Fires
Procol Harum; The Danish National Concert Orchestra & Choir Lyrics
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The cause for the fighting has long been a ghost
Malice and habit have now won the day
The honours we fought for are lost in the fray
Standards and bugles are trod in the dust
Wounds have burst open, and corridors rust
Once proud and truthful, now humbled and bent
Let down the curtain, and exit the play
The crowds have gone home and the cast sailed away
Our flowers and feathers as scarring as weapons
Our poems and letters have turned to deceptions
The song "Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)" by Procol Harum is a reflective piece that deals with the sadness and despair of a lost war. The lyrics suggest that the war was doomed from the outset, and that the cause for fighting was already lost before the conflict even began. The use of metaphor is significant in the song, with "fires" being used to represent energy and passion, which are now gone, along with the "standards and bugles" which were once symbols of valor and glory.
The lyrics paint a picture of a once proud and honorable army that has been brought to its knees by malice, habit, and pride. The "honours" that they fought for are now meaningless, and their fighting has caused more harm than good. The imagery of "wounds bursting open" and "corridors rusting" adds to the sense of decay and destruction that the song is conveying.
The final stanza of the song suggests that it is time to bring the war to an end, as there is nothing left to fight for. The use of flower and feather imagery suggests that the weapons of war have become nothing more than empty symbols, and that even poetry and letters have turned to deceit. The overall tone of the song is one of despair and sadness, as the singer reflects on the futility of war and the cost of pride.
Line by Line Meaning
This war we are waging is already lost
We are in a battle that is already over and the outcome is not in our favor.
The cause for the fighting has long been a ghost
The reason for the battle is no longer relevant and has become a thing of the past.
Malice and habit have now won the day
Negative feelings and routine have become victorious in this situation.
The honours we fought for are lost in the fray
The respected achievements we sought after are now gone, drowned out in the chaos of the battle.
Standards and bugles are trod in the dust
Symbols and instruments of pride are now merely trampled dirt on the ground.
Wounds have burst open, and corridors rust
Old injuries have resurfaced and the once vibrant settings are now decaying.
Once proud and truthful, now humbled and bent
People who were previously confident and honest are now beaten down and weakened.
Fires which burnt brightly, now energies spent
Things that previously inspired and motivated have now become depleted and ineffective.
Let down the curtain, and exit the play
End the show and leave the stage, as there is nothing worthwhile left here.
The crowds have gone home and the cast sailed away
The audience has left and the performers have moved on from this spectacle.
Our flowers and feathers as scarring as weapons
Our previously beautiful and ornate possessions now have the power to harm and hurt others.
Our poems and letters have turned to deceptions
Things that were previously authentic expressions of our feelings and thoughts are now lies and mistruths.
Lyrics © Royalty Network Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: GARY BROOKER, KEITH REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@michelboinet261
Strangely enough, for three weeks I have intensively discovered Procol Harum music richness, and wondered how I could not have heard it before, apart from Whiter Shade of Pale. This concert in a whole is brilliant, with epic versions of their great songs. The second verse of An Old English Dream :
"Once we had a country
And thought it so fair
If you look through the mirror
You can still find it there
But now our great country
Is broken and torn
And all of its promise
And liberties worn"
echoes so deeply today in our post Covid countries, with liberties worn.
Now the final whiter shade of pale came on your face, RIP with our deepest respect, Mr Brooker.
@wernerwidmann1102
Who agree with me
that this show was eternal,
the way Gary Brooker and his musicians led us back to our old times and rememberance ?!
@richardhoner7842
We are so fortunate to be able to listen to this fabulous performance and interpretation of a classic song.
@timothylines631
yes, right there in the north sea too.
@ThomasTegnefilm
@@timothylines631🎉
@brianriley7914
100%
@jojoman4249
Their will never be another Gary Brooker, an outstanding musician and sadly gone forever but his music lives on!!
@richardhoner7842
It blows my mind that music, like literature, can live forever.
@robertklouse
Gary, one nice ,and lovingly passionate chap!!
RIP
@winstonelston5743
Some voices lose their richness and flexibility, some lose their range from the top, some lose it from the bottom, but Gary Brooker's voice in this concert is, if anything, richer and more powerful throughout the range than it was fifty years earlier, as is his command of the piano. There are legends, but this man is a Titan!
@PhukIT1865
now he's gone. he left the world so much and he gave so much