Giants
Quintessence Lyrics


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Once there was a land
Where now there is a sea
Giants peacefully
In this green country

Grew to be tall as trees
Hearing prophecies
Knew the coming tide
Will leave no place to hide

Rivers flowing now
Through my eyes and brow
Tell of the ancient ships
Still in the oceans depths

Sands shifting over them
Ships of giant men




Still softly dying trees
Where rivers now are seas

Overall Meaning

The song "Giants" by Quintessence talks about an ancient land that has now been swallowed by the sea. The giants who once peacefully lived in this green country, and grew as tall as trees, heard prophecies about the impending flood. The coming tide would leave no place to hide, and they knew this. The rivers that flow through the singer's eyes and brow tell the story of the ancient ships that still lie buried in the depths of the ocean, and the sands shifting over them. These ships belonged to the giant men who once lived in the land that is now submerged. The trees that once surrounded the giants are now dying softly under the sea, as rivers change into vast oceans that drowned the land.


This song could be interpreted as a metaphor for the effects of climate change on our planet. It portrays how the actions of human beings today could lead to the same fate as the giants of old. The song also shows how the destruction of nature can lead to the loss of entire civilizations. The fate of the giants in the song is a warning to all of us about the consequences of not taking care of our planet.


Line by Line Meaning

Once there was a land
There was a land that existed in the past.


Where now there is a sea
That land is now underwater and is a sea.


Giants peacefully
Giants lived in the land, living in peace.


In this green country
The land was verdant and beautiful.


Grew to be tall as trees
The giants grew incredibly tall, as tall as trees.


Hearing prophecies
The giants had knowledge of the future.


Knew the coming tide
They knew about the impending flood.


Will leave no place to hide
The flood would leave nowhere to seek shelter.


Rivers flowing now
There are rivers flowing presently in the area.


Through my eyes and brow
The artist is observing the present situation.


Tell of the ancient ships
The rivers serve as a reminder of past civilizations.


Still in the oceans depths
These past civilizations left remarkable things underwater.


Sands shifting over them
The sands have covered the ancient ships over time.


Ships of giant men
The ships belonged to the giants who used to live there.


Still softly dying trees
There are trees still dying as a result of the flood.


Where rivers now are seas
The areas where there were once rivers are now seas.




Contributed by Jasmine G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@Teddyb1939

Fantastic sound, takes me back away,  Good album, when Basing St Notting Hill was in full flow. We were all in blissful company, one way or another.

@mikaelemmertsen4731

It reminds me of the acid days around 1969-70. The guitar player once said that all the band really wanted was to give people a good trip.

@philburton6111

Takes me back to my school days, used to play this album in the form room.

@nasu_tek

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