How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
(Taken from a news story concerning two rival gangs fighting
Over East-End Protection rights)
Along the Forest Road, there's hundreds of cars - luxury cars.
Each has got its load of convertible bars, cutlery cars - superscars!
For today is the day when they sort it out, sort it out,
'cause they disagree on a gangland boundary.
Yes, they disagree on a gangland boundary.
There's Willy Wright and his boys -
One helluva noise, that's Billy's boys!
With fully-fashioned mugs, that's Little John's thugs,
The Barking Slugs - supersmugs!
For today is the day when they sort it out, sort it out,
These Christian soldiers fight to protect the poor.
East end heroes got to score in...
The Battle of Epping Forest,
It's the Battle of Epping Forest,
Right outside your door.
You ain't seen nothing like it.
No, you ain't seen nothing like it,
Not since the Civil War.
Coming over the hill are the boys of Bill,
And Johnny's lads stand very still.
With the thumpire's shout, they all start to clout
- there's no guns in this gentleman's bout.
Georgie moves in on the outside left
With a chain flying round his head;
And Harold Demure, from Art Literature,
Nips up the nearest tree.
(Here come the cavalry!)
Admidst the battle roar,
Accountants keep the score: 10-4.
They've never been alone, after getting a radiophone.
The bluebells are ringing for Sweetmeal Sam, real ham,
Handing out bread and jam just like any picnic.
It's 5-4 on William Wright; he made his pile on Derby night.
When Billy was a kid, walking the streets,
The other kids hid - so they did!
Now, after working hard in security trade, he's got it made.
The shops that need aid are those that haven't paid.
"I do my double-show quick!" said Mick the Prick, fresh out the nick.
"I sell cheap holiday. The minute they leave,
Then a visit I pay - and does it pay!"
And his friend, Liquid Len by name,
Of Wine, Women and Wandsworth fame,
Said "I'm breaking the legs of the bastard that got me framded!"
They called me the Reverend when I entered the Church unstained;
My employers have changed but the name has remained.
It all began when I went on a tour,
Hoping to find some furniture.
I followed a sign - it said "Beautiful Chest".
It led to a lady who showed me her best.
She was taken by surprise when I quickly closed my eyes.
So she rang the bell, and quick as hell
Bob the Nob came out on his job
To see what the trouble was.
"Louise, is the Reverend hard to please?"
"You're telling me!"
"Perhaps, sir, if it's not too late.
We could interest you in our Staffordshire plate?"
"Oh no, not me, I'm a man of repute."
But the Devil caught hold of my soul and a voice called out "Shoot!"
To save my steeple, I visited people;
For this I'd gone when I met Little John.
His name came, I understood,
When the judge said "You're a robbing hood."
He told me of his strange foundation,
Conceived on sight of the Woodstock nation;
He'd had to hide his reputation.
When poor, 'twas salvation from door to door.
But now, with a pin-up guru every week,
It's Love, Peace & Truth Incorporated for all who seek.
He employed me as a karmacanic, with overall charms.
His hands were then fit to receive, receive alms.
That's why we're in
The Battle of Epping Forest,
It's the Battle of Epping Forest,
Right outside your door.
We guard your souls for peanuts,
And we guard your shops and houses
For just a little more.
In with a left hook is the Bethnal Green Butcher,
But he's countered on the right by Mick's chain-gang fight,
And Liquid Len, with his smashed bottle men,
Is lobbing Bob the Nob across the gob.
With his kissar in a mess, Bob seems under stress,
But Jones the Jug hits Len right in the mug;
And Harold Demure, who's still not quite sure,
Fires acorns from out of his sling.
(Here come the cavalry!)
Up, up above the crowd,
Inside their Silver Cloud, done proud,
The bold and brazen brass, seen darkly through the glass.
The butler's got jam on his Rolls; Roy doles out the lot,
With tea from a silver pot just like any picnic.
