Lyrics
A plague in the workhouse, a plague on the poor
A critique of societal issues, expressing discontent with the mistreatment of the poor.
Now I'll beat on my drum 'til I'm dead
A commitment to persevere or resist despite challenges, using the metaphor of beating a drum until death.
Yesterday, a fever, tomorrow, St. Peter
Reflection on mortality, referencing a fever as a transient condition and St. Peter as a symbol of the afterlife.
I'll beat on my drum until then.
A continuation of the commitment to resilience through drumming until the inevitable end.
But what melody will lead my lover from his bed?
Pondering the musical expression that can bring a lover out of their slumber.
What melody will see him in my arms again?
Seeking a melody that can reunite the singer with their lover.
Set fire to foundation and burn out the station
Advocating for radical change by metaphorically setting fire to foundations and rejecting societal norms.
You'll never get nothing of mine
Defiantly asserting ownership over personal belongings, resisting any attempts to take what belongs to the singer.
The pane of my window will flicker and billow
Describing a scene where the window pane flickers, suggesting instability, and vowing not to leave anything behind.
I won't leave a stitching behind
A commitment to not leave a trace, possibly emphasizing a desire for a clean break from the past.
But what melody will lead my lover from his bed?
Reiteration of the quest for a melody that can bring the lover back.
What melody will see him in my arms again?
Reaffirmation of the desire for a melody that can reunite the singer with their lover.
I'll sing of the walls of the well and the house at the top of the hill
Expressing a willingness to sing about challenges, using the walls of the well and a house as metaphors for obstacles.
I'll sing of the bottles of wine that we left on our old windowsill
Celebrating shared experiences, symbolized by bottles of wine on a windowsill, possibly representing memories.
I'll sing of the years you will spend getting sadder and older
Acknowledging the inevitability of growing older and experiencing sadness over time.
Oh love, and the cold, the oncoming cold
Reflecting on the encroaching cold, which may symbolize challenges or hardships in love and life.
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