The Green Hills Of England
The Lookouts Lyrics
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There must have been ten thousand or more
Their armor glinting coldly in the early moring sun
As they marched across the valley floor
They slaughtered us like cattle they dragged us off in chains
They burned our village to the ground
Now we are a hunted people pursued by castle and church steeple
Always driven underground
And the sun beats down on our California home
And the wind blows free across all your borders
Why must we be always on the run?
Through all these years of history through all these bloody centuries
We dared not even dream of being free
We worked in farms and factories we did our best to live in peace
But they’d never let us be
Now our tribe grows strong again we hold our heads up high again
We know each other when we meet
From the mountain to the sea and all the land that lies between
On country fields and city streets
And the rain
still falls on the green hills of England, a symbol of the enduring resilience of the English people. However, the song tells the story of a group of people who are not living in the green hills of England, but rather in California, a land far from their homeland. The people in the song are refugees, forced to flee their original home because of persecution and violence. They were chased and hunted by their oppressors and could not live in peace. This experience is one that is shared by many refugees throughout history and still happens today.
Line by Line Meaning
From the center of the forest we watched the strangers come
We were standing in the middle of the woods and saw the outsiders approaching
There must have been ten thousand or more
They were a large army of at least 10,000 soldiers
Their armor glinting coldly in the early morning sun
Their shiny armor reflecting in the sunlight seemed cool and indifferent
As they marched across the valley floor
They walked along the valley’s surface, heading towards us
They slaughtered us like cattle, they dragged us off in chains
They killed us mercilessly and held us captive in chains
They burned our village to the ground
They set our community on fire until it was completely destroyed
Now we are a hunted people pursued by castle and church steeple
We are now the hunted, and castles and church steeples chase us away
Always driven underground
Escaping the persecution, we always end up hiding underground
But the rain still falls on the green hills of England
Despite our current situation, the rain in England still showers on their lush green hills
And the sun beats down on our California home
Similarly, the sun shines over our Californian dwelling
And the wind blows free across all your borders
The wind flows uninhibited throughout your entire country
Why must we be always on the run?
Why is it that we always have to be the ones escaping danger?
Through all these years of history through all these bloody centuries
Throughout the course of history, in all the violent times we’ve experienced
We dared not even dream of being free
We never even thought we could break free from the oppression
We worked in farms and factories we did our best to live in peace
We’ve tried to live normal lives, working in agriculture and manufacturing as a means of peaceful existence
But they’d never let us be
But they persistently obstruct our path to peace
Now our tribe grows strong again we hold our heads up high again
Yet, despite our struggles, our people continue to emerge and regain strength, and we stand tall again
We know each other when we meet
We recognize and understand each other when we encounter someone from our tribe
From the mountain to the sea and all the land that lies between
Across the entire span from mountains to oceans, and all of the landscape in between
On country fields and city streets
We exist both in rural and urban locations
And the rain
Just as before
Contributed by Liam C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.