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.
Far From Home
Levellers Lyrics
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The woodsmoke and cigarettes are all that we need
Marking the dirt with twigs and simple words spoke
Kicking the dust so we can just
Dance the dance that plays with fire
Play guitar and play it inspired
You said that you would leave not ever
It's cool by the sea when the pavement is hot
We take a walk down there to see what we've got
An old man collecting fifty beautiful words
Cleaning the beach so he can teach us to
Dance the dance that plays with fire
Play guitar and play it inspired
You said that you would leave not ever
Underneath the sky forever
It's cold by the pane glass on the high street we played
But there's always a penny in the music we made
So far from home with no means of return
Burning bridges, so we always
Dance the dance that plays with fire
Play guitar and play it inspired
You said that you would leave not ever
Underneath the sky forever
We're so far from home
No need to return
There's so much that we have taught
And so much that we have learned
The song "Far From Home" by Levellers is a warm and nostalgic ode to the feeling of escape and freedom that comes from being outside and in touch with nature. The opening lines describe a peaceful scene by a river, where the "weir keeps us clean" and the only things needed are "woodsmoke and cigarettes." The simple joys of marking the dirt with twigs and kicking up dust are celebrated, and the chorus encourages the listener to "dance the dance that plays with fire" and "play guitar and play it inspired." The song casts these moments of freedom as eternal, with the promise of being "underneath the sky forever." The second verse takes the listener to the seaside, where an old man teaches them to appreciate the beauty around them and the importance of cleaning up the beach.
The final verse takes a darker turn, describing playing music on the high street, "so far from home with no means of return." The image of "burning bridges" suggests a permanent break from the life they left behind. The chorus remains optimistic, however, urging the listener to keep dancing and playing, with the reassurance that "there's so much that we have taught and so much that we have learned." Overall, "Far From Home" is an uplifting and affirming song that celebrates the beauty and freedom of life outdoors, while acknowledging the difficulties of being far from home.
Line by Line Meaning
It's warm by the river, the weir keeps us clean
The river is pleasant and clean because of the weir. We enjoy sitting by it.
The woodsmoke and cigarettes are all that we need
We do not need possessions or fancy things - just some woodsmoke and cigarettes make us content.
Marking the dirt with twigs and simple words spoke
We are leaving our mark on the Earth by creating designs with twigs and a few words spoken by us.
Kicking the dust so we can just
We are kicking the dust around, just enjoying ourselves without any particular purpose in mind.
Dance the dance that plays with fire
We are dancing in a way that feels risky, as if we are playing with fire.
Play guitar and play it inspired
We play guitar in a way that inspires us and those around us.
You said that you would leave not ever
Someone promised to always be there and never leave our side.
Underneath the sky forever
We will always be under the sky, whether together or not.
It's cool by the sea when the pavement is hot
The sea is refreshing and cool, providing relief on hot pavement days.
We take a walk down there to see what we've got
Going for a walk by the sea is a way of exploring what life has in store for us.
An old man collecting fifty beautiful words
An old man who gathers a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, passing on meaningful insights.
Cleaning the beach so he can teach us to
He teaches us to be more mindful of our environment by cleaning the beach together.
It's cold by the pane glass on the high street we played
The high street where we used to play is now cold and uninviting.
But there's always a penny in the music we made
Our music always contained something of value, even if we did not realize it at the time.
So far from home with no means of return
We are far from home and cannot go back; we have no way of returning.
Burning bridges, so we always
We are moving on and leaving things behind, so we always...
Dance the dance that plays with fire
continue to dance in a way that feels dangerous yet invigorating.
Play guitar and play it inspired
continue to make music that inspires and moves us.
You said that you would leave not ever
Someone promised to always be with us, and their memory still lingers.
Underneath the sky forever
We are still under the sky, and it will always be there to provide comfort and hope.
We're so far from home
We are far from where we started and have been on a journey.
No need to return
There is no need to go back since life's experiences have been valuable in their own right.
There's so much that we have taught
We have learned so much in life and have grown to be teachers ourselves.
And so much that we have learned
We have also learned much about ourselves and the world around us through our experiences.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES KENTON HEATHER, JEREMY CUNNINGHAM, JONATHAN SEVINK, MARK CHADWICK, SIMON FRIEND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@duran9418
One of best 90`s bands - The Levellers album `Levelling The Land` was a constant favourite as I grew up. Can`t believe music this good is so forgotten! Us that know its qualities and background, we will never forget it. Its pure quality gear
@srys3-sheldon
The Levellers keeping it not real but real. Gotta love that.
@fonzleclay
I only discovered the Levellers last year when I started listening to their music to see if I liked them before I saw them at Cropredy. But I seem to love them more and more everybody. To think, this time alst year i didn't even know of them, they're now my second favourite band
@willumfisher
Who's the first favourite?
@staninjapan07
love it
@rachelsquire22
love this tune. good times!
@wembley05
Great band!
@Aled1976
Those were the days. Going to the beach at 2am, lighting a fire and drinking, smoking and putting the world to rights until dawn. We felt as if we were the kings and queens of the world back then, at one with nature with our dreads, para boots, cheap cider and the beautiful Anglesey coastline spread out before us. I wish I was 17 again!
@flatlandrory
unfortunately I was never old enough to experience the levellers like that at this time in there career but that sounds like an awesome experience. What I'd give for a time machine,and a couple of bottle of red cider and a campfire to blast some levellers out to the world
@tommartin3189
Almost exact same exprience for me, except for me it all happened in Loch Leven, near Glencoe in Scotland... Great memories...