dear Green Place
Lack of Limits Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

It was by the clear Molendinar Burn
Where it meets and runs with the river Clyde
And they tell the tale of the holy one
Who was fishing down by the riverside
A holy man, from Fife he came
His name they say was Kentigern
And by the spot were the fish was caught
The dear green place was born

Now the salmon ran through the river stream
And they salted them by the banks of Clyde
And the faces glowed as the silver flowed
The place arose by the riverside
There was cloth to dye and hose to buy
The traders came from miles around
And they raised a glass to the dear green place
The place that was a town

There is a town that once was green and a river flowed to the sea
The river flows forever on, but the dear green place is gone

When the furnace came to fire the iron
And folk were thrown from their farmland
Then the Irishmen and the highland men
And the hungry men came with willing hands
They wanted work, a place to live, their empty bellies needed filled
And the farmyard was another world
From the dirty overcrowded mill

Now you may have heard of the foreign trade
And fortunes made by tobacco lords
But the working man slaved his life away
And an early grave was his sole reward
A dreary room, a crowded slum, disease and hunger everywhere
And the price to pay was another day
To fight the anger and despair

A thousand years have been here and gone (it is gone)
Since Kentigern saw the banks of Clyde (it is gone)
How many dreams and how many tears (it is gone)
In a thousand years of a city's life (it is gone)

It was by the clear Molendinar Burn (it is gone)
Where it meets and runs with the river Clyde (it is gone)




Perhaps tomorrow it yet may be (it is gone)
The dear green place again (it is gone)

Overall Meaning

The song 'Dear Green Place' by Lack of Limits is a nostalgic ode to the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The lyrics describe the origins of the city, which began as a small settlement by the confluence of the Molendinar Burn and the River Clyde. The story goes that a holy man from Fife named Kentigern was fishing by the riverside when he caught a salmon, and this event marked the birth of the city. Over time, the settlement grew into a town, attracting traders from all around who came to buy cloth and hose. Eventually, mills were built by the river and the town became a centre of industry, drawing workers from rural areas and immigrants from Ireland and the Scottish Highlands.


The song paints a picture of a city that has undergone great change over time, with the once-green fields replaced by factories and tenements. The lives of the working-class residents were described as difficult and harsh, with poverty and disease being rampant. The nostalgia and longing for the "dear green place" harks back to a time when life was simpler and the city was still in its infancy.


The final chorus alludes to the passing of time and the uncertainty of what lies ahead for the city. The hope is that the "dear green place" may return one day, but only time will tell.


Line by Line Meaning

It was by the clear Molendinar Burn
The dear green place was born at the meeting point of the Molendinar Burn and the river Clyde.


Where it meets and runs with the river Clyde
The Molendinar Burn flows into the river Clyde at the spot where the dear green place was born.


And they tell the tale of the holy one
Legend says that a holy man named Kentigern was fishing by the riverside where the dear green place was born.


Who was fishing down by the riverside
Kentigern was a holy man who was fishing by the riverside where the dear green place was born.


A holy man, from Fife he came
Kentigern, the holy man who was fishing by the riverside where the dear green place was born, came from Fife.


His name they say was Kentigern
The holy man who was fishing by the riverside where the dear green place was born was named Kentigern, according to legend.


And by the spot were the fish was caught
The dear green place was born at the spot where Kentigern caught a fish by the riverside.


The dear green place was born
The dear green place was born at the spot where Kentigern caught a fish by the riverside.


Now the salmon ran through the river stream
Salmon ran in the river stream that flowed through the dear green place.


And they salted them by the banks of Clyde
People salted the salmon by the banks of the river Clyde in the dear green place.


And the faces glowed as the silver flowed
People's faces glowed as they caught and processed the silver salmon in the dear green place.


The place arose by the riverside
The dear green place arose by the riverside where people caught and processed salmon.


There was cloth to dye and hose to buy
In the dear green place, there was a marketplace where people sold cloth and hose.


The traders came from miles around
Traders came from far and wide to sell their goods in the marketplace of the dear green place.


And they raised a glass to the dear green place
People celebrated the dear green place by raising a glass in its honor.


The place that was a town
The dear green place was a small town with a bustling marketplace and thriving fishing industry.


When the furnace came to fire the iron
When the iron furnace was introduced, people were forced off their farmland in the dear green place.


And folk were thrown from their farmland
People were forced off their farmland in the dear green place when the iron furnace was introduced.


Then the Irishmen and the highland men
Irish and highland men came to the dear green place seeking work and a place to live.


And the hungry men came with willing hands
Men who were hungry and in need came to the dear green place with a willingness to work hard.


They wanted work, a place to live, their empty bellies needed filled
The people who came to the dear green place were seeking work, a place to live, and food to fill their empty bellies.


And the farmyard was another world
The life of people who lived on farms in the dear green place was vastly different from those who worked in the iron furnace or the bustling marketplace.


From the dirty overcrowded mill
The iron furnace was overcrowded and dirty, providing harsh working conditions for those who labored there.


Now you may have heard of the foreign trade
The dear green place was also known for its foreign trade, particularly in tobacco.


And fortunes made by tobacco lords
Wealthy tobacco traders in the dear green place built their fortunes through the foreign trade.


But the working man slaved his life away
Despite the wealth brought in by tobacco, the working-class men in the dear green place toiled away their lives for little reward.


And an early grave was his sole reward
Working-class men in the dear green place often died young as a result of the harsh working conditions they faced.


A dreary room, a crowded slum, disease and hunger everywhere
The living conditions in the dear green place were often deplorable, with cramped and dreary living quarters, rampant disease, and pervasive hunger.


And the price to pay was another day
Despite the harsh realities of life in the dear green place, people had no choice but to wake up and face another day.


To fight the anger and despair
In the face of anger and despair, the people of the dear green place fought hard to survive.


A thousand years have been here and gone (it is gone)
The dear green place existed for a thousand years before disappearing.


Since Kentigern saw the banks of Clyde (it is gone)
Kentigern, the holy man who was fishing by the riverside where the dear green place was born, lived a thousand years ago.


How many dreams and how many tears (it is gone)
Over the thousand-year history of the dear green place, countless people dreamed and cried for a better life.


In a thousand years of a city's life (it is gone)
The dear green place flourished and struggled for a thousand years before it disappeared.


Perhaps tomorrow it yet may be (it is gone)
Despite the dear green place being gone for some time now, people still hold out hope that it may one day return.


The dear green place again (it is gone)
People hope that the dear green place will one day reemerge and be a thriving and bustling town once again.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions