With three CD’s and one Live in Concert DVD, listeners can enjoy an array of musical styles that can best be described as a fusion of many different genres and traditions. From larger cinematic compositions in songs like Divine Tapestry and The Purest Branch to more intimate three-part folk harmonies in songs like Prisoners and Land & Sea.
Gate of the Gate
Smith & Dragoman Lyrics
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So I meet you at the cemetry gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
A dreaded sunny day
So I meet you at the cemetry gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
While Wilde is on mine
All those people, all those lives
Where are they now?
With loves, and hates
And passions just like mine
They were born
And then they lived
And then they died
It seems so unfair
I want to cry
You say : "'Ere thrice the sun done salutation to the dawn"
And you claim these words as your own
But I've read well, and I've heard them said
A hundred times (maybe less, maybe more)
If you must write prose/poems
The words you use should be your own
Don't plagiarise or take "on loan"
'Cause there's always someone, somewhere
With a big nose, who knows
And who trips you up and laughs
When you fall
Who'll trip you up and laugh
When you fall
You say : "'Ere long done do does did"
Words which could only be your own
And then produce the text
From whence was ripped
(Some dizzy whore, 1804)
A dreaded sunny day
So let's go where we're happy
And I meet you at the cemetry gates
Oh, Keats and Yeats are on your side
A dreaded sunny day
So let's go where we're wanted
And I meet you at the cemetry gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
But you lose
'Cause weird lover Wilde is on mine
Sure!
Smith & Dragoman's song "Gate of the Gate" is a melancholic and introspective meditation on life and death, love and loss. The opening lyrics set the tone for the entire song as the singer meets their lover at the cemetery gates, where death looms large. The presence of Keats and Yeats on the lover's side suggest a shared admiration for the great Romantic poets, while Wilde is on the singer's side, perhaps indicating a more unconventional outlook on life and love.
The song then takes a somber turn as the two wander inside the cemetery and read the gravestones. The realization that all those people with loves, hates, and passions just like their own are now gone, weighs heavily on the singer, and they feel a deep sense of unfairness and sadness. The lyrics "it seems so unfair, I want to cry" encapsulate their emotions perfectly.
The tone of the song shifts again as the singer and their lover debate the merits of originality in art. The singer warns against plagiarism, urging their lover to use their own words, for fear of being humiliated by someone with more knowledge. This exchange appears to be a metaphor for life, where one must find their own path rather than relying on the words and actions of others.
Line by Line Meaning
A dreaded sunny day
The weather looks cheerful yet it is alarming
So I meet you at the cemetery gates
I meet you at the entrance of the graveyard
Keats and Yeats are on your side
You are a fan of Keats and Yeats' works
A dreaded sunny day
The sunny day still worries me
So I meet you at the cemetery gates
I still decide to meet you at the entrance of the graveyard
Keats and Yeats are on your side
You again profess your admiration for Keats and Yeats' works
While Wilde is on mine
Unlike you, I prefer Wilde's literary genius
So we go inside and we gravely read the stones
We enter the cemetery and read the names on the gravestones seriously
All those people, all those lives. Where are they now?
We ponder on the existence of those people and where they are now
With loves, and hates, And passions just like mine
They had emotions and passions just like we have
They were born, And then they lived, And then they died
These individuals were born, lived, and eventually died
It seems so unfair, I want to cry
Their fate seems unjust, making me emotional
You say : "'Ere thrice the sun done salutation to the dawn"
You quote a line that is not original
And you claim these words as your own
You try to pass these words off as yours
But I've read well, and I've heard them said, A hundred times (maybe less, maybe more)
I recognize this quote from other sources, showing that you are copying
If you must write prose/poems, The words you use should be your own
Using one's own language and expression is vital for writing original pieces
Don't plagiarise or take "on loan"
Avoid stealing others' work or ideas
'Cause there's always someone, somewhere, With a big nose, who knows, And who trips you up and laughs, When you fall
If you copy, you might get caught by someone, who will mock you
Who'll trip you up and laugh, When you fall
This person will enjoy seeing you stumble and be embarrassed
You say : "'Ere long done do does did"
You deliver another unoriginal quote
Words which could only be your own, And then produce the text, From whence was ripped
You claim these words as unique, but they also appear to be copied
(Some dizzy whore, 1804)
These words' source appears to be from a prostitute centuries ago
A dreaded sunny day, So let's go where we're happy, And I meet you at the cemetery gates, Oh, Keats, and Yeats are on your side
We decide to seek joy elsewhere and meet at the graveyard again, where you express your love for Keats and Yeats
A dreaded sunny day, So let's go where we're wanted, And I meet you at the cemetery gates, Keats and Yeats are on your side, But you lose, 'Cause weird lover Wilde is on mine
We look for a place where we are accepted, and meet again at the cemetery, where I remind you that Wilde is my preferred writer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN MORRISSEY, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind