Ninebarrow are an award-winning Dorset-b… Read Full Bio ↴http://www.ninebarrow.co.uk
Ninebarrow are an award-winning Dorset-based duo, who combine vocal harmonies and a variety of instruments, including tenor ukulele and mandola, to create a rich blend of folk-influenced songs. Jon Whitley and Jay Labouchardiere perform a diverse range of material – much of which has been inspired by the fantastic music sessions that can be found locally and at many of the Great British folk festivals.
Ninebarrow’s original songs take much of their inspiration from the landscape and history of the places they have visited around the country. Their repertoire also encompasses a variety of traditional unaccompanied songs as well as contemporary folk covers – they take material and rework it in their own unique way.
In 2013, they were crowned winners of the Larmer Tree Breakthrough Music Award
Announced no.1 in Drunkenwerewolf Magazine’s ‘Hidden Acoustic Gems of 2013’
Their debut EP ‘Kingdom’ was announced as one of Ukulelehunt.com’s records of the year.
The Sea
Ninebarrow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We travelled the land
Watching our herd with fur cap in hand
Our nights they were starless
We slept in the caves
Away from the sky -
But in sight of the waves
But soldiers they came
Cutting us down
In the dust, in the field
Those who were left
Were sent riding forth
Towards rain, towards rock
To watch over the North
The Empire it crumbles
And we freeze in the rain
These mountains, these rivers will always remain
Now we are leaving with hopes to be free
South-East to our homes
The warmth and
The Upon rock and with rock
We built our new homes
Four hundred leagues, left our families alone
We've garrisoned the mountain
We've garrisoned the cold
We think how our wives
And our children grow old
We came here with horses
Five hundred strong
South of the wall the journey was long
In heather and bracken
We've looked to the pass
Winter is coming -
And we are the last
The lyrics of Ninebarrow's song "The Sea" has a strong theme of nomadic lifestyle and the struggle for survival. The song begins with describing a nomadic lifestyle in which the tribe travelled the land watching over their herd. The nights were dark, and they slept in the caves, away from the sky but in sight of the waves. However, their peaceful life was interrupted when soldiers came and attacked them, leaving only a few survivors, who were sent forth to guard the North. It's an allusion to the Romans, who invaded Britain and had a significant cultural impact on the country.
The lyrics then go on to describe the struggle of building and garrisoning new homes in a foreign land. They had to leave their families behind and endure harsh winters to survive. As the empire begins to crumble, they are forced to leave and head southeast to find their homes. Despite all the hardships, they persevered and built their homes upon the rocks with the hope of being free. However, the lyrics end with the foreboding winter approaching, and they are the last ones left to face it.
Overall, the song talks about the human struggle for survival, the need to leave one's home to find a better life, and the will to survive despite all the hardships.
Line by Line Meaning
We used to be nomads
In the past, we were a group of people who did not have a fixed place of residence.
We travelled the land
We used to wander around the country and move from place to place.
Watching our herd with fur cap in hand
While we were on the move, we took care of our animals and tended to them using a fur cap as a tool.
Our nights they were starless
During our travels, we had to sleep in dark places without any stars above us.
We slept in the caves
We rested in the natural shelter provided by the caves we found during our journey.
Away from the sky -
We were far from the open skies that could have given us light and warmth.
But in sight of the waves
Despite being away from the sky, we still had the ocean in our view.
But soldiers they came
However, one day some armed men arrived near us.
With short sword and shield
These soldiers were equipped with a small sword and a defensive tool called a shield.
Cutting us down
These soldiers attacked us and killed many of us.
In the dust, in the field
The fight took place in a dusty field.
Those who were left
The people who survived the attack
Were sent riding forth
They were then asked to leave the place and travel to a new location.
Towards rain, towards rock
They had to go towards the rainy and rocky territories.
To watch over the North
Their job was to protect the northern regions and its people from threats.
The Empire it crumbles
The empire that once existed is now falling apart and losing its power.
And we freeze in the rain
Even though we are vigilant in our duty, we have to suffer in the cold, rainy weather.
These mountains, these rivers will always remain
However, the mountains and rivers of this land will always remain unchanged.
Now we are leaving with hopes to be free
We are now leaving this place with the desire to be free.
South-East to our homes
We are heading towards the southeast direction to reach our homes.
The warmth and
The comfort of our homes
The Upon rock and with rock
We constructed our new homes from the natural rocks we found here.
We built our new homes
We constructed our new homes in this place.
Four hundred leagues, left our families alone
We had to travel several hundred miles leaving our families alone.
We've garrisoned the mountain
We have set up a fortress on the mountain to protect ourselves.
We've garrisoned the cold
We have adapted ourselves to the extreme cold weather conditions here.
We think how our wives
We think about our wives while we are here.
And our children grow old
We worry about the fact that our children are growing up without us.
We came here with horses
We came to this place riding on our horses.
Five hundred strong
Our group consisted of five hundred people.
South of the wall the journey was long
The journey from south of the wall to this place was very long.
In heather and bracken
During our journey, we passed through the moorlands filled with heather and bracken.
We've looked to the pass
We have kept a watchful eye on the passes to ensure our safety.
Winter is coming -
The winter season is approaching rapidly.
And we are the last
We are the last of our kind to be living in this place.
Contributed by Liliana H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.