Kate left a secure career with a Nashville university to pursue music full-time. Her 1994 debut album "Songs From The Levee" was re-released in 2004. Her latest album "1000 Pound Machine" was released in 2012.
Peace Comes Stealing Slow
Kate Campbell Lyrics
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If you believe what he wrote down
On the paper that the sergeant
Made him sign
He never held a gun
Never been too far from home
And he'd never had a night
Like this in mind
They moved him to the front
And left him with one order
Don't give up that hole
We made you dig
He took a picture out
And then he read some letters
Closed his eyes
Said the lord my shepherd is
Peace comes stealing slow
Falls like silent snow
Swings down sweet and low
Peace comes stealing slow
She was on the street
And looking for some shelter
Beaten down
And weary of this world
Shivering from the cold
And crazy from the voices
She dreams of summers
When she was a girl
We live in a world
Of trials and tribulations
People filled
With hatred everywhere
So we bow our heads
And we raise our voices
Offer our petition
In this prayer
Peace come stealing slow
Fall like silent snow
Swing down sweet and low
Peace come stealing slow
Kate Campbell's song "Peace Comes Stealing Slow" tells two stories of people fighting their own personal battles. The first verse is about a young soldier, who appears to be conscripted or forced into the army, and is now at the front line of a war with no experience or inclination towards violence. He finds solace in his faith, taking out a picture and reading letters as he waits for the imminent battle to commence. Through the hymn "The Lord Is My Shepherd," he finds peace, which comes to him slowly, like silent snow.
The second verse is about a woman, who is homeless and struggling with mental illness. She remembers summers from her childhood, but now finds the world harsh and unforgiving. She is alone and vulnerable, and there seems to be little hope for her. Despite this, she, too, finds comfort in prayer, as she hopes for peace, which may come to her slowly, like silent snow.
The theme of the song is the universality of human suffering and the need for peace. Both the soldier and the woman are fighting different battles, but their experiences are connected by their desire for peace. The phrase "Peace comes stealing slow" implies that peace is not instantaneous, but something that gradually finds its way through our pain and hardships. The song suggests that even in the darkest of times, there is hope for peace, if only we are patient and keep faith.
Line by Line Meaning
He was twenty-one
The soldier was very young, only twenty-one years old.
If you believe what he wrote down
According to what he wrote, he never held a gun, never went far from home, and never expected something like this.
On the paper that the sergeant
The information was written on a paper by the sergeant.
Made him sign
The sergeant compelled him to sign the paper.
He never held a gun
The soldier never wielded a gun.
Never been too far from home
The soldier had never traveled too far from his hometown.
And he'd never had a night
He had never spent a night like this before.
Like this in mind
This situation was unexpected for him.
They moved him to the front
He was sent to the front lines of the war.
And left him with one order
The only instruction given to him was to hold the hole they had dug.
Don't give up that hole
The soldier was instructed not to abandon the hole that he had dug.
We made you dig
The hole was dug by the soldiers themselves.
He took a picture out
The soldier took out a photograph from his possession.
And then he read some letters
He read letters that he had with him.
Closed his eyes
The soldier closed his eyes.
Said the lord my shepherd is
He quoted a line from Psalm 23, saying 'The Lord is my shepherd'.
Peace comes stealing slow
Peace arrives gradually and gently.
Falls like silent snow
Peaceful silence comes like snowfall.
Swings down sweet and low
Peaceful feelings come down slowly and calmly.
She was on the street
The woman was on the street.
And looking for some shelter
She was searching for some place to rest.
Beaten down
The woman was exhausted and dejected
And weary of this world
She was tired of living in this world.
Shivering from the cold
She was cold and shivering, probably because of the weather or her poor condition.
And crazy from the voices
She was probably hearing incoherent sounds or voices, making her feel disoriented.
She dreams of summers
The woman recalls happy memories of summer.
When she was a girl
The happy memories are from her childhood.
We live in a world
The song refers to the world we all live in.
Of trials and tribulations
This world is full of difficulties and hardships.
People filled
People are inundated with
With hatred everywhere
Hatred is present everywhere in our society.
So we bow our heads
In response to these difficulties, we often surrender and submit.
And we raise our voices
In response to these difficulties, we often raise our voices to express ourselves.
Offer our petition
We offer our desires.
In this prayer
We express our prayers with sincerity.
Contributed by Alex V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.