Along the Forest Road, it's the end of the day
And the Clouds roll away.
Each has got its load - they'll come out for the count
At the break-in of day.
When the limos return for their final review, it's all through'
- all they can see is the morning goo.
"There's no-one left alive - it must be a draw."
So the Blackcap Barons toss a coin to settle the score.
Over East-End Protection rights)
Along the Forest Road, there's hundreds of cars - luxury cars.
Each has got its load of convertible bars, cutlery cars - superscars!
For today is the day when they sort it out, sort it out,
'cause they disagree on a gangland boundary.
Yes, they disagree on a gangland boundary.
There's Willy Wright and his boys -
One helluva noise, that's Billy's boys!
With fully-fashioned mugs, that's Little John's thugs,
The Barking Slugs - supersmugs!
For today is the day when they sort it out, sort it out,
These Christian soldiers fight to protect the poor.
East end heroes got to score in...
The Battle of Epping Forest,
It's the Battle of Epping Forest,
Right outside your door.
You ain't seen nothing like it.
No, you ain't seen nothing like it,
Not since the Civil War.
Coming over the hill are the boys of Bill,
And Johnny's lads stand very still.
With the thumpire's shout, they all start to clout
- there's no guns in this gentleman's bout.
Georgie moves in on the outside left
With a chain flying round his head;
And Harold Demure, from Art Literature,
Nips up the nearest tree.
(Here come the cavalry!)
Admidst the battle roar,
Accountants keep the score: 10-4.
They've never been alone, after getting a radiophone.
The bluebells are ringing for Sweetmeal Sam, real ham,
Handing out bread and jam just like any picnic.
It's 5-4 on William Wright; he made his pile on Derby night.
When Billy was a kid, walking the streets,
The other kids hid - so they did!
Now, after working hard in security trade, he's got it made.
The shops that need aid are those that haven't paid.
"I do my double-show quick!" said Mick the Prick, fresh out the nick.
"I sell cheap holiday. The minute they leave,
Then a visit I pay - and does it pay!"
And his friend, Liquid Len by name,
Of Wine, Women and Wandsworth fame,
Said "I'm breaking the legs of the bastard that got me framded!"
They called me the Reverend when I entered the Church unstained;
My employers have changed but the name has remained.
It all began when I went on a tour,
Hoping to find some furniture.
I followed a sign - it said "Beautiful Chest".
It led to a lady who showed me her best.
She was taken by surprise when I quickly closed my eyes.
So she rang the bell, and quick as hell
Bob the Nob came out on his job
To see what the trouble was.
"Louise, is the Reverend hard to please?"
"You're telling me!"
"Perhaps, sir, if it's not too late.
We could interest you in our Staffordshire plate?"
"Oh no, not me, I'm a man of repute."
But the Devil caught hold of my soul and a voice called out "Shoot!"
To save my steeple, I visited people;
For this I'd gone when I met Little John.
His name came, I understood,
When the judge said "You're a robbing hood."
He told me of his strange foundation,
Conceived on sight of the Woodstock nation;
He'd had to hide his reputation.
When poor, 'twas salvation from door to door.
But now, with a pin-up guru every week,
It's Love, Peace & Truth Incorporated for all who seek.
He employed me as a karmacanic, with overall charms.
His hands were then fit to receive, receive alms.
That's why we're in
The Battle of Epping Forest,
It's the Battle of Epping Forest,
Right outside your door.
We guard your souls for peanuts,
And we guard your shops and houses
For just a little more.
In with a left hook is the Bethnal Green Butcher,
But he's countered on the right by Mick's chain-gang fight,
And Liquid Len, with his smashed bottle men,
Is lobbing Bob the Nob across the gob.
With his kissar in a mess, Bob seems under stress,
But Jones the Jug hits Len right in the mug;
And Harold Demure, who's still not quite sure,
Fires acorns from out of his sling.
(Here come the cavalry!)
