The Garden, a PJ Harvey Discussion Site

KickInside wrote:These are wonderful, thank you Kuk!

Glad you liked it. Meanwhile, could somebody try to decipher ALL the lyrics of "Dance on the Mountain"? [I realize it's based upon a poem, so I understand the most of it, but not all - especially, I can't get the very beginning of it.]

Here's what I can make out (in addition to the lines similar to a poem):

Whisper "Something terrifying" [is it PJ's voice? I would guess it's not.]

"This is their land they dance upon
Something terrifying is going on... "

"In the distance people come, like a river ... ? ... "

Hi, I think the last line is: "In the distance people call in the oldest language known. It's terryfying."

I think I might have figured out some of the elements of the first portion of the lyrics: according to Seamus Murphy, the name of the man dancing with a glass of water on his head was Nesim Kryeziu, so maybe the first word it is how Polly pronounces his surname, or maybe that's a different surname from her experience in Kosovo - to my Russian ear it sounds a bit like Kalashnikov (I also think she later sings "Old [surname]'s boys watch their father's dance", or maybe it's how the village is called, and then "All [village's name] boys watch their fathers dance").

" ... brought a cross (?)
to the mountain (?) on the back of mules (?)
... ... ... ... in a school (?)
Is something wrong? [?] Something wrong."

" ...it (?) follow the drums <...>
Something terrifying is going on."

joy wrote:Hi, I think the last line is: "In the distance people call in the oldest language known. It's terryfying."

I think you right - good guess.

Wonderful, thanks. I love the dimension the song adds to the poem. While the poem at first might seem quite benevolent, with the ritualistic dance as maybe a way to honour the ancestors, in the atmosphere of the song it's very clear that something terrifying is also going on indeed. It's as if the dance illustrates the cycle going on and the legacy of violence passed onto the next generation, if that makes sense. The whisper does sound like Polly to me, but I could be wrong of course.

Here's what I make out of the lyrics:

Kalashnikovs were brought across
the mountain on the back of mules
They stored their weapons
in a school
There's something wrong
Something terrifying
Something terrifying

And now the slopes of dry grass
hold crouching boys
watch their fathers dance
Holding hands they follow the drums
Something terrifying is going on

The oldest dancer
takes off his hat
to place a glass of water
on his head
bares his teeth
wakes the dead
this is their land
they dance upon
Something terrifying is going on
Something terrifying
Something terrifying

The dancer falls
to kneel before
the village elder
stains on his shirt

Rising up
growing strong
the boy children
start to dance
It's terrifying

In the distance people call
like a river running home
In the distance people call
like a river calling out
In the distance people call
in the oldest language known

It's terrifying

Nice job Kuk, much appreciated!

I imagine Polly touring just with guitar, saxophone and piano band. like these demos. OH!

Thank you, everyone, I would (probably) have missed the song had it not been for you. Mr Badmouth, I think you've got the lyrics exactly right. My guess would be that all the vocals on the recording are hers: almost definitely the whisper, and very probably the low voice echoing the words in the middle section, too. Could be a male voice, but it sounds like her to me.

thank you all, for everithing, is beautiful

Thanks to all of you for sharing and caring / Love......

someone posted a PDF link to her notebook here http://www.thegardenforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2271

Kuk91 wrote:Here you can download all 5 episodes as 1 file: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nrv5 ... /downloads.

Has anyone managed to download the whole drama and would be willing to share it? Sadly it's no longer available on the BBC website. I'd love to listen to it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. <3

http://www.mediafire.com/file/ir4kc357p ... 0-o_kF.rar

password: thegarden

^ Thank you very much!

On Kosovo Field has just won 'Best Drama Production' at the BBC Radio & Music Awards: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/ ... 8c4d56b069