Flowers Of The Forest
Fairport Convention Lyrics


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I've heard them lilting
?At are? you milking
And I've heard them lilting
Before light a-day
Now they are mourning
For all time a-lilting
The flowers of the forest
Are all ?wean? away
Sad they for the order
That sent them to the border
The English by guile
For once won the day
Now they are mourning
For all time a-lilting
The flowers of the forest
Are all ?wean? away
I've heard them lilting
?At are? you milking
And I've heard them lilting
Before light a-day
Now they are mourning
For all time a-lilting




The flowers of the forest
Are all ?wean? away

Overall Meaning

The Flowers Of The Forest is a Scottish folk ballad that has been popularized in recent years as an instrumental lament played on bagpipes. The song tells the story of the Battle of Flodden, which took place on September 9, 1513, in Northumberland, England. The Battle of Flodden was fought between the invading Scottish army and the English army led by King Henry VIII. The Scottish army was defeated, and the flower of Scottish manhood was lost. The song is sung from the perspective of mourners for the dead who were killed in the battle.


The first verse of the song features the lilting sound of bagpipes, which the singer has heard before light a-day. The lilting sound was reminiscent of happier times when the Scottish soldiers would sing and dance before battle. However, now they mourn the loss of their comrades, all of whom have been killed in battle. The Flowers of the Forest refers to the great warriors who were killed in battle, and the singer laments that they are all wean away or gone. The song also mentions that the English army won the day by guile or deceitful means, leading to the death of so many Scottish soldiers. The final verse repeats the first verse, emphasizing the sense of loss and the sadness felt by those left behind.


Line by Line Meaning

I've heard them lilting
I have heard the sound of their songs and melodies


?At are? you milking
What tune are you playing on your musical instrument


And I've heard them lilting
Repeatedly, I have heard the soft, gentle voice of their music


Before light a-day
In the wee hours before the dawn breaks


Now they are mourning
They are now grieving, lamenting their loss


For all time a-lilting
For eternity, the beautiful melody of their music shall lament and ache


The flowers of the forest
The soldiers who had lost their lives in battle


Are all ?wean? away
Now they have been cruelly snatched away, taken too early from their lives and loved ones


Sad they for the order
They are grieved because of their strict obedience to the authority


That sent them to the border
The order that directed them to the front lines, to fight in the war


The English by guile
The English army won the war by trickery and cunning strategy


For once won the day
They emerged victorious for this battle on this day


Now they are mourning
Still, they are grieving and lamenting the loss of their fellow soldiers


For all time a-lilting
For all eternity, the melody of their music will lament the loss of the soldiers


The flowers of the forest
The brave soldiers who fought and died in the war


Are all ?wean? away
They have been prematurely taken away from their loved ones, gone forever


I've heard them lilting
Their voices continue to echo in my ears, haunting me with their memories


?At are? you milking
What tone of music are you producing with your musical instrument?


And I've heard them lilting
I've continued hearing the songs and melodies of the soldiers, day after day


Before light a-day
During the early hours of the morning, before the sun rises


Now they are mourning
Presently, the soldiers' families and loved ones are lamenting their loss


For all time a-lilting
For eternity, their songs will be heard as a lament for the loss of the brave soldiers


The flowers of the forest
All the valiant and courageous soldiers who lost their lives in the battle


Are all ?wean? away
They were taken from the world too early, leaving behind their loved ones and families to mourn their loss




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DP, David Mattacks, David Swarbrick, Richard John (Gb1) Thompson, Simon Nicol

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Ronno


on Book Song

Beautiful song, even if I can't understand what's going on: she's reading a book, he's writing one (and playing) .. I wanted it to be abouth former FC singer Judy Dyble , who would knit on stage if she wasn't singing. The girlfriend theory makes some sense, but if Ian said it was about his daughter...

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