500 Years
Zach Ashton Lyrics


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500 years ago they sailed the sea in search of gold,
for the king and queen of Portugal.
A savage land was what they found
So they sent their slaves to cut it down.
What has been done will not be forgotten.

Amazon where have you gone?
Amazon where have you gone?
They cut you. They cut you.
They cut you. They cut you.

500 years ago they sailed the sea in search of gold,
for the king and queen of Portugal.
A savage land was what they found
So they sent their slaves to cut it down.
What has been done will not be forgotten.

They cut you. They cut you.
They cut you. They cut you.
Down, Down, Down .

For the company.
Just for the factory.
They said for prosperity.
They said humanity.

They cut you. They cut you.
They cut you. They cut you.
Down, Down, Down .

500 years ago they sailed the sea in search of gold,
for the king and queen of Portugal.
A savage land was what they found
So they sent their slaves to cut it down.
What has been done will not be forgotten.




What has been done will not be forgotten.
What has been done will not be forgotten.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Zach Ashton's "500 Years" tell the sad tale of the destructive impact of colonialism on the Amazon rainforest. The first stanza describes how European colonizers sailed to the New World in search of riches and power, and when they reached the vast green expanse of the Amazon, they saw only a savage land that needed to be tamed and exploited. They enslaved people from the area and used them to cut down the trees, inevitably causing long-lasting damage to the delicate ecosystem. The repeated refrain "They cut you" is a somber reminder of this ruthless endeavor and the toll it took on nature and humankind.


Line by Line Meaning

500 years ago they sailed the sea in search of gold,
Half a millennium in the past, they traveled across the ocean in order to discover wealth,


for the king and queen of Portugal.
All for the royalties of Portugal,


A savage land was what they found
What they encountered was a wild and uncivilized land,


So they sent their slaves to cut it down.
Therefore, they dispatched their slaves to conquer and destroy it,


What has been done will not be forgotten.
The deeds committed will remain remembered for eternity.


Amazon where have you gone?
Oh, Amazon, where have you disappeared to?


Amazon where have you gone?
Oh, Amazon, where have you disappeared to?


They cut you. They cut you.
They have sliced through you. They have sliced through you.


They cut you. They cut you.
They have sliced through you. They have sliced through you.


For the company.
For the enterprise,


Just for the factory.
Exclusively for the plant,


They said for prosperity.
They declared for the welfare,


They said humanity.
They claimed on grounds of humanity.


Down, Down, Down .
Down and down and down.


500 years ago they sailed the sea in search of gold,
Half a millennium in the past, they traveled across the ocean in order to discover wealth,


for the king and queen of Portugal.
All for the royalties of Portugal,


A savage land was what they found
What they encountered was a wild and uncivilized land,


So they sent their slaves to cut it down.
Therefore, they dispatched their slaves to conquer and destroy it,


What has been done will not be forgotten.
The deeds committed will remain remembered for eternity.


What has been done will not be forgotten.
The deeds committed will remain remembered for eternity.


What has been done will not be forgotten.
The deeds committed will remain remembered for eternity.




Contributed by Chloe Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Lu Up

Essa obra de arte deveria ser muito mais reconhecida!
De qualquer forma, uma sonzera em todos os aspectos!
Música boa de verdade, não só barulho e um clipe bonito! Essa é pra vida!

maiaraarrudan

linda canção....belíssima

Perla Trindade

adoro esses ritmo acústic :)

nowayman89

com certeza um musicão.

Roque Silva

Boa demais😭

Meri Paixão

Sergio Soffiatti (Skuba) produz os discos de Zach Ashton, cantor e compositor californiano, com discos lançados nos EUA, Espanha, Portugal, Itália e Brasil e Japão. Amava a banda Skuba!

somael

Beautiful song by a great singer. Thanks

Alexandre blos borges

música boa pra escutar na praia pah com uma bebedinha e tals massa

Cosmopolithanks

awesome i love it

Luiza Cruz

MUITOO BOMMM acho q vai falir jack brincaderinhaa

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