Bang the Drum Slowly
Emmylou Harris Lyrics


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I meant to ask you how to fix that car
I always meant to ask you about the war
And what you saw across a bridge too far
Did it leave a scar

Or how you navigated wings of fire and steel
Up where heaven had no more secrets to conceal
And still you found the ground beneath your wheels
How did it feel

Bang the drum slowly play the pipe lowly
To dust be returning from dust we begin
Bang the drum slowly I'll speak of things holy
Above and below me world without end

I meant to ask you how when everything seemed lost
And your fate was in a game of dice they tossed
There was still that line that you would never cross
At any cost

I meant to ask you how you lived what you believed
With nothing but your heart up your sleeve
And if you ever really were deceived
By the likes of me

Bang the drum slowly play the pipe lowly
To dust be returning from dust we begin
Bang the drum slowly I'll speak of things holy
Above and below me world without end

Gone now is the day and gone the sun
There is peace tonight all over Arlington
But the songs of my life will still be sung
By the light of the moon you hung

I meant to ask you how to plow that field
I meant to bring you water from the well
And be the one beside you when you fell
Could you tell

Bang the drum slowly play the pipe lowly
To dust be returning from dust we begin




Bang the drum slowly I'll speak of things holy
Above and below me world without end

Overall Meaning

In Emmylou Harris's song, "Bang the Drum Slowly," she reminisces about all the moments in her life that she wished she could have spent with someone special. She regrets never having the chance to ask the questions that she wanted to, to learn the experiences that shaped them, and to know the person underneath. The lyrics explore themes of longing, regret, and the fleeting nature of life. In the first verse, she mentions a car and a war, two things that directly relate to the person she is addressing. The second verse discusses the risks they took in life, flying in war, and how they reacted when all seemed lost. In the third verse, she acknowledges that the person is now gone, and she missed her chances to experience life with them. She notes that even though they are gone, their legacy remains.


The chorus of the song, "Bang the drum slowly, play the pipe, lowly, to dust be returning from dust we begin, bang the drum slowly, I'll speak of things holy, above and below me, world without end," touches on the fleeting nature of life. The lyrics suggest that we all have a limited amount of time on this earth and that death is an inevitability. The phrase "to dust, we begin" suggests that we all come from the same place and eventually return to it. The overall message of the song is that we should cherish the moments we have, spend time with the people who matter, and try to learn everything we can from them while they are still alive.


Line by Line Meaning

I meant to ask you how to fix that car
I wish I had asked you how to fix that car.


I always meant to ask you about the war
I always wanted to ask you about your experience in the war.


And what you saw across a bridge too far
I wanted to know more about what you experienced when you were across a bridge too far.


Did it leave a scar
Did it leave a lasting impression on you?


Or how you navigated wings of fire and steel
I wanted to know how you managed to control aircraft and deal with the extreme conditions it brings.


Up where heaven had no more secrets to conceal
I was curious to learn about your experiences up in the sky at such great heights.


And still you found the ground beneath your wheels
I was surprised at how well you managed to land the plane every time.


How did it feel
How did it feel to be so skilled and in control of something so powerful?


Bang the drum slowly play the pipe lowly
Play the music slowly and solemnly.


To dust be returning from dust we begin
We all came from dust and will eventually return to dust.


Bang the drum slowly I'll speak of things holy
Play the drum slowly while I talk about sacred things.


Above and below me world without end
Everything that exists above and below me is never-ending, eternal.


I meant to ask you how when everything seemed lost
I wanted to know how you managed to survive when everything seemed hopeless.


And your fate was in a game of dice they tossed
And your life seemed to be determined by the roll of a dice.


There was still that line that you would never cross
You had your principles and never compromised them no matter what.


At any cost
No matter what the cost, you remained true to yourself and your beliefs.


I meant to ask you how you lived what you believed
I wanted to know how you managed to live your life according to your beliefs.


With nothing but your heart up your sleeve
With nothing to protect you, but your purest emotions and truest intentions.


And if you ever really were deceived
And if you were ever tricked or fooled into thinking differently.


By the likes of me
By someone like me who could have twisted your thoughts in the wrong direction.


Gone now is the day and gone the sun
The day is over and the sun has set.


There is peace tonight all over Arlington
There is peace and calmness in Arlington, maybe from the veterans resting in their graves.


But the songs of my life will still be sung
The experiences and lessons I've learned throughout my life will always be remembered and talked about.


By the light of the moon you hung
As if you hung the moon yourself, your influence carried me through life's obstacles.


I meant to ask you how to plow that field
I was curious to learn how to plow a field from you.


I meant to bring you water from the well
I wanted to help you out by bringing some water from the well.


And be the one beside you when you fell
And stand beside you when you needed help the most.


Could you tell
Could you tell that I wanted to be there for you? Did you know how much you meant to me?




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: GUY CLARK, EMMYLOU HARRIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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