Sundown Over Lavenham
Wizzard Lyrics


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An old crow sat there greeting the looming dawn
That was undressing the atrocity darkness had adorned
By the growls of the hound of god the gallows had been
Built
Three bodies hanging as ugly fruit of unholy guilt

Nobody could forebode
What they would concede
The Witchfinder General
The serum of god to make you speak

And the sun set over Lavenham
(burn, burn, burn)
Pyres fed the righteous desires
Sundown over Lavenham
(burn, burn, burn)
Witches burnt in a holy fire

Little did he know about the powers
That were present yet unseen
The bells of his funeral were already chiming
But blinded was he by his greed
Satan did not abandon his disciples
That for long had sworn to his might
The iron fist of evil was squeezing the town
The legions of Hell would rule the night
Crawl, hound of god, crawl!

The old crow sat there watching the descending night
Witches dragged the wailing General to die
Stultifying the erodicated divine power
The menace to their nocturnal rites was over

He couldn't forebode
Witchcraft was reality
The Witchfinder General
The hound of god down on his knees

And the sun set over Lavenham
(burn, burn, burn)
Only embers remained from the pyres
Sundown over Lavenham
(burn, burn, burn)
Hopkins burning in Hellfire

Overall Meaning

The song "Sundown Over Lavenham" by Wizzard paints a vivid picture of the horrors committed during the witch trials in England. The lyrics refer specifically to the story of Matthew Hopkins, also known as the Witchfinder General, who was responsible for the execution of hundreds of supposed witches during the mid-17th century. The song begins with an old crow witnessing the dawn as it reveals the aftermath of Hopkins' campaign of terror. The bodies of three accused witches hang from a gallows, reminding the listener of the merciless cruelty of the times.


The second verse portrays Hopkins as a man whose greed and lust for power made him blind to the evil he had unleashed. Even as he faced his own death, he remained ignorant of the true nature of the forces he had provoked. The final lines of the song suggest that Hopkins will burn eternally in the fires of Hell, a fitting punishment for his wickedness.


Overall, the lyrics of "Sundown Over Lavenham" serve as a powerful reminder of the dangers of intolerance and fanaticism. The imagery highlights the brutality of the witch trials, and the song's message encourages us to remember the lessons of the past and to fight against oppression in all its forms.


Line by Line Meaning

An old crow sat there greeting the looming dawn
An elderly bird perched and watched daylight's approach


That was undressing the atrocity darkness had adorned
Morning revealed the gruesome deeds that took place during the night


By the growls of the hound of god the gallows had been built
The sound of a faithful dog guided the construction of a place to hang criminals


Three bodies hanging as ugly fruit of unholy guilt
Victims of sin and error had been punished and left to rot in public display


Nobody could forebode
No one expected what would happen next


What they would concede
What they would have to face as a consequence of their actions


The Witchfinder General
The person appointed to find and punish those accused of witchcraft


The serum of god to make you speak
The methods used to extract confessions from suspects


And the sun set over Lavenham
The day ended as darkness fell over the town


(burn, burn, burn)
Repeating lyrics in the song


Pyres fed the righteous desires
Bonfires were used to fulfill the belief in divine justice


Sundown over Lavenham
Nightfall had arrived in Lavenham


Witches burnt in a holy fire
Those accused of witchcraft were burned as a religious punishment


Little did he know about the powers
The singer was unaware of the supernatural forces present in the town


That were present yet unseen
The evil spirits were not physically visible


The bells of his funeral were already chiming
The signs of his coming death were already apparent


But blinded was he by his greed
He was too consumed by avarice to see his own downfall


Satan did not abandon his disciples
Those who pledged allegiance to the devil were not forsaken


That for long had sworn to his might
They had been devoted followers of the dark lord for a long time


The iron fist of evil was squeezing the town
Evil forces had taken over and exerted control over the community


The legions of Hell would rule the night
Demons and other infernal beings would have free reign once the sun set


Crawl, hound of god, crawl!
The faithful dog who assisted in the punishment of sinners was urged to grovel


The old crow sat there watching the descending night
The aging bird observed the coming of darkness


Witches dragged the wailing General to die
Those accused of witchcraft took revenge and executed the man who punished them


Stultifying the erodicated divine power
The destruction of the power that enforced religious law


The menace to their nocturnal rites was over
The threat to their nighttime activities was eliminated


Witchcraft was reality
The existence of witchcraft was confirmed


The hound of god down on his knees
The dog who helped punish sinners was weakened and humbled


Only embers remained from the pyres
The fires burned out and left only ash behind


Hopkins burning in Hellfire
The man responsible for carrying out the witch trials was now being punished in Hell




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jeff


on Ball Park Incident

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