Duty
Roy Harper Lyrics


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If the six billion
On the planet
To a woman
Decided
That it was worth saving
That puppy foxes
In the spring air
Scratching parasites
And springing hope eternal
Still brought a smile
Still told of an eden
Lost by some
Enriched by most
Then a duty might be heard
Calling in the distance
If the chemistry
On the planet
Collided
To expectation
Much would be saved
The parasites would flourish
In the long winter
The scorching greenhouse
Thirty, as we know it
Would perhaps be old age
Or not at all
Depending on the brew
In the collision
Who cares? Right?
Duty as a chemical event
Duty as an inevitable event
Right?




Ha...
So sayeth the lord

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Roy Harper's song Duty are introspective and thought-provoking. The song begins with Harper contemplating the fate of humanity, suggesting that if all six billion people on the planet decided to take action to save it, there might be hope. He then muses about the beauty of the natural world and how it can still bring joy despite the fact that we have damaged it. There is a sense of longing for a lost paradise that was once ours and a desire to reclaim it.


However, the song takes a dark turn as Harper contemplates the possibility of a global disaster caused by the collision of chemicals on the planet. He suggests that if such a disaster were to occur, it would be futile to cling to duty as it would be beyond human control. The final line, "so sayeth the lord" adds a religious element to the song, possibly implying that fate is predestined and beyond our control.


Overall, the lyrics of Duty explore themes of hope, the natural world, and the inevitability of fate.


Line by Line Meaning

If the six billion
Assuming all the people on earth - a total of six billion -


On the planet
Referring to planet Earth


To a woman
If women collectively decided


Decided
Made a conscious choice


That it was worth saving
Determined that the planet was worth preserving


That puppy foxes
Even if something as small as the lives of puppy foxes


In the spring air
During the season of spring


Scratching parasites
Even though the foxes may have to deal with parasites


And springing hope eternal
Despite all that, the feeling of hope that comes with spring remains


Still brought a smile
Still manages to bring happiness


Still told of an eden
Evens reminds them of an ideal, perfect world


Lost by some
That may have been lost by some people


Enriched by most
But is still appreciated by most people


Then a duty might be heard
In that case, a sense of obligation or responsibility might be felt


Calling in the distance
A sort of calling from afar


If the chemistry
If, on a chemical level,


On the planet
On Earth


Collided
There was a collision


To expectation
As expected


Much would be saved
Many things could be saved


The parasites would flourish
Although parasites would thrive


In the long winter
In the winter months


The scorching greenhouse
And similarly, in the blazing heat of a greenhouse


Thirty, as we know it
The age of 30, which is currently seen as a milestone


Would perhaps be old age
May no longer be seen as old age if people were to live longer due to the effects of the collision


Or not at all
Alternatively, people might not even live that long anymore


Depending on the brew
It all depends on what kind of mix is created in the collision


In the collision
As two things collide


Who cares? Right?
Some people might not care about the outcome


Duty as a chemical event
But duty or responsibility might still arise as a result of this chemical event


Duty as an inevitable event
Because it might be seen as inevitable, or impossible to avoid,


Right?
Don't you think?


Ha...
An expression of amusement or cynicism


So sayeth the lord
The artist is perhaps suggesting that these are words of wisdom or truth




Contributed by Madison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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