Lament
Sam Lyrics
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Swift subtle post, carrier of grisly care
Eater of youth, false slave to false delight
Base watch of woes, sin's pack-horse, virtue's snare
Thou nursest all and murder'st all that are
O, hear me then, injurious, shifting Time!
Be guilty of my death, since of my crime
To unmask falsehood and bring truth to light
To stamp the seal of time in aged things
To wake the morn and sentinel the night
To wrong the wronger till he render right
To ruinate proud buildings with thy hours
And smear with dust their glittering golden towers
To fill with worm-holes stately monuments
To feed oblivion with decay of things
To blot old books and alter their contents
To pluck the quills from ancient ravens' wings
To dry the old oak's sap and cherish springs
To spoil antiquities of hammer'd steel
And turn the giddy round of Fortune's wheel
'To show the beldam daughters of her daughter
To make the child a man, the man a child
To slay the tiger that doth live by slaughter
To tame the unicorn and lion wild
To mock the subtle in themselves beguiled
To cheer the ploughman with increaseful crops
And waste huge stones with little water drops
Why work'st thou mischief in thy pilgrimage
Unless thou couldst return to make amends?
One poor retiring minute in an age
Would purchase thee a thousand thousand friends
Lending him wit that to bad debtors lends
O, this dread night, wouldst thou one hour come back
I could prevent this storm and shun thy wrack!
Sending the sound to the audience that gathered at Wigmore Hall
Sharing what they don't want to fear anymore
They don't wanna fear anymore
Now fear no more, solitude, isolation and the blues
Fear no more threats of nuclear war
Fear no more letting go, regrettin' so, Ms Theresa be so
Fear no more the tick of the clock, our great shifting fate
Fear no more fury's force, tyrant's course, and men settling scores
Fear no more the loss of love, the cost of lust
And then fear no more the loss of trust
Fear no more these mad politicians, political systems
Prison and the loss of wisdom
Fear no more those who are deranged
Fear no more those who deny climate change
Fear no more these mad men and chumps
Fear no more Mr Donald Trump
Fear no more cause we're all connected
Fear no more the choice of Brexit
[[changes to feel no more from here?]]
Fear no more the loss of your strength
Fear no more what feel
Fear no more what you reveal
Fear no more, fear no more
But for now we'll have to have courage and be brave
Fear no more till I'm lost in my grave
Till I'm lost in my grave
Till I'm lost in my grave
The lyrics to Sam's song "Lament" explore the concept of time and its power to both create and destroy. The first stanza describes time as a "mis-shapen" and "ugly" entity that feeds on youth and falsely promises pleasure. The singer accuses time of being the cause of their own death, blaming it for their mistakes and misfortunes.
The second stanza offers a more nuanced view of time, acknowledging its ability to calm conflicts, reveal truth, and leave its mark on history. However, it also points out its destructive qualities, such as erasing the past and bringing down monumental structures.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of frustration and powerlessness in the face of time's relentless march forward. The singer longs for a chance to "make amends" and turn back the clock, but ultimately acknowledges the inevitability of their own demise.
Line by Line Meaning
Mis-shapen Time, copesmate of ugly Night
Time is a twisted entity, paired with the ugliness of night
Swift subtle post, carrier of grisly care
Time moves quickly, carrying the burden of terrible things
Eater of youth, false slave to false delight
Time consumes our youth, chasing false happiness
Base watch of woes, sin's pack-horse, virtue's snare
Time is the epitome of sorrow, burdened with sin and trapping virtue
Thou nursest all and murder'st all that are
Time both nurtures and kills everything that exists
O, hear me then, injurious, shifting Time!
