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England
Ulver Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mount the high horse
And dogs will follow

The scent of innocence
The wars of the roses

Sounding the charge
Down in history

The hand that offers
The heart is unfaithful

Full of broken promise
And hidden in the hollow

A blood-red coat
White to the bone

Fit for a queen
And the cloven foot

A trophy animal
A lost game

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ulver's song England paint a picture of a land where innocence and violence coexist, where promises are broken, and loyalty is unfaithful. The soaring words of "Mount the high horse," resonate with the image of an imposing ruler, followed by obedient subjects, where the innocent are slaughtered amid the carnage of war. The phrase "the scent of innocence," could be an allusion to the innocence of those who are unable to protect themselves from the brutality of war. The following "Wars of the roses," depicts struggles for power between noble houses in England in the fifteenth century.


The line "Fit for a queen and the cloven foot," could be referring to various interpretations, one of which is the idea that a queen, who is supposed to be the epitome of grace and royalty, still has a "cloven foot" associated with the devil. The lyrics suggest that people's outward appearances may mask their true natures, and even those who seem the most significant may have ulterior motives or embody corruption. The overall theme of the song seems to be the duality of life and the human experience.


Line by Line Meaning

Mount the high horse
Position oneself in a superior and arrogant manner


And dogs will follow
Blindly loyal and obedient followers come with great power


The scent of innocence
The vulnerable and pure are often preyed upon


The wars of the roses
The bitter and bloody conflicts between dynastic houses


Sounding the charge
Preparation for battle, the call to action


Down in history
A momentous event that will be recorded and remembered


The hand that offers
The giver of gifts or aid


The heart is unfaithful
One's motives or loyalty may be dishonest


Full of broken promise
Many pledges have been made and not fulfilled


And hidden in the hollow
Deception lurks in the shadows and the depths


A blood-red coat
A symbol of violence and war


White to the bone
Death and purity intertwined


Fit for a queen
Royal, regal and majestic


And the cloven foot
An indication of Satanic presence


A trophy animal
A prized and coveted possession


A lost game
A battle or contest that cannot be won




Contributed by Adalyn N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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