Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automatic Dlamini as a vocalist, guitarist and saxophonist. The band's frontman, John Parish, became her long-term collaborator. In 1991, she formed an eponymous trio called PJ Harvey and subsequently began her career as PJ Harvey. The trio released two studio albums called Dry (1992) and Rid of Me (1993) before disbanding, after which Harvey continued as a solo artist. Since 1995, she has released a further nine studio albums with collaborations from various musicians including Parish, former bandmate Rob Ellis, Mick Harvey and Eric Drew Feldman, and has also worked extensively with record producer Flood.
Among the accolades Harvey has received are both the 2001 and 2011 Mercury Prize for Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000) and Let England Shake (2011), respectively, making her the only artist to have been awarded the prize twice. She has also garnered eight Brit Award nominations, seven Grammy Award nominations and two further Mercury Prize nominations. Rolling Stone awarded her three accolades: 1992's Best New Artist and Best Singer Songwriter, and 1995's Artist of the Year. Rolling Stone also listed Rid of Me, To Bring You My Love and Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea on its list of their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2011, she was awarded for Outstanding Contribution To Music at the NME Awards. In the 2013 Birthday Honours, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to music.
In the Dark Places
PJ Harvey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And washed our faces
And walk the fields
And put up crosses
Passed through the damned mountains
Went hellwards and some of us returned
And some of us did not
Under the moon and under the sun
Another summer has passed before us
And not one man has
And not one woman has
Revealed the secrets
Of this world
So our young men
Hid with guns
In the dirt
And in the dark places
Our young men
Hid with guns
In the dirt
And in the dark places
Our young men
Hid with their guns
In the forests
And in the dark places
"In the Dark Places" by PJ Harvey is a song that speaks to war, specifically the Iraq war, and the emotional tolls it takes on soldiers. The opening verse talks about soldiers getting up early to prepare for the day and venture out into the fields. The line "And put up crosses" alludes to the soldiers placing markers in memory of fallen comrades. The following line "Passed through the damned mountains/Went hellwards and some of us returned" speaks to the dangers of war and how some soldiers make it back alive while others don't. The lyrics create a sense of loss and uncertainty that comes with war.
The second verse touches on the passing of time and the secrets that remain unsolved. The line "Another summer has passed before us/And not one man has/And not one woman has/Revealed the secrets/Of this world" is about how war and violence seem to be an eternal conflict, and it feels like there is no end in sight. The final verses talk specifically about the soldiers who go out into the dark places with their guns, hiding and potentially losing themselves in the violence. The song creates a haunting picture of the harsh realities of war.
Line by Line Meaning
We got up early
We woke up early in the morning
And washed our faces
We cleaned ourselves up
And walk the fields
We walked through the fields
And put up crosses
We erected crosses
Passed through the damned mountains
We traveled through the treacherous mountain ranges
Went hellwards and some of us returned
We went towards hell and some of us returned
And some of us did not
But some of us did not come back
In the fields and in the forests
We searched in the open fields and dense forests
Under the moon and under the sun
We searched during the day and at night
Another summer has passed before us
Another summer has gone by
And not one man has
No man has
And not one woman has
No woman has
Revealed the secrets
Shown us the secrets
Of this world
Of this universe
So our young men
Therefore, our young men
Hid with guns
Concealed themselves with firearms
In the dirt
In the soil
And in the dark places
And in the secluded, concealed areas
Our young men
Therefore, our young men
Hid with guns
Concealed themselves with firearms
In the dirt
In the soil
And in the dark places
And in the secluded, concealed areas
Our young men
Therefore, our young men
Hid with their guns
Concealed themselves with their firearms
In the forests
In the dense forest
And in the dark places
And in the secluded, concealed areas
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Polly Harvey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@amelianolde6743
This album is simply a masterpiece. Thank you, dear Polly Jean.
@keithbate9405
+Paloma Montero
it is but my fav is the awesome White chalk"
@leonard2384
Polly Jean is simply a masterpiece. One of my life long favorite artists.
@russhaywood6418
My favourite album by anyone
@ewelajner2081
It is heartbreaking to listen with the ongoing war. Unfortunately, the history repeats itself. Thank you PJ Harvey for this album.
@mikefiftynine
Stand with Russia against fascism!!
@walrus4248
Russia is dying thank God.
@russhaywood6418
God this is gloriously heartbreaking. Reduces me to years every time. Pure genius.
@stefanorossignoli8391
"Our young men hid with guns"...you can feel emotion, compassion, regret in this verse. To all the young men still hid with guns.
@the_Carthaginian
well said