Easter
Marillion Lyrics
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The grey and the Green together
The noise of a distant farm machine
Out of the first light came
A tatered necklace of hedge and trees
On the southern side of the hill
Betrays where the border runs between
Where Mary Dunoon's boy fell
A time for the Blind to see
Easter
Surely now can all of your hearts be free
Out of the port of Liverpool
Bound for the North of Ireland
The wash of the spray and horsetail waves
The roll of the sea below
And Easter here again
A time for the Blind to see
Easter
Surely now can all of your hearts be free
What will you do?
Make a stone of your Heart?
Will you set things right
When you tear them apart?
Will you sleep at night
With the Plough and the Stars alight?
What will you do?
With the wire & the gun?
That'll set things right
When it's said and done?
Will you sleep at night?
Is there so much love to hide?
Forgive
Forget
Sing 'Never again'
The song 'Easter' by Marillion starts with a description of a misty field with a grey and green landscape painting a picture of a border area between two countries. The sound of a farmland vehicle is heard, and soon the first light shines on the trees and hedges surrounding the field. The southern side of the hill indicates that this is a border run between two countries where Mary Dunoon's son fell. The song then shifts towards the celebration of Easter, a time when people's blindness disappears and hearts become free. The second verse talks about the horsetail waves and the roll of the sea as the singer goes from Liverpool to North Ireland, further highlighting the theme of borders.
The last verse asks a series of questions about what the listener will do during difficult times, whether they will choose to forgive and forget, make a stone of their heart, set things right by tearing them apart or by using wires and guns. The singer pleads to sleep at night with love instead of the burden of weapons or heartlessness. The final line of the verse is poetic with 'sing never again' indicating a wish for hope and love to prevail always.
Line by Line Meaning
A ghost of a mist was on the field
The field was covered in a foggy haze
The grey and the Green together
The mixture of the grass and fog created a greyish-green scene
The noise of a distant farm machine
In the distance, the sounds of a farming machine could be heard
Out of the first light came
As the daylight began to emerge
A tatered necklace of hedge and trees
A worn-out ring of trees and bushes surrounded the area
On the southern side of the hill
This place was situated on the hill's southern side
Betrays where the border runs between
This place indicates the separation between two regions
Where Mary Dunoon's boy fell
This is the site where a boy named Mary Dunoon died
Easter here again
It is Easter season again
A time for the Blind to see
It is a time to gain a fresh perspective
Easter
The season of Easter
Surely now can all of your hearts be free
Now everyone should be able to feel free in their hearts
Out of the port of Liverpool
Leaving from the Liverpool harbor
Bound for the North of Ireland
Heading towards the northern region of Ireland
The wash of the spray and horsetail waves
The misty water spray and waves churned up by the boat
The roll of the sea below
The sound of the sea below as the boat cruises along
What will you do?
What actions will you take?
Make a stone of your Heart?
Will you become cold and unfeeling?
Will you set things right
Will you make things right?
When you tear them apart?
Even though you may have caused the issues you are trying to rectify?
Will you sleep at night
Will you be able to sleep peacefully at night?
With the Plough and the Stars alight?
Even though there might be a lot of work to be done and issues to be addressed?
With the wire & the gun?
Will you use violence to make things right?
That'll set things right
Violence will solve the issues?
When it's said and done?
After everything is said and done?
Is there so much love to hide?
Do we have too much love to hide?
Forgive
Let go of resentment
Forget
Erase from memory
Sing 'Never again'
Sing about things that should never be repeated
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARK KELLY, IAN MOSLEY, STEVE ROTHERY, PETE TREWAVAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind