Distant Shore
Robert Cray Lyrics


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An ancient battle
In an ancient land
Swept away with anger
Through the streets, they ran
Block to block
House to house
Man to man
They fought hand to hand

And war, begat war
All on a distant shore

Who are they?
The people that they seek
Innocent or guilty?
For harm and injury
Not the young
Not the old
It's hard to find
The truth untold

(Spooky noises)

Crucify them, Crucify them!
They did shout
All would suffer
There would be no doubt

That war begat war
All on a distant shore

Hidden in the back
Behind all their anger
There stands greed
And all that it needs
Greed for the money
Greed for the power
Many will die
For few to realize

(More spooks!)

Mercy, mercy!
The angels cried
Remember the lies
Of those that die

Cause war begat war
All on a distant shore

Just because they say it
Doesn't make it so
Some day they'll see that
Then they'll fight no more

Cause war begat war
War begat war
On a distant shore

Someday they'll see it
And they'll fight no more

Cause war begat war

(Just because they say it)
(Doesn't make it so)
(Some day they'll see that)




(Then they'll fight no more)
Mmmmm

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Robert Cray's song "Distant Shore" convey the message of war and its devastating outcomes. The song begins with describing an ancient battle in an ancient land, where the fury of the war swept the town, leading them to fight hand to hand, block by block, man to man. The chorus of the song reveals that the war has beget another war, all on a distant shore. The lyrics suggest that the intention of the war is unclear and perhaps driven by greed, for those in power and those seeking it, with innocent people dying for it.


The lyrics in the second stanza hint at the emotional trauma that people go through during such wars. The people they seek, may or may not be guilty of the crimes and injuries, leading to a perpetual cycle of war. The chants of "Crucify them, Crucify them" reveal people's outrage, leading to an indiscriminate suffering of innocents who had no part in the cause of war. The addition of spooky noises creates an eerie atmosphere, creating a mental image of the horror.


The song concludes on a hopeful note; just because they say it, doesn't make it so, and someday they'll see it, leading them to fight no more. The lyrics deliver a message that, in the end, wars lead to more wars and pain, with innocents suffering the most, and greed for power and money driving wars. The message is powerful, and the lyrics are well crafted to convey it.


Line by Line Meaning

An ancient battle
Refers to a battle of the past


In an ancient land
Location of the ancient battle


Swept away with anger
Describes the intensity of the battle with the use of the emotion 'anger'


Through the streets, they ran
Depicts the chaos that the battle caused


Block to block
Describes the extent of the battle, spreading through multiple blocks


House to house
The intensity of the battle to each household


Man to man
Warriors fought each other one on one


They fought hand to hand
Fighting style preferred was close combat


And war, begat war
Describes how the warfare led to more warfare


All on a distant shore
The battles occurred in a geographic far off place


Who are they?
Questions the identity of the enemies


The people that they seek
Referring to the targeted group of people


Innocent or guilty?
Asks whether the victims were innocent or deserving of harm


For harm and injury
The reasons for the violent acts


Not the young
Excludes children as part of the targeted group


Not the old
Excludes the elderly as part of the targeted group


It's hard to find
Difficult to determine


The truth untold
The facts are unclear and unknown


Crucify them, Crucify them!
Demanding the persecution of the targeted people


They did shout
Describes the loudness of the protesters


All would suffer
The desired result of the persecution


There would be no doubt
The certainty of consequences


Hidden in the back
Something concealed or obscure


Behind all their anger
The cause of the intense emotions


There stands greed
The true motive behind the persecution


And all that it needs
The things that greed require


Greed for the money
Desire for wealth


Greed for the power
Desire for authority and control


Many will die
Many people will lose their lives


For few to realize
The selfish reason behind the persecution is appreciated by only a select group of individuals


Mercy, mercy!
A request for forgiveness and compassion


The angels cried
A metaphor for divine intervention and/or empathy


Remember the lies
Drawing attention to deception


Of those that die
The lies continue even after death


Just because they say it
Not every statement is true


Doesn't make it so
Calling for factual verification


Some day they'll see that
Pointing out that the truth will eventually become evident


Then they'll fight no more
The acknowledgement of truth will put an end to future conflicts


Someday they'll see it
Reiterating the possibility of discovering the truth


Mmmmm
An emotive vocalization, probably indicating reflection after an intense discourse.




Contributed by Aaliyah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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