Crows
Brooke Fraser Lyrics


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It was the year the crows and the locusts came
The fields drank dry the rain
The fields are bleeding

Daddy don't cry, it'll be alright
She puts some water on the wound
And hums a little tune while
Her courage puddles on the ground
Pooling, pooling

See the murder and the swarm descend
And the night is getting thick,
The moon turning her tricks
She'll betray you every time

It was the year the crows and the locusts came
The fields drank dry the rain
The fields are bleeding

It was the age the foxes came for the fields
We were bleeding as we bowed to kneel
And pray for mercy, pray for mercy
The rumble is low and the heat is high
Got a feeling that there's rain out in the oil black sky
Gonna chase away the devil when that song does rise
Gonna bleed the blood
Gonna bleed the blood

It was the year the crows and the locusts came
The fields drank dry the rain
The fields are bleeding
It was the age the foxes came for the fields
We were bleeding as we bowed to kneel
And pray for mercy, pray for mercy

She limps on up to the top of a mound
Looks at the faltered harvest
Feels her sweat in the ground
And the burn in her nose
And the knowing in her guts,
Something's still gonna grow
She ain't leaving 'til it does

What can wash away my sin
Nothing but the blood




What can make me whole again
Nothing but the blood

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Brooke Fraser's "Crows" speak about a gray, desolate time when nature has taken everything away from the people. It is the year when crows and locusts have destroyed the crops and the fields thirst for water. There is a sense of immense loss and hopelessness as the Earth bleeds red. But there is also a glimmer of hope in the form of a woman who tends to her father's wounds and hums a comforting tune, her courage seeping into the ground. The night is getting thicker with the swarm of crows and locusts, and the moon, known to be a betrayer, is turning her tricks.


This song alludes to the Biblical plagues of Egypt - the crows, locusts, and rain that refuses to fall despite the earth's arid state, drawing a parallel to the varying degrees of devastation in people's lives throughout the years. The foxes come for the fields, and the people pray for mercy as they bleed while bowing to kneel. However, the singer remains resilient and doesn't give up, despite all the destruction. She limps to the top of the mound and looks at the faltered harvest, feeling her sweat seep into the ground and the knowing ache in her guts that something still grows. There's a call to redemption in the lyrics as it ends on a particularly haunting line that says, "What can wash away my sin...nothing but the blood."


Line by Line Meaning

It was the year the crows and the locusts came
In a particular year, crows and locusts came to the fields.


The fields drank dry the rain
The fields dried up all the moisture that was present.


The fields are bleeding
The fields are damaged and bleeding somehow.


Daddy don't cry, it'll be alright
There is some consolation offered to an upset person by calling them Daddy.


She puts some water on the wound
She applies some water to the wound to try and cleanse it.


And hums a little tune while
She hums a little tune as she attends to the person in pain.


Her courage puddles on the ground
Her confidence seems to be disappearing as she becomes more and more overwhelmed.


Pooling, pooling
The feelings of fear and vulnerability are becoming even more intense.


See the murder and swarm descend
A large group of crows are gathering and attacking.


And the night is getting thick,
The dark night looks even more ominous.


The moon turning her tricks
The moon is mocking the singer and increasing their sense of dread.


She'll betray you every time
Every time something goes wrong, it seems like the moon is part of the problem.


It was the age the foxes came for the fields
This was a time when foxes were attacking the fields.


We were bleeding as we bowed to kneel
People were physically injured and had to kneel in pain.


And pray for mercy, pray for mercy
People prayed desperately for mercy.


The rumble is low and the heat is high
The heat is intense and the noises are unsettling.


Got a feeling that there's rain out in the oil-black sky
Despite the ominous signs, there is still some hope for rain.


Gonna chase away the devil when that song does rise
A song will be sung to chase away evil spirits.


Gonna bleed the blood
Something very serious will occur.


Gonna bleed the blood
Something very serious will occur.


She limps on up to the top of a mound
She struggles up a hill or mound.


Looks at the faltered harvest
She sees that the harvest is failing.


Feels her sweat in the ground
She is working very hard in difficult circumstances.


And the burn in her nose
The stress and tension is causing a physical reaction.


And the knowing in her guts,
Despite the failures, she has a sense that something good may still happen.


Something's still gonna grow
Something new and positive will grow and survive despite adversity.


She ain't leaving 'til it does
She will stick around and keep trying until something good happens.


What can wash away my sin
The artist is asking what can cleanse them of their sins.


Nothing but the blood
The answer is that nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash them clean.


What can make me whole again
The singer is asking what can heal them and make them whole again.


Nothing but the blood
The answer is that nothing but the blood of Jesus can make them whole again.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BROOKE FRASER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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