When the War Came
The Decemberists Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus]
With all the grain of Babylon
To cultivate, to make us strong
And hidden here behind the walls
Are shoulders wide and timber on
'Til the war came
'Til the war came
A terrible autonomy
Has grafted onto you and me
Our trust put in the government
They told their lies as heaven-sent
'Til the war came
'Til the war came

[Chorus]

And the war came with a curse and a caterwaul
And the war came with all the poise of a cannonball
And they're picking out our eyes by coal and candlelight
When the war came, the war came hard

We mae made our oath to Vavilov
We'd not betray the solanum
The acres of asteraceae
To our own pangs of starvation
When the war came
When the war came

[Chorus]





With all the grain of Babylon
With all the grain of Babylon

Overall Meaning

When the War Came by The Decemberists is a song that deals with the theme of war and the effects it has on society. The song has a hauntingly beautiful melody that complements the dark lyrics set against the backdrop of a war-torn world. The catchy chorus with the repetition of “'Til the war came” highlights how the everyday lives of people are suddenly changed by the onset of war.


The opening lines of the song “With all the grain of Babylon, to cultivate, to make us strong” signify the abundance and prosperity that existed before the outbreak of war in the region. The mention of Babylon is particularly significant as it was an ancient city known for its wealth and prosperity. However, as the song progresses, the lyrics take a darker turn, bringing up themes of betrayal and loss of trust in people who are supposed to protect us.


The lyrics “Our trust put in the government, they told their lies as heaven-sent” highlights how the government, military and other authorities deceive their citizens by providing false information to justify war. The song also touches upon the issue of hunger and starvation due to the loss of crops and resources during the war.


Overall, the song When the War Came is a powerful commentary on the negative impact of war on civilians, their sense of security, and their everyday existence.


Line by Line Meaning

With all the grain of Babylon
Despite having all the resources and wealth of Babylon, meaning the country was prosperous and well-fed.


To cultivate, to make us strong
These resources were used to cultivate and make the country stronger.


And hidden here behind the walls
Despite appearances, the country was prepared for war and had defenses already in place.


Are shoulders wide and timber on
The people of the country were ready for war and had strong, sturdy shoulders to carry them through.


'Til the war came
Everything changed when the war started.


'Til the war came
The war had a huge and lasting impact on the country.


A terrible autonomy
Bad decisions were made and autonomy was abused.


Has grafted onto you and me
These decisions and abuse of power affected everyone, not just the leaders.


Our trust put in the government
The people had previously trusted their government.


They told their lies as heaven-sent
However, the government had lied to them and presented those lies as if they were holy truths.


'Til the war came
The war shattered the illusion of trust.


'Til the war came
The war was a wake-up call that exposed the government's lies and abuse of trust.


And the war came with a curse and a caterwaul
The war arrived with chaos and destruction.


And the war came with all the poise of a cannonball
The war was sudden and hit the country with full force.


And they're picking out our eyes by coal and candlelight
Amidst the war, people are being tortured and killed in the darkness.


When the war came, the war came hard
The war was brutal and had a profound impact on the country.


We made our oath to Vavilov
The people made a vow to Nikolai Vavilov, a plant geneticist who fought against crop monoculture and genetic uniformity.


We'd not betray the solanum
They would not betray the solanum, a genus of plants that include important food crops.


The acres of asteraceae
They would also protect the acres of asteraceae, a large family of flowering plants that include many medicinal herbs.


To our own pangs of starvation
Even at the risk of their own hunger and starvation, they would protect these essential crops.


When the war came
Unfortunately, the war made it hard to keep to these promises.


When the war came
The war had far-reaching consequences.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: COLIN MELOY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions