Five Lines
David Sylvian Lyrics

Five lines
A reference to the five lines of a musical staff, representing the importance of music in the singer's life

With which he marked time
Music was a way for the singer to keep track of time and reflect on their life

Five lines flared from the ovens
A reference to the smoke and flames of concentration camps, indicating that the singer has been through suffering and pain

He pulled the ribbons from their hair
A metaphor for the destruction of innocence and beauty, as the artist has had to witness or participate in atrocities that rob people of their dignity and humanity

With melodies beaten from the sheets of his mother
The artist's mother may have been a musician or a source of inspiration for the artist, and their memory lives on through the music that the artist creates

Songs for the end of time
The singer's music reflects a sense of finality or doom, as if the world is coming to an end and they are trying to make sense of it through their art

Return the birds to their singing
A plea for peace and harmony, as the singer longs for a world where innocent creatures are not affected by the violence and destruction wrought by humanity

The sun fell, should we leave it to the foxes?
A metaphor for the decline of civilization, as the artist questions whether we should allow the world to be destroyed by our own greed and folly

The sun fell from the sky
A continuation of the metaphor of civilization collapsing, as if a catastrophic event is occurring that will change the world forever

Leave it to its wits and its devices
A sense of resignation or fatalism, as if the artist has given up on trying to save the world and is letting it take its course

The sun fell from the sky in the form of a stag
A surreal image that defies explanation, but may represent a kind of rebirth or transformation that the singer is experiencing

Buried deep in the forest
A reference to mythology or folklore, as if the story is taking place in a mystical or otherworldly realm that is both beautiful and dangerous

And that’s where he felled it
A reference to hunting or violence, as if the singer is taking revenge on some mystical creature or force that has caused them harm

A blow to the head
An act of violence or destruction, as if the singer is unleashing their anger or frustration on the world

That left it unconscious
A sense of victory or triumph, as if the singer has overcome some obstacle or adversary that was threatening them

Nothing further was said
A sense of finality or resolution, as if the story has reached its conclusion and there is nothing left to be done

We’ll set a place for him
A gesture of respect or remembrance, as if the artist is honoring someone who has died or been lost in some way

For he had tried
A sense of admiration or sympathy, as if the singer is acknowledging the efforts of someone who may have failed but still deserves recognition

Blood, bone, feathers to the sky
A reference to sacrifice or offering, as if the singer is giving something up in order to achieve a greater goal or express a deeper truth

Even in flight
A sense of hope or transcendence, as if the artist is reaching for something beyond the limitations of their physical existence

Nothing could have spared him
A sense of inevitability or fate, as if the artist is coming to terms with the reality that some things cannot be changed or avoided

Leave him for the foxes
A reference to nature and the wild, as if the artist is returning to a primal state of being that is more natural and pure than civilization