Song of the Dispossessed
Dead Can Dance Lyrics


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The river is deep and the road is long,
daylight comes and I want to go home.
Awoke this morning
to find my people's tongues were tied
and in my dreams
they were given books to poison their minds.
The river is deep and the mountain high,
how long before the other side.
We are their mortar,
their building bricks and their clay.
Their gold teeth mirror
both our joys and our pain.
The river is deep and the ocean wide,
who will teach us how to read the signs.
The earth is our mother
she taught us to embrace the light,
now the lord is master
she suffers an eternal night.
You blocked up my ears,
you plucked out my eyes,
you cut out my tongue,




you fed me with lies,
oh lord.

Overall Meaning

The song "Song of the Dispossessed" by Dead Can Dance is a powerful representation of the sorrow and despair felt by those who have been stripped of their language, culture, and identity. The lyrics suggest a deep longing to return home, to a place where one's people and language are not oppressed, and where they are free to embrace the light. The river, mountain, and ocean are all depicted as symbols of the obstacles that keep the singer from returning home.


The song talks about the idea that the people's tongues have been tied, and in their dreams, they are given books to poison their minds. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for colonization and forced assimilation. The singer is seeking someone who can teach them to read the signs of their surroundings, and help them find their way back home. The earth is portrayed as the mother who taught them to embrace the light, but now the lord has become their master, and the mother suffers an eternal night.


The last stanza talks about how the lord has taken away the singer's ability to see, hear, and communicate. They have been fed lies and their identity has been stripped away. The singer is calling on the lord to acknowledge the harm that has been done, taking away their identity, and causing them to suffer. It is a powerful message about cultural suppression, forced assimilation, and the need for freedom and autonomy.


Line by Line Meaning

The river is deep and the road is long,
The journey to find a sense of belonging and purpose is challenging and tiring.


daylight comes and I want to go home.
A longing for a sense of familiarity and comfort, even when times are tough.


Awoke this morning
A realization or awakening to a new perspective or situation.


to find my people's tongues were tied
The oppression and silencing of a community's voice and culture.


and in my dreams
A vision or aspiration for a better future.


they were given books to poison their minds.
A deliberate attempt to indoctrinate and control a community through education.


The river is deep and the mountain high,
The obstacles to achieving justice and freedom are immense.


how long before the other side.
The uncertainty and hopelessness of when or if liberation will ever come.


We are their mortar,
The community is used and exploited as the foundation for someone else's success.


their building bricks and their clay.
The community is seen as a resource to be used and manipulated according to another's will.


Their gold teeth mirror
The suffering and exploitation of the community is reflected in the opulence and privilege of those in power.


both our joys and our pain.
The community's emotions and experiences are intertwined and inseparable from the larger power dynamic.


The river is deep and the ocean wide,
The struggles for liberation and justice are vast and seemingly insurmountable.


who will teach us how to read the signs.
The need for guidance and leadership in navigating the complexities of oppression and liberation.


The earth is our mother
A connection and respect for the natural world as a source of life and wisdom.


she taught us to embrace the light,
The importance of embracing hope, positivity, and progress in the journey towards liberation.


now the lord is master
The way in which institutional power and oppression can override cultural and spiritual traditions.


she suffers an eternal night.
The damage and destruction inflicted on the earth and natural world as a result of unchecked power and greed.


You blocked up my ears,
The ways in which oppressive forces can silence and prevent the spread of knowledge and truth.


you plucked out my eyes,
The ways in which oppressive forces can prevent the ability to see and perceive the truth.


you cut out my tongue,
The ways in which oppressive forces can prevent the ability to speak and spread truths and ideas.


you fed me with lies,
The ways in which oppressive forces can indoctrinate and control individuals through misinformation and propaganda.


oh lord.
An appeal to a higher power or sense of justice for liberation and freedom from oppression.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRENDAN MICHAEL PERRY, LISA GERMAINE GERRARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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