The Bæbes’s first album, Salva Nos (1997), shot straight to No 2 in the classical charts, a silver disc. Subsequent albums include Worldes Blysse (which went straight to No 1), Undrentide, (co-produced by John Cale), The Rose, and the Christmas-themed album Mistletoe & Wine.
PEARL
Mediaeval Baebes Lyrics
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Of wode and water and wlonk plaines
Bilde in me bliss, abated my bales
Forbidden my stress, destroyed my paines
Down after a strem that drightly hales
I bowed in bliss, bredful my branes
The firre I folwed those floty vales
The more strength of joye myn herte straines
Whether solace ho sende other elles sore
The wye to wham hir wille ho waines
Hittes to have ay more and more
More of wele was in that wise
Than I couth telle thagh I tom hade
For erthly herte might not suffise
To the tenthe dole of tho gladness glade
For thy I thoght that paradise
Was there other gain tho bonkes brade
I hoped the water were a devise
Between mirthes by meres made
Beyonde the brook, by slent other slade
I hoped that mote inerked wore
Bot the water was depe, I dorst not wade
And ever me longed ay more and more
More and more and yet well mare
Me liste to see the brook beyonde
For if hit was fair there I can fare
Well loveloker was the firre londe
Aboute me con I stote and stare
To finde a forth faste con I fonde
Bot wothes mo ywis there ware
The firre I stalled by the stronde
And ever me thoght I shokle not wonde
For wo there weles so winne wore
Thenne newe note me com on honed
That meved my minde more and more
In the song Pearl by Mediaeval Baebes, the singer describes their journey through different terrains, including woods, water, and plains. The landscapes seem to bring the singer happiness and relieve them of their burdens. They especially describe following a stream and feeling joyful as they discovered more beauty. The singer longs to see past the water, believing there could be even more paradise or beauty on the other side. However, they are hesitant to risk crossing the deep water alone.
The song seems to be about the desire for happiness and the pursuit of it. The singer is willing to explore and push their limits to find joy but also recognizes the pain they may face on the journey. There's a sense of yearning in the imagery, and the lyrics describe a tug-of-war between wanting to stay where they are comfortable and taking a risk to experience more.
Overall, the lyrics of Pearl are quite poetic and offer some insight into the human desire for happiness and the struggle that comes with trying to find it.
Line by Line Meaning
The dubberment dere of down and dales
The picturesque landscape of valleys and hills
Of wode and water and wlonk plaines
Filled with forests, water streams and beautiful fields
Bilde in me bliss, abated my bales
Filled me with happiness and relieved my pains
Forbidden my stress, destroyed my paines
Removed all my worries and cured my suffering
Down after a strem that drightly hales
Followed a clear stream that leads me on
I bowed in bliss, bredful my branes
I felt joyful and my thoughts were filled with hope
The firre I folwed those floty vales
The farther I followed the flowing valleys
The more strength of joye myn herte straines
The happier I became and the more I longed to stay
As fortune fares theras ho fraines
To whichever destination fate may lead me
Whether solace ho sende other elles sore
Whether I find comfort or sorrow on the way
The wye to wham hir wille ho waines
To whichever path destiny may take me
Hittes to have ay more and more
I continue to desire more and more
More of wele was in that wise
There was immense joy in that place
Than I couth telle thagh I tom hade
More than I could describe or express
For erthly herte might not suffise
My earthly heart could not contain the happiness
To the tenthe dole of tho gladness glade
Even a fraction of the joy would be overwhelming
For thy I thoght that paradise
I felt as though I was in paradise
Was there other gain tho bonkes brade
Beyond the wide banks of the stream
I hoped the water were a devise
I wished the stream was a magical boundary
Between mirthes by meres made
Marking the boundary between two regions of happiness
Beyonde the brook, by slent other slade
Beyond the stream, in another hidden place
I hoped that mote inerked wore
I hoped for a crossing place over the stream
Bot the water was depe, I dorst not wade
But the water was too deep and I was afraid to cross it
And ever me longed ay more and more
And I kept longing for more and more
More and more and yet well mare
My desire for more kept growing
Me liste to see the brook beyonde
I wanted to see what was beyond the stream
For if hit was fair there I can fare
Hoping for even more beautiful sights
Well loveloker was the firre londe
The further I went, the more picturesque the landscape became
Aboute me con I stote and stare
I looked around in awe and wonder
To finde a forth faste con I fonde
I searched for a way to move forward quickly
Bot wothes mo ywis there ware
But there were many obstacles in my path
The firre I stalled by the stronde
I had to stop by the riverbank and wait
And ever me thoght I shokle not wonde
I thought I could never leave that place
For wo there weles so winne wore
There were so many obstacles that it seemed impossible
Thenne newe note me com on honed
Then a new idea came to mind
That meved my minde more and more
That made me even more determined to move forward
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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