Strongly interested and outspoken about green anarchism issues the band have built up a strong and devoted fanbase, despite being nearly universally ignored by mainstream critics. The band have been spokespeople for a number of issues including campaigning against the Criminal Justice Act (and its measures against rave parties) and various anti-capitalist and environmental issues. They continue to tour extensively around Britain and Europe but maintain a mutual dislike with the music press which stems from their early days.
A Promise
Levellers Lyrics
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Came here again to meet you, forgotten star,
What's that can I hear you talking? What's that you say?
Every cloud has a silver lining, come on mate!
And I love it when you whisper to me...
There's always a promise in the dreams that you think,
There's always a promise in this last drink,
We've met so many places, we've always danced,
Then every morning after, left in a trance,
You know if we keep on meeting you'll take my soul,
Let's make this our last greeting, cause I must go,
And I love it when you whisper to me...
There's always a promise in the dreams that you think,
There's always a promise in this last drink,
This last drink,
This time I really mean it, it's over now,
Last night we both went too far - you know how,
Today I'm left staring the thousand yards,
Today I know you promised the house of cards,
And I love it when you whisper to me...
There's always a promise in the dreams that you think,
There's always a promise in this last drink,
This last drink,
Levellers's song "A Promise" is a melancholic and introspective piece about a deep and complicated relationship between two individuals, portrayed as a dialogue between the singer and a mysterious woman. The lyrics depict the singer as acquainted with this woman for a long time, meeting in different places and dancing together, always leaving a lingering feeling of sadness and uncertainty. This time, however, the singer has decided that it is time to move on, and confronts the woman in a way that suggests a deeper understanding of their dynamics.
The chorus of the song is the most striking part, with the repeated lines "there's always a promise in the dreams that you think, there's always a promise in this last drink". These lines can be interpreted in many ways, but they seem to echo the idea that life is full of unfulfilled promises, and that there is always a glimmer of hope even in the last moments of despair. The "last drink" can represent many things, from a final goodbye to a bittersweet moment of clarity, but it is clear that the singer sees it as a moment of decision and realization.
The use of metaphors and imagery throughout the lyrics, such as "the forgotten star", "the silver lining", and "the house of cards", adds to the dreamlike and introspective quality of the song. The overall impression is that of a person who has come to the end of a journey and is making peace with the past, acknowledging both the pain and the beauty of what has been.
Line by Line Meaning
This place looks familiar, they always are,
I've been here before, it all feels the same.
Came here again to meet you, forgotten star,
I came back to see you, even though you may have lost your shine.
What's that can I hear you talking? What's that you say?
I hear you talking, what is it that you're saying?
Every cloud has a silver lining, come on mate!
Don't worry, there's always something good that comes out of a bad situation.
And I love it when you whisper to me...
I love the sound of your voice when you whisper in my ear.
There's always a promise in the dreams that you think,
Dreams give us hope, they have the potential to come true.
There's always a promise in this last drink,
In this last drink, as we drown our sorrows, there's still hope for a better tomorrow.
We've met so many places, we've always danced,
We've met in many different places and always shared a dance.
Then every morning after, left in a trance,
But the next day, I'm left feeling confused and a little lost.
You know if we keep on meeting you'll take my soul,
I know that if we continue to see each other, I'll lose myself to you.
Let's make this our last greeting, cause I must go,
This is our final goodbye because I have to leave now.
This time I really mean it, it's over now,
I mean it when I say it's over now, we can't continue like this.
Last night we both went too far - you know how,
We both crossed a line last night, and you know what I'm talking about.
Today I'm left staring the thousand yards,
Today I'm left feeling lost and unsure of what to do next.
Today I know you promised the house of cards,
Today I realize that all your promises were just like a house of cards, they fell apart easily.
And I love it when you whisper to me...
Even though it's over, I still love the sound of your voice when you whisper in my ear.
There's always a promise in the dreams that you think,
Even though it's over, I still have dreams that give me hope.
There's always a promise in this last drink,
Even as I take this last drink, I know that there's still hope for a better future.
This last drink,
This final drink, the end of the night, the end of our relationship.
Contributed by Elliot L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.