Les Iles Noires
Rome Lyrics


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The wars are moving north
To our isles of green
Through countries washed out
By storms of steel
But they shall not pass - we shall not yield
For freedom is a love not proved
In the letting go
For all they ever allow us to be
Is an alibi, a breath mint for greed
Thus we live gravely, thus we die slowly
Thus we hide in self-control

We who came out here
To give an empire to this loneliness
That surrounds and enslaves
Defines and degrades us
Say we're mad with hope, say it's all but smoke
Say we're all gonna perish in the snows

Take this vow with me
To stay close, to be near
To be oh so sincere
Take this vow with me
For you must know
There's nothing left around here

And so you toss a coin at every turn
To know what bridge to cross
What bridge to burn
Along the towers, on the riverbanks of France
With spain still in our hearts

While we're wondering why we are all
So quick to seperate
Sex and love but not church and state
And why they have made
All of us slaves to gold and to debt
To fears and regrets

Take this vow with me
To stay close, to be near
To be oh so sincere
Take this vow with me
For you must know
There's nothing left around here

For we were not born to live their lie
In houses built to keep the tv dry
So to make you see, to make us heard
We'll have to rebuild our islands word by word

Take this vow with me
To stay close, to be near
To be oh so sincere
Take this vow with me




For you of all people must know
There's nothing left around here

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Rome's song "Les Iles Noires" paint a picture of a society that is caught between the chaos and destruction of war and the struggle for freedom and individuality. The opening lines of the song suggest that war is encroaching upon a peaceful society, one that is described as being "an isle of green." This contrast between the idyllic and the violent creates a sense of uncertainty and danger, as the people are forced to contend with the harsh reality of war. Despite this, the lyrics evoke a defiant spirit, with the declaration that "they shall not pass," and the emphasis on the importance of freedom.


The second verse displays a sense of resignation and despair, as the singer laments the fact that they are only seen as "an alibi, a breath mint for greed." This suggests that their society is being used as a superficial cover for the more insidious desires of those in power. The last lines of the verse convey a sense of entrapment, as the people are forced to "hide in self-control."


The final section of the song brings the focus back to the idea of hope and solidarity. The singer pleads for the listener to join them in a vow to "stay close, to be near, to be oh so sincere." This suggests that the singer believes in the power of unity and shared purpose to overcome the challenges they face. The repeated imagery of rebuilding their society "word by word" suggests that this process will be slow and difficult, but ultimately worthwhile.


Line by Line Meaning

The wars are moving north
Conflict is spreading towards us from southern regions


To our isles of green
Our verdant homeland is in peril


Through countries washed out
Lands have been devastated by violence


By storms of steel
Warfare's heavy artillery and metal are tearing everything apart


But they shall not pass - we shall not yield
We will resist the invasion at any cost


For freedom is a love not proved
That which we cherish leads us to stand up for ourselves


In the letting go
In not surrendering control


For all they ever allow us to be
They only offer us a facade of identity


Is an alibi, a breath mint for greed
An excuse, something to hide the real motives


Thus we live gravely, thus we die slowly
Such a life is barely worth living, suffering out existence


Thus we hide in self-control
We use control over ourselves to conceal our true selves


We who came out here
We who set out to find something more


To give an empire to this loneliness
To create a new way of living from our isolation


That surrounds and enslaves
Which imprisons and limits us


Defines and degrades us
Which strips us of our dignity


Say we're mad with hope, say it's all but smoke
Although it may seem like our efforts are foolish, they cling to hope


Say we're all gonna perish in the snows
Claim that our journey will be fruitless and that we will die in the cold


Take this vow with me
Pledge with me this promise


To stay close, to be near
Stay united and in proximity


To be oh so sincere
Act with genuineness and honesty


For you must know
Understand this


There's nothing left around here
There is only a void where we are


And so you toss a coin at every turn
Every decision is a gamble


To know what bridge to cross
To pick our path


What bridge to burn
To discard our previous choices


Along the towers, on the riverbanks of France
We are in France, on the riverwoods near the towers


With spain still in our hearts
Spain is left behind, but it still holds emotional significance


While we're wondering why we are all
Amongst our musings


So quick to separate sex and love but not church and state
Splitting these concepts apart is easy, but political and religious institutions remain tangled


And why they have made
Why they have created this dilemma


All of us slaves to gold and to debt
We are all bound by wealth and indebtedness


To fears and regrets
We are also controlled by a plethora of fears and regrets


For we were not born to live their lie
We were not created to live out the fable they tell


In houses built to keep the tv dry
in houses designed for the sole purpose of entertaining


So to make you see, to make us heard
To prove our validity


We'll have to rebuild our islands word by word
We must craft our own future, one piece at a time


For you of all people must know
You specifically need to comprehend


There's nothing left around here
This place has nothing more to offer




Contributed by Christian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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