Up, up above the crowd,
Inside their Silver Cloud, done proud,
The bold and brazen brass, seen darkly through the glass.
The butler's got jam on his Rolls; Roy doles out the lot,
With tea from a silver pot just like any picnic.
Along the Forest Road, it's the end of the day
And the Clouds roll away.
Each has got its load - they'll come out for the count
At the break-in of day.
When the limos return for their final review, it's all through'
- all they can see is the morning goo.
"There's no-one left alive - it must be a draw."
So the Blackcap Barons toss a coin to settle the score.
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by DerekLaw
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More Featured Meanings

Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran

Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.

Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.

Sunglasses at Night
Corey Hart
Corey Hart
In the 1980s, sunglasses were a common fashion for people who wanted to adopt a "tough guy" persona (note all the cop shows from that era -- Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, etc. -- where the lead characters wore shades). So I think this song is about a guy who wears shades as a way of hiding his insecurity after learning that his girlfriend is cheating on him. He's trying to pretend that he's a "tough guy" to hide the fact that his girlfriend's affair is disturbing him.

System
Mel And Kim
Mel And Kim
Just listening for the 784,654th time....and it's just perfect in every way. Just incredible. The only reason it was remade was to scoop up a boatload of money from a more modern and accepting audience. But it is a completely different song than the other one that sounds slapped together in a few takes without a thought for the meaning.
This song captivates me still, after 50+ years. Takes me to the deep South and the poverty of some who lived thru truly hard times. And the powerful spirit of a poor young girl being abandoned to her future with only a red dress and her wits to keep her alive.
She not only stayed alive, she turned her hard beginnings around, became self sufficient, successful and someone with respect for herself. She didn't let the naysayers and judgers stop her. She's the one sitting in the drivers seat at the end.
So, not a song about a poor girl, but a song of hope and how you can rise up no matter how far down you started.
There is a huge difference between a singer who simply belts out a song that is on a page in front of them, and someone who can convey an entire experience with their voice. Telling not just a story with words, but taking you inside it and making you feel like you are there, with their interpretation.
The final verse of this song is one of the greatest satirical commentaries about war I've ever heard. All the fighters on both sides of the battle have been killed; the leaders realize that the war was all in vain and they still haven't settled their disagreement.
So what do they do? They FLIP A COIN!!!
Brilliant.
May seem a non-sense song Particularly as GAbriel struggled with some of the lyrics. Gabriel apparently heard the story and advertised in a paper to get an eye witness account. No-one replied so he made it up! So is in a way a non-sense song. If it was a film would say it was based on actual events!
This tells a fab story - nothing non-sensical about it!! Very true statements about Gabriels version, but it definately tells a fab story. The Reverend bit in the middle is pure invention, but the rest is based on the newspaper report. So British - how do the Americans take this track?? So many colloquasims - excuse the spelling
This American loves the song. Especially the British colloquialisms. And it's such an elegant description of thugs bashing each others brains out.
funniest lyrics ever.
By the way, naqromnai, we Yankees don't need to fully understand the "Britishness" of a song. We just need to appreciate what it means to us.
And we know a thing or two about gang warfare as well...
Great song. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO LOVE PROG ROCK you gotta listen to it more than once. This is one of these oments that to appreciate and understand it, you have to hear it many times more. It defininately is a worth-while experiece i assure you.
The language - well you get used to it and you grow to love it. I hated "Colony of Slipperman" at first, but now it's one of my favourite songs. This is one of the same situations.
Gang warfare - obvious theme. No more to say there. PG is a genius - nothing more, nothing less. What more can you say about such a catchy song?
I completely agree - with most Genesis songs, the first listen is experimental. Listening to this and definitely Colony of Slippermen a few times really brings out their greatness. <br /> <br /> This is easily one of my favourite Genesis songs. Particularly love the Reverend part, oh and Harold Demure :)
Why do so many Genesis fans rip on this song? So wonderfully inventive and brilliant, both epic and amusing, and the Reverend bit is pure genius.
