Liberty Belle
Super Furry Animals Lyrics


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Liberty Belle is ringing out across the sea
And everyone sings along
Though she's singing way out of key
From the shores of Galilee
To the runways of Anglesey
You know we're digging to hell
Right past our oil wells
As the magpies fly from Tallahassee
To the sky
Memory Lane forgot her way after all this time
And she never learned from her mistakes
And all the crime
That caused the gulf of misery
That's separating you from me
You know we're digging to hell
Drowing in our oil wells
As the seagulls fly from Abu Dhabi
To the sky

The birds still sing their melodies
Songs of love and food and trees
Oh my, how they fly
So little do they know, yeah
Yet their days are numbered so
Alarms are ringing in the trees:

You know you're digging to hell
Drowning in your oil wells
As the ashes fly from New York City
Past the grimy clouds above New Jersey




Past the kids who like to smoke like chimneys
To the sky

Overall Meaning

The song Liberty Belle by Super Furry Animals reflects on the state of the world and the negative impact that humans are having on it. The title itself is a reference to the iconic symbol of American freedom, the Liberty Bell, which is also a symbol of hope and resilience. However, in the song, the Liberty Bell is ringing out of key, indicating that there is something wrong with the message of hope and freedom that it represents.


The lyrics talk about how humans are digging themselves into a hole, both literally and figuratively, by exploiting natural resources such as oil, and causing environmental damage. This is illustrated by the lines "You know we're digging to hell, right past our oil wells" and "You know we're digging to hell, drowning in our oil wells". The song also comments on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, which caused widespread destruction and misery.


Despite the bleakness of the lyrics, the song ends on a hopeful note, with the birds still singing their songs of love and food and trees. This could be seen as a call to action, to stop the destruction and start taking care of the world we live in before it's too late.


Line by Line Meaning

Liberty Belle is ringing out across the sea
The symbol of freedom is celebrated by everyone as her bell rings across the sea.


And everyone sings along
People show their love for freedom by singing along with Liberty Belle.


Though she's singing way out of key
Even if Liberty Belle is not perfect, people still love and admire her for what she represents.


From the shores of Galilee
Liberty is not just celebrated in one particular place, but is recognized across the world.


To the runways of Anglesey
Even on the runway of a small island, the celebration of freedom continues.


You know we're digging to hell
In our quest for resources, we are destroying our planet and hurting ourselves.


Right past our oil wells
The same wells that we harvested to thrive are now contributing to our destruction.


As the magpies fly from Tallahassee to the sky
Despite the chaos we have caused, nature continues to move on unperturbed.


Memory Lane forgot her way after all this time
We have not learned from our past mistakes and are repeating them again.


And she never learned from her mistakes
The same mistakes keep happening because we keep forgetting the lessons of our mistakes.


And all the crime that caused the gulf of misery
The oil spill created a gulf of sorrow and pain that divided humanity.


That's separating you from me
The gap between people who want only betterment and people exploiting resources is growing wider each day.


The birds still sing their melodies
Amidst all the chaos, nature continues to live peacefully.


Songs of love and food and trees
The birds sing of simple things nature companions us with.


Oh my, how they fly
How wonderful and enchanting it is to observe the birds fly.


So little do they know, yeah
Birds have no idea of the chaos humans have created.


Yet their days are numbered so
Humanity's overconsumption of resources is slowly leading to the extinction of species.


Alarms are ringing in the trees:
The natural world is sending alarm bells of destruction to the humans.


You know you're digging to hell
Our reckless extraction of resources is leading us to our own downfall.


Drowning in your oil wells
We are consuming more resources at a faster rate than we can handle, which could damage the natural world beyond recovery.


As the ashes fly from New York City
The consequences of our unsustainable development are far-reaching.


Past the grimy clouds above New Jersey
Our development has led to polluted environments, which can have long-term and damaging effects.


Past the kids who like to smoke like chimneys
In a way, humans are like kids addicted to consuming natural resources they cannot recover.


To the sky
Our impact on the environment could reach the sky, affecting everything in its wake.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CIAN CIARAN, DAFYDD IEUAN, GRUFF RHYS, GUTO PRYCE, HUW BUNFORD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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