Lay me Down
The James Riley Band Lyrics
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And the strummer have beneath his hands
And now, no greater fortune do I own
Cometh the hour of the ringer and the runner and the
Faith machine but I, I can't believe in silly clones
Lay me down, I wanna listen to that earthly sound
Lay me down oh lay me down
Lay me down oh lay me down, just lay me down
Quietly marching for the army's at the dawning of the things to come
And now swept along within the tide
Something is starting but you'll never
Know the meaning till you hear the sound
And those footsteps that follow in your stride
Lay me down, I wanna listen to that earthly sound
Lay me down oh lay me down
Lay me down, I wanna listen to that earthly sound
Lay me down oh lay me down, just lay me down
This is a communication not a
Whisper not a warning not a grain of sand
And no, no sead to sow beneath the ground
Cross every nation till the morning and the dawning and
The daylight comes and the day they all come tumbling down
To all the drinkers and the thinkers and the ones that know
All the fire starters and the bombero's
All the big wheels in the motorcade,
Teachers and the preachers and the renegade
Jugglers and the smugglers and the
Philistine, born in a bordello or a beauty queen
Jailers and the wailers and the CIA,
One that never knew it any other way
One who makes a furnace to forsake the
Sun, one who gets his lovin from a loaded gun
One who has a hunger for a tonne of
Blame, one among a million other souls to claim
Time will say you're never gonna know the
Truth but I'll strum that tongue and nail and tooth
And I'll keep walking till I need no proof and
There's peace beneath the ground just lay me down
Lay me down, I wanna listen to that earthly sound
Lay me down oh lay me down
Lay me down, I wanna listen to that earthly sound
Lay me down oh lay me down
Lay me down, I wanna listen to that earthly sound
Lay me down oh lay me down
Lay me down oooohhh lay me down
For there's peace beneath the ground so lay me down
Just lay me down
The James Riley Band's "Lay Me Down" is a powerful, poetic song that communicates a yearning for connection and understanding in a world that sometimes feels confusing and chaotic. The opening lines speak directly to the power of music, describing it as the "greater power" that both the singer and the strummer have "beneath his hands." It's a sentiment that music lovers will surely relate to - there's something truly magical about the way music can touch us and lift us up.
The rest of the song is a fascinating exploration of the human experience, with rich imagery and evocative language painting a picture of a world in flux. The lines "quietly marching for the army's at the dawning of the things to come" suggest a sense of unease and uncertainty, while the chorus - "lay me down, I wanna listen to that earthly sound" - hints at a longing for something more primal and comforting. The final verse encompasses a vast array of human experiences, from the "teachers and the preachers" to the "jugglers and the smugglers," and suggests that in the end, we are all searching for meaning and connection.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was written by Australian musician James Riley, who has been active in the music industry since the 1980s. Another is that "Lay Me Down" was only released in 2017, despite the fact that James Riley has been writing and performing music for several decades. Additionally, the song has been described as "anthemic," with a soaring chorus and powerful, driving rhythm that make it a popular choice for live performances.
Line by Line Meaning
No greater power does the singer
The singer has a tremendous power in his hands
And the strummer have beneath his hands
The strummer also possesses a great power beneath his hands
And now, no greater fortune do I own
I don't possess anything of greater value than that power
Cometh the hour of the ringer and the runner and the
A time is coming when certain events will take place
Faith machine but I, I can't believe in silly clones
I don't believe in the power of blind faith
Lay me down, I wanna listen to that earthly sound
I want to hear the music that comes from the natural world
Lay me down oh lay me down
Put me to rest
Quietly marching for the army's at the dawning of the things to come
A group of people are moving forward towards a new era
And now swept along within the tide
They're being carried away by the momentum of change
Something is starting but you'll never
The beginning of something is happening, but it's not yet clear
Know the meaning till you hear the sound
The full significance of what's happening won't be apparent until later
And those footsteps that follow in your stride
You're being trailed by others who are following in your path
This is a communication not a
This is a message that's being conveyed
Whisper not a warning not a grain of sand
It's not an intimate secret, nor a cautionary tale, nor a small detail
And no, no sead to sow beneath the ground
There's nothing to plant that can grow from this message
Cross every nation till the morning and the dawning and
This message will travel widely and persistently
The daylight comes and the day they all come tumbling down
When the full light of day shines on things, everything will be exposed and revealed
To all the drinkers and the thinkers and the ones that know
This message is for everyone, regardless of their beliefs or level of understanding
All the fire starters and the bombero's
Even those who have caused destruction or chaos
All the big wheels in the motorcade,
And even those in positions of power
Teachers and the preachers and the renegade
Also those who are educators, or religious leaders, or break with tradition
Jugglers and the smugglers and the
Even those who engage in less virtuous activities
Philistine, born in a bordello or a beauty queen
Regardless of one's background or station in life
Jailers and the wailers and the CIA,
Even those who oppress or are part of institutions that do so
One that never knew it any other way
Even those who are stuck in their ways
One who makes a furnace to forsake the
Even those who make sacrifices or deny themselves
Sun, one who gets his lovin from a loaded gun
Even those who resort to violence to feel loved or powerful
One who has a hunger for a tonne of
Even those who crave excessive amounts of something
Blame, one among a million other souls to claim
This message applies to everyone, no matter what their behavior or beliefs
Time will say you're never gonna know the
Ultimately, the truth may be elusive and difficult to grasp
Truth but I'll strum that tongue and nail and tooth
But the message will be conveyed with passion and conviction
And I'll keep walking till I need no proof and
I'll persist in spreading this message, even if it's not always received well
There's peace beneath the ground just lay me down
Finally, there's a sense of calm and rest that can be found when one is no longer struggling against this message
Writer(s): Jackson Curtis James, Brown David Darnell, Woloschuk John William, Lloyde Christopher
Contributed by Claire M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@PearlFishhh
This song is so beautiful, it makes me want to cry and smile and run through fields and travel the world and hug people and sleep and sing all at once! More people NEED to hear this!
@brandonbecker8419
This is criminally underviewed
@akrivigamp.4583
Nice song.....and very professional work!!!! Very very good videoclip!!!!! Spitze!!!!!!!!!
@Dan-pd4gl
that Earthly Sound! Wooohooo!
@puppyraptor5765
Amazing song, never gets old :)
@francesbaker5967
James - the vibe is so cool and I love this song.
@doctormong1
A lesson in the art of songwriting. Great.
@drw23
My only regret is that I have but one life in which to listen to this song
@sofiacalzavara3885
this is a bloody great song!
@gordonmcdonald8015
This is still a reminder of my beautiful friend who passed away, this song i played to her two weeks prior to he death. years later i,m asked by the director of the documentary made ab out my story. What music played part in your Solace.....your James...LKove to have a piece of your music on my documenty...cheers gord... maninredshoes