The singer calls out to Time, recognizing its harmful, ever-changing nature
Be guilty of my death, since of my crime
The singer blames Time for their eventual death, since Time is responsible for all ends
Time's glory is to calm contending kings
Time often calms turbulent rulers
To unmask falsehood and bring truth to light
Time exposes lies and reveals the truth
To stamp the seal of time in aged things
Time leaves a mark on old things, making them timeless
To wake the morn and sentinel the night
Time brings the morning and watches over the night
To wrong the wronger till he render right
Time forces the unjust to make things right
To ruinate proud buildings with thy hours
Time destroys grand structures over time
And smear with dust their glittering golden towers
Time brings even the greatest towers to ruin and decay
To fill with worm-holes stately monuments
Time eats away at grand monuments with worms
To feed oblivion with decay of things
Time allows things to decay into nothingness
To blot old books and alter their contents
Time causes books to fade and their contents to change
To pluck the quills from ancient ravens' wings
Time strips the feathers from ancient ravens
To dry the old oak's sap and cherish springs
Time dries up the life force of old oak trees and brings spring to new life
To spoil antiquities of hammer'd steel
Time wears away at ancient artifacts made of steel
And turn the giddy round of Fortune's wheel
Time spins the wheel of luck over and over again
'To show the beldam daughters of her daughter
Time reveals the daughters of the old crone
To make the child a man, the man a child
Time turns children into adults and adults into children
To slay the tiger that doth live by slaughter
Time has the power to kill even the fiercest predators
To tame the unicorn and lion wild
Time can even tame mythical beasts
To mock the subtle in themselves beguiled
Time exposes the deception of those who deceive themselves
To cheer the ploughman with increaseful crops
Time brings a good harvest to farmers
And waste huge stones with little water drops
Time can wear away massive stones with tiny drops of water
Why work'st thou mischief in thy pilgrimage
The artist asks why Time causes chaos in its journey
Unless thou couldst return to make amends?
The singer hopes Time can somehow rectify the harm it causes
One poor retiring minute in an age
Even a single minute in a lifetime can make all the difference
Would purchase thee a thousand thousand friends
Time could gain countless allies with even a small act of kindness
Lending him wit that to bad debtors lends
Time could share its wisdom with those who owe debts
O, this dread night, wouldst thou one hour come back
The artist wishes Time could turn back even just one hour
I could prevent this storm and shun thy wrack!
The singer believes they could prevent a disaster from occurring with just a bit more time
Sending the sound to the audience that gathered at Wigmore Hall
The song's sound is sent out to an audience at a concert hall
Sharing what they don't want to fear anymore
The song aims to help people let go of their fears
They don't wanna fear anymore
The singer acknowledges that people want to let go of their fears
Now fear no more, solitude, isolation and the blues
The song encourages people to not be afraid of loneliness, isolation or sadness
Fear no more threats of nuclear war
The song encourages people to not be afraid of the possibility of nuclear war
Fear no more letting go, regrettin' so, Ms Theresa be so
The artist encourages people to let go of their regrets and not to worry about Theresa
Fear no more the tick of the clock, our great shifting fate
The song encourages people to not be afraid of the passage of time and its uncertain nature
Fear no more fury's force, tyrant's course, and men settling scores
The song encourages people to not be afraid of anger and power struggles between people
Fear no more the loss of love, the cost of lust
The song encourages people to not be afraid of loss and desire
And then fear no more the loss of trust
The song encourages people to not be afraid of losing trust in others
Fear no more these mad politicians, political systems
The song encourages people to not be afraid of the failures of politics and government
Prison and the loss of wisdom
The singer encourages people to not be afraid of being imprisoned or losing knowledge
Fear no more those who are deranged
The song encourages people to not be afraid of those who are mentally unstable
Fear no more those who deny climate change
The song encourages people to not be afraid of those who deny climate change
Fear no more these mad men and chumps
The song encourages people to not be afraid of crazed or foolish individuals
Fear no more Mr Donald Trump
The song encourages people to not be afraid of Donald Trump
Fear no more cause we're all connected
The song encourages people to not be afraid because we are all interconnected
Fear no more the choice of Brexit
The song encourages people to not be afraid of the decision to leave the EU
Fear no more the loss of your strength
The song encourages people to not be afraid of losing their physical or emotional strength
Fear no more what feel
The song encourages people to not be afraid of their emotions
Fear no more what you reveal
The song encourages people to not be afraid of revealing themselves to others
Fear no more, fear no more
The chorus reiterates the message of the song - do not be afraid
But for now we'll have to have courage and be brave
The artist acknowledges that it's not easy to let go of fear, but encourages bravery
Fear no more till I'm lost in my grave
The song ends with a plea to continue to let go of fear, even after death
Till I'm lost in my grave
The artist emphasizes that the message to not be afraid should last even beyond death
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Svante Henryson, Leandro Mancini-Olivos, Henry Purcell, Baba Israel, Henrik Måwe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind