beggar's Opera Lyrics
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She was a creature of the land
Leading her armies by the hand
Kings of her country looked around
Who was the witch who took the town
Burn her at the stake
Burn the witch
Burn her at the stake
Thousands were led to victory
Though everyone said it was heresy
People rebelled from tyranny
Hundreds decried in ecstasy
Burn the witch
Burn her at the stake
Burn the witch
Burn her at the stake
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
We burned her at the stake
The Beggar's Opera's song "The Witch" tells the story of a powerful woman who leads her army and takes over the town, causing fear among the kings and people of her country. The lyrics reveal how the people of the town rallied behind her, but the kings saw her actions as an act of heresy and decided to burn her at the stake. The chorus repeatedly states the phrase, "Burn the witch, burn her at the stake," which shows the blind judgment of the people involved in the witch hunt.
The song highlights the dangers of blindly following the authority and the fear of the unknown. The line "forgive us our mistake" shows the regret and guilt of the people who burned the witch at the stake. They realized that they had misunderstood the woman's intentions and the source of her power, seeing her as a witch or evil, which ultimately led to her death. The song serves as a warning to people not to give in to fear and prejudice, which can lead to unjust actions and regret.
Overall, "The Witch" encourages empathy and understanding of people who seem different, to avoid making hasty and dangerous decisions.
Line by Line Meaning
Forgive us our mistake
We ask for forgiveness for wrongfully executing the witch.
She was a creature of the land
Leading her armies by the hand
The witch was a natural leader who commanded her army with strength and conviction.
Kings of her country looked around
Who was the witch who took the town
The rulers of the land were envious of the witch's power and success in taking over the town.
Burn the witch
Burn her at the stake
Burn the witch
Burn her at the stake
The people demanded that the witch be punished by burning her at the stake.
Thousands were led to victory
Though everyone said it was heresy
The witch led thousands to victory, although others labeled her actions as heretical.
People rebelled from tyranny
Hundreds decried in ecstasy
The people revolted against tyranny and celebrated their newfound freedom with great joy.
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
The witch was burned at the stake, and we now regret our wrongful actions and seek forgiveness.
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
The witch was burned at the stake, and we now regret our wrongful actions and seek forgiveness.
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
The witch was burned at the stake, and we now regret our wrongful actions and seek forgiveness.
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
The witch was burned at the stake, and we now regret our wrongful actions and seek forgiveness.
We burned her at the stake
Forgive us our mistake
The witch was burned at the stake, and we now regret our wrongful actions and seek forgiveness.
Contributed by Reagan M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
fat nelly
Loved it at the age of 16, love it at the age of 62. Solid.
Carsten SH.
You are not the only one :)
Axel Römer
#3!
Leslie Goudy
Great story to song
Ralfgreg Plagemann
I' m only 52 ...but realy I understand you... geeat great great
NucDoc58
This was my first Beggars Opera LP (and I still have it) :) These guys deserved much more than they received. Excellent musicians! I recommend all their albums though this one is my favourite.
DILL BYERS
Just finding this and ten seconds in and I’m obsessed why didn’t anyone tell me about this band
VixNoelopan
I was a 13 years old boy when I got to know this band with the release of their Pathfinder album (where this song is from). I have to admit this changed my life some bit: I became a great fan of progressive rock, and also got interested in classical music, as my parents didn't ever listen to it. Still love the first three BO albums with singer Martin Griffiths. So sad that he quit the band, and much more sad that they never gained the success they really deserved.
ᄉJ O S E
I knew them at 13 too, but in 2015, one of the best bands i've heard ;)
Saulle Ronchi
Very underrated group...please put all Beggar's Opera songs on spotify!!!