Common Ground
Teka Lyrics

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Here we are
Alive and free
Far away in time from our darkest day
That took our young and brave

From the cradle to the grave
70 years ago on July one 1916 on the Somme
The enemies had never seen fighting like this before

Such a simple plan--

How could any German man
Survive through that ordeal?
Company 'A' to Company 'be '
"Morale is high here, sir, but I don't think it's safe to go"

Company 'A' from Company 'be '
"Mister you have your orders and you must obey"
So the first line rose, and the first line fell
And a poet who survived later wrote about

A "Sunlit vision of Hell"
And "Larks singing"
Because after all it's just another summer's day in France
And the Tommie's on the Somme sang

"We are fighting to turn no-man's land into a common ground"
A common ground

Overall Meaning

The song "Common Ground" by Teka starts by acknowledging the present moment of being "here" and "alive and free". The lyrics then refer to a historical event that is "far away in time", the battle that took place on the first of July 1916 on the Somme during World War I. The battle is described as one that saw unimaginable fighting where many young and brave soldiers lost their lives. Teka reflects on the significance of the war and the challenges that soldiers faced, particularly on the side of the Germans who were ill-prepared to deal with the attack.

The lyrics describe the simplicity of the plan and the order given to soldiers to obey. The lines "Company 'A' to Company 'be' / "Morale is high here, sir, but I don't think it's safe to go" and "Company 'A' from Company 'be' / "Mister you have your orders and you must obey"" show the strict regimentation and obedience that was enforced on the battlefield. However, despite the chaos and horror of the war, the soldiers found a sense of unity and shared purpose. The lyrics "We are fighting to turn no-man's land into a common ground" suggest that the soldiers on both sides of the conflict were united by a common goal of creating peace.

Overall, "Common Ground" is a powerful song that explores the complexities of war and the human experiences that transcend national boundaries.

Line by Line Meaning

Here we are
We are present in this moment

Alive and free
We are alive and not in captivity or bondage

Far away in time from our darkest day
We are living in a time far from our darkest moment in history

That took our young and brave
A moment in history that took the lives of our young and brave warriors

From the cradle to the grave
From birth to death

70 years ago on July one 1916 on the Somme
The date and place of a significant battle 70 years before the present moment

The enemies had never seen fighting like this before
The opposing forces were not prepared for the kind of warfare they encountered in the battle

Such a simple plan--
The battle plan seemed straightforward

How could any German man
It was unlikely that any German soldier could survive the battle

Survive through that ordeal?
Endure the harsh and difficult experience of the battle?

Company 'A' to Company 'be'
Communication between two different military groups

"Morale is high here, sir, but I don't think it's safe to go"
One group expressing concern that it was not safe to proceed with the plan despite the good morale

Company 'A' from Company 'be'
Response from the other military group

"Mister you have your orders and you must obey"
The response was to follow orders despite the concern

So the first line rose, and the first line fell
The first wave of soldiers charged forward and many were killed

And a poet who survived later wrote about
A witness who survived the battle reflected on the events

A "Sunlit vision of Hell"
The contrast of the beauty of the environment with the horror of the battle

And "Larks singing"
A stark juxtaposition between death and life, as nature continued on despite the violence of the battle

Because after all it's just another summer's day in France
Despite the bloody battle, it was still just a normal day in France

And the Tommie's on the Somme sang
The soldiers joined together in singing

"We are fighting to turn no-man's land into a common ground"
The aspiration of the soldiers was for the battlefield to become a place of connection and unity

A common ground
A place of shared experience and understanding

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IVAN LINS, RONALDO MONTEIRO (DE) SOUZA, PAUL T. WINTER, HARRY JOHN GUTH, MICHAEL HOLMES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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