In 1995, she released her first solo album, "Live". She soon after joined a 'supergroup' of female British musicians, Daphne's Flight, and released an album with them in 1996. She has since released five more albums plus two live albums and a dvd available from her website (www.christinecollister.com) and continues to tour both solo and with the Dave Kelly/Christine Collister band. She still guests periodically with Richard Thompson.
Dirt In the Ground
Christine Collister Lyrics
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Or a dream of lies
We're all gonna be in the same place
When we die
Your spirit don't leave knowing
Your face or your name
And the wind through your bones
Is all that remains
We''re all gonna be
Just dirt in the ground
The quill from a buzzard
The blood writes the word
I want to know am I the sky
Or a bird
'Cause hell is boiling over
And heaven is full
We're chained to the world
And we all gotta pull
And we're all gonna be
...Just dirt in the ground
Now the killer was smiling
With nerves made of stone
He climbed the stairs
And the gallows groaned
And the people's hearts were pounding
They were throbbing, they were red
As he swung out over the crowd
I heard the hangman said
We're all gonna be...
Just dirt in the ground
Now Cain slew Abel
He killed him with a stone
They sky cracked open
And the thunder groaned
Along a river of flesh
Can these dry bones live?
Ask a king or a beggar
And the answer they'll give
Is we're all gonna be
Yea yea
We're all gonna be just
Dirt in the ground
In Christine Collister's song "Dirt In the Ground," the singer contemplates the ultimate fate of human beings. The song begins with the assertion that it doesn't matter whether we dream of love or lies because everyone ends up in the same place: dead and buried in the earth. The singer goes on to suggest that our spirits do not leave behind any lasting memories; all that remains after we die is the wind whistling through the bones beneath the soil. The ominous refrain that "We're all gonna be just dirt in the ground" reminds listeners that no matter what we achieve in life, our ultimate destiny is to return to the earth.
As the song progresses, the singer alludes to various stories of violence and suffering, including a killer climbing the gallows and the biblical story of Cain and Abel. These examples underscore the idea that death is an inevitability for all people, regardless of their actions or beliefs. The final question, "Can these dry bones live?" represents a religious reference indicating that the singer wonders whether life can possibly continue after death. At the same time, it also suggests a bleak outlook, as the answer given by king or beggar is that we all end up as "dirt in the ground."
Line by Line Meaning
What does it matter, a dream of love
The distinction between love and deceit is insignificant in death
Or a dream of lies
Both dreams are meaningless in the end
We're all gonna be in the same place
Regardless of status, we will end up in the same state of being
When we die
Death is the certainty that awaits everyone
Your spirit don't leave knowing
The spirit departs without awareness of self
Your face or your name
Physical identity is irrelevant beyond death
And the wind through your bones
The only thing that remains is the physical body
Is all that remains
Nothing else endures beyond death
And we're all gonna be
We all will have the same fate
Just dirt in the ground
We will all become dust
The quill from a buzzard
Imagery of death and decay
The blood writes the word
Death is inevitable; every creature will eventually die
I want to know am I the sky
Questioning personal value and place in the universe
Or a bird
Contemplating the possibility of being something small and insignificant
'Cause hell is boiling over
Describing chaos and destruction in the world
And heaven is full
The afterlife may not be an actual place
We're chained to the world
Stuck in a perpetual cycle of birth, life, and death
And we all gotta pull
Everyone is part of this cycle
Now the killer was smiling
Describing a crime and its aftermath
With nerves made of stone
Commenting on the killer's lack of remorse
He climbed the stairs
Going to the gallows for execution
And the gallows groaned
Emphasizing the weight and inevitability of death
And the people's hearts were pounding
Describing the tense atmosphere of an execution
They were throbbing, they were red
Describing the physical signs of fear and anticipation
As he swung out over the crowd
Describing the moment of execution
I heard the hangman said
The hangman is described rather than his words directly communicated
Now Cain slew Abel
Referencing a Biblical example of murder and death
He killed him with a stone
Describing the violent means of murder
They sky cracked open
Describing a dramatic moment in history
And the thunder groaned
Imagery of chaos and noise
Along a river of flesh
Describing the magnitude of death
Can these dry bones live?
Questioning the possibility of life beyond death
Ask a king or a beggar
Death comes to all regardless of social status
And the answer they'll give
Death is a certainty that all will face
Is we're all gonna be
We will all share the same fate
Yea yea
Affirming the truth of the previous statement
We're all gonna be just
We will all be the same after death
Dirt in the ground
All will become part of the natural cycle of life and death
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KATHLEEN BRENNAN, THOMAS ALAN WAITS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind