Corpus Christi
Jeff Buckley Lyrics


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He bear her off, he bear her down
He bear her into an orchard ground
Lu li lu lay
Lu li lu lay
The falcon hath bourne my mate away

And in that orchard there was a hold
That was hanged with purple and gold
And in that hold there was a bed
And it was hanged with gold so red

Lu li lu lay, lu li lu lay
The falcon hath bourne my mate away

On this bed there lyeth a knight
His wound is bleeding day and night
By his bedside kneeleth a maid
And she weepeth both night and day

Lu li lu lay, lu li lu lay
The falcon hath bourne my mate away





By his bedside standeth a stone
Corpus Christi written thereon.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jeff Buckley's "Corpus Christi Carol" tell the story of a woman whose lover has been taken away by a falcon, and she is left grieving and alone. The first two lines "He bear her off, he bear her down" indicate that the falcon has swooped down from the sky and taken the woman away to an orchard ground. The repetition of "Lu li lu lay" creates a haunting melody and sets a mournful tone for the rest of the song.


The next stanza introduces a luxurious setting- an orchard ground that is 'hanged with purple and gold' and has a bed 'hanged with gold so red'. The mention of gold and luxury creates a contrast with the woman's grief, indicating that she has lost something irreplaceable. The third stanza is where the story unfolds- a wounded knight lies on the bed, and a maid weeps beside him. The resounding "Lu li lu lay" reinforces the despair of the situation, and the last line of the stanza indicates a finality to the loss the woman has suffered.


The final stanza is a pivotal moment in the song- the stone by the bedside of the knight has "Corpus Christi" written on it. Corpus Christi is a Latin term that translates to "Body of Christ," and in the Christian faith, it is associated with the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The stone signifies the final resting place of the knight's body and indicates that the woman should not hope to see him again. The somber tone throughout the song, along with the religious connotation in the last line, signifies a haunting reminder of mortality and permanent loss.


Line by Line Meaning

He bear her off, he bear her down
He carried her away forcefully


He bear her into an orchard ground
He took her to an orchard


Lu li lu lay
Wordless melody line


Lu li lu lay
Wordless melody line


The falcon hath bourne my mate away
The bird took away my lover


And in that orchard there was a hold
There was a castle in the orchard


That was hanged with purple and gold
The castle was decorated with purple and gold


And in that hold there was a bed
There was a bed in the castle


And it was hanged with gold so red
The bed was decorated with red gold


Lu li lu lay, lu li lu lay
Wordless melody line


The falcon hath bourne my mate away
The bird took away my lover


On this bed there lyeth a knight
There is a knight lying on the bed


His wound is bleeding day and night
He has a wound that is bleeding constantly


By his bedside kneeleth a maid
A girl is kneeling by his bedside


And she weepeth both night and day
She's crying both day and night


Lu li lu lay, lu li lu lay
Wordless melody line


The falcon hath bourne my mate away
The bird took away my lover


By his bedside standeth a stone
A stone stands by his bedside


Corpus Christi written thereon.
It has 'Body of Christ' written on it.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE ABBOTT, SIMON LOLE, IAN TILLEY, TRADITIONAL, UNKNOWN WRITER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@caveguy22

He bear her off, he bear her down
He bear her into an orchard ground
Lu Li Lu Lay
Lu Li Lu Lay
The falcon hath bourne my mate away

And in this orchard there was a hold
That was hanged with purple and gold
And in that hold there was a bed
And it was hanged with chords of red

Lu Li Lu Lay
Lu Li Lu Lay
The falcon hath bourne my mate away

And on this bed there lyeth a knight
His wound is bleeding day and night
By his bedside kneeleth a maid
And she weepeth both night and day

Lu Li Lu Lay
Lu Li Lu Lay
The falcon hath bourne my mate away

By his bedside standeth a stone
Corpus Christi written thereon



All comments from YouTube:

@bonnieharrison1881

Jeff is and was our grandson and this song was played at his dad, our son in law and our daughters wedding last year!!!!! You could have heard a pin drop, it was so quiet...............beautiful.........a great soul.................

@elevenart

Bonnie Harrison- Thanks for sharing that. Great soul indeed.

@shvleeden1

as in tim Buckley, hasnt he passed?

@bonnieharrison1881

Tim Buckley was his bio father but Jeff had only seen his bio dad twice in his whole life........my son in law raised Jeff. Growing up, Jeff went by the name of Scottie Moorhead........his name is Jeffery Scott, so the family all called him Scottie..............yes Tim is passed also........

@shvleeden1

+Bonnie Harrison well, I'm glad you had such a wonderful grandson he's touched my soul

@bonnieharrison1881

thank you, he is missed for sure.............

68 More Replies...

@Timliu92

That falsetto/head voice. One of the greatest and most unreal I have ever heard. God bless Jeff's soul.

@ChevalierDeAlbany

One of the most beautifully devastating, fragile, sorrowful and blissful pieces of music / vocal performances I have ever heard. Astounding.

@Ida-iu3uj

Truly.

@davidb1973

That last note...That's how angels sound.

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