A Place Called England
June Tabor Lyrics

I rode out on a bright May morning
I left on a fine spring day

Like a hero in a song
Just as a hero would set out on a daring journey

Looking for a place called England
I searched for a sense of belonging in my home country

Trying to find where I belong
I longed to feel at home and connected to my roots

Couldn't find the old flood meadow
I was unable to locate the meadow that used to flood

Or the house that I once knew
Nor the house that was once familiar to me

No trace of the little river
I could not find any signs of the small river

Or the garden where I grew
Neither the garden where I spent my childhood

I saw town and I saw country
I encountered both urban and rural areas

Motorway and sink estate
I passed by highways and rundown housing areas

Rich man in his rolling acres
I witnessed wealthy individuals owning vast expanses of land

Poor man still outside the gate
However, there were still those who could not afford the luxuries of the rich

Retail park and burger kingdom
I saw modern commercial developments such as shopping centers and fast food chains

Prairie field and factory farm
I also came across large farms used for industrial purposes

Run by men who think that England's
These places were managed by individuals who believed that England was

Only a place to park their car
Merely a location for them to leave their vehicles

But as the train pulled from the station
However, as the train departed

Through the wastelands of despair
I passed through bleak and hopeless areas

From the corner of my eye
Out of the corner of my peripheral vision

A brightness filled the filthy air
I saw a luminous glow in the midst of all the pollution

Someone's grown a patch of sunflowers
A person had managed to grow a small field of sunflowers

Though the soil is sooty black
Despite the soil being polluted and dirty

Marigolds and a few tomatoes
There were marigolds and tomatoes growing there as well

Right beside the railway track
This patch of land was adjacent to the train tracks

Down behind the terraced houses
Further away, below the row of connected houses

In between the concrete towers
Amidst the imposing concrete buildings

Compost heaps and scarlet runners
I spotted gardens with compost heaps and red-colored bean plants

Secret gardens full of flowers
These gardens were hidden and full of blooming floral arrangements

Rita grows her scented roses
One person named Rita was growing fragrant roses

Right beneath the big jet's path
These roses were situated directly underneath the flight paths of large jets

Bid of fortune for her garden
It must have cost quite a bit of money to maintain her garden

Eileen turns away and laughs
Another person named Eileen mocked Rita's investment in her garden

So rise up George and wake up Arthur
The artist addresses the people of England named George and Arthur, encouraging them to wake up and take action

Time to rouse out from your sleep
It's time for them to become alert and active

Deck the halls with sea-green ribbons
The singer suggests they decorate their surroundings with turquoise ribbons

Drag the old sword from the deep
Retrieve an old and powerful symbol of their past

Hold the line for Dave and Daniel
Stand firm alongside those named Dave and Daniel

As they tunnel through the clay
As they work hard to dig through the earth

While the oak in all its glory
In the midst of all this, while witnessing the mighty oak tree standing tall

Soaks up sun for one more day
The oak soaks up the sun, living another day to its fullest potential

And come all you at home with freedom
The artist now addresses all who live in their home country and have the freedom to do so

Whatever the land that gave you birth
Regardless of which particular part of the country that you originated from

There's room for you both root and branch
There is plenty of space for everyone to grow and flourish

As long as you love the English earth
So long as you genuinely care for the natural environment of England

Room for vole and room for orchid
There is room for smaller creatures such as voles and flowers like orchids

Room for all to grow and thrive
Everyone has the potential to grow and prosper

Just less room for the fat landowner
The only ones who might have smaller spaces to work with are the wealthy landowners

On his arse in his four-wheel drive
The artist is implying that these people are lazy and rely on their luxurious vehicles to get around

For England is not flag or Empire
The singer is emphasizing that England is not solely defined by national symbols or historical conquests

It is not money it is not blood
It's also not solely defined by wealth or the blood that has been shed in battles throughout history

It's limestone gorge and granite fell
England is defined by its natural landscapes, such as canyons and hills

It's Weald and clay and Severn mud
More specifically, it's the distinct types of soils such as the Wealden clay and the mud by the Severn River

It's blackbird singing from the may-tree
England is also defined by its diverse array of animals, such as blackbirds that sing from trees in May

Lark ascending through the scales
Birds like the lark can be seen soaring to great heights while singing their harmonic melodies

Robin watching from his spade
Even smaller animals, like robins, can be found in the gardens and open fields, watching and singing alongside humans while they work in the soil

And English earth beneath your nails
Amidst all this, the English people have the unique connection to the soil of their homeland, feeling it beneath their fingernails as they work with it

So here's two cheers for a place called England
The artist finally gives a cheer for England, hoping to lift it up in spirit

Sore abused but not yet dead
Despite its hardships and trials, England still stands strong

A Mr. Harding sort of England
The singer alludes to a specific person named Mr. Harding who was the singer of a novel about England

Hanging in there by a thread
The artist is saying that England is barely hanging on by a thread, but is not completely gone yet

Here's two cheers for the crazy Diggers
The singer gives two cheers to the Diggers, a group of radical farmers from the 17th century that sought to bring about social justice and community ownership of land

Now their hour has come around
The hour has come for the ideas of the Diggers to be rekindled

We shall plant the seed they saved us
The singer says that they will sow the seeds that the Diggers saved, implying that they will help the Diggers' ideas flourish

Common wealth and common ground
The artist hopes that the Diggers' ideas will bring about a sense of shared wealth and shared ownership of the land