The comic voice describing Harald Demure is the narrator´s , not Harald himself . Harald is simply an arty-type, demure ( ie quiet and unassuming) and the only non-violent character in the song. This is interesting if you think about it - the narrator is putting on the camp voice rather like a child making fun of someone. When gabriel is the character (eg the reverend) he sings with the funny voice in the first person. I think this song is lyrically brilliant and, like a lot of PG in this period, not quite what it seems at first. Ponder this notion - the guys in this battle are all real UK characters from history or otherwise . Georgie is footballer george best, billy wright was also a footballer and funnily enough also a historical pirate ! The bethnal green butcher is jack the ripper, sweetmeal sam just might be diarist samuel pepys ( who frequented the bluebell tavern in london ) and liquid len was a lighting guy at rock concerts in the 70´s. That´s as far as I have got to date . Seems to me PG threw a whole lot of
real people
into this battle !@jonarcee "fires acorns..." is said in a voice that reminds me of old Goon Show characters like Blue Bottle. MPFC was wrapping its run on the BBC, so campy characterizations were fairly entrenched in entertainment. <br /> <br /> To me it's another distinguishing element that helps define a character we can't see otherwise - and there's a lot. Just like when Liquid Len speaks his vow, I went from picturing any old/young lush to a large, brawny, beer-swilling hooligan.
@jonarcee You may be right that the voice is mockery, but it also could be a shorthand, because Harold hasn't any lines. He's not non-violent as he has a sling.<br /> <br /> I don't see any connection with George Best. Jack the Ripper was the wrong parish (Whitechapel) and wrong century. But good point about 'Liquid Len' - I'd never heard of him.
Lol Juniper - no critcism intented - it's just that we do not produce much music like this any more.
Obviously a tale of two London East End gangs battling it out for bragging rights in Epping Forest. The character that interests me is Harold Demure. Harold is obviously gay and Gabriel camps him up mercilessly. Back in 1973 this was considered OK. I very much doubt the extremely PC Gabriel would have done that just a few years later lest it be considered just a tad homophobic. I wonder if he regrets it?
Whatever, it is still a great song on my favourite Gabriel era Genesis album.
Why is Harold Demure " obviously gay " ? Could he not merely be timid and against violence - a hippy, perhaps. Even if Harold was gay ( a term not used in 1973 ) I doubt whether Gabriel would write any lyric that was a tad homophobic, as you put it. Gabriel was more into satire, pathos, and lyrics that had comedic effect - and certainly wasn't into purposely picking on minority types.
@proggie Hi, I wonder if Harold really was gay, I think he was just a polite, quite serious fellow perhaps. Can you explain more of your thoughts ?<br /> <br /> Brilliant song by GENESIS, their funniest alongside Harold the Barrel<br /> <br /> Cheers
@proggie I don't know if Harold Demure is gay. He is fastidious and aspires to refinement among the gang members, something of a standard type in depictions of the underworld. I get the impression more of an affronted and prudent Robert Morley than Frankie Howerd, maybe clutching his pearls and making a tactical retreat, but that says nothing whatever about sexuality. Not as some here have said against violence or pacifist since he is 'firing acorns from out of his sling'. Cowardice or prudence, he's ultimately another of the victims.<br /> <br /> I presume the Reverend is gay because of being tempted by Bob the Knob's offer of 'plate' (oral sex). His is a longer story of hypocrisy, but it isn't clear how someone goes from stumbling on a brothel (accidentally or not, it happens) to being recruited to the protection racket. Blackmailed by the pimp? Then there's the confusing bit about Little John of Sherwood Forest, which is more of an echo than a pun.<br /> <br /> I think there's much more unconscious sexism than homophobia on this album. Even if satire, it's hard to beat the social conventions of 'Willow Farm': 'Dad to the office, mum to the washing'?