April song
Lilac glistening foal
Ten as one
On the breeze they flow

When it gets my heart out
When it gets my heart out

Nature's son
Don't you know where life has gone
Burying progress in the clouds
How we learn to linger on
Head in sand
Expecting the dour
To redress with open arms
Ascension in incentive end

When it gets my heart out
When it gets my heart out

Nature's son
Don't you know how life goes on
Desperately befriending the crowd
To incessantly drive on
Dress in gold's surrendering gown

Heaven bless you in your calm
My gentle friend
Heaven bless you


Lyrics submitted by xdvr

Inheritance Lyrics as written by Mark S. Hollis Friese-greene Timothy Alan

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Inheritance song meanings
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9 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment
    I think it's about humankind constantly polluting and exploiting the world, expecting it to repair itself over and over. Mark shows respect to mother nature who seems to take every beating without complaints.
    Nescioon September 04, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    I believe this song has something to do with the futility of existence, the exposing of pretense, and the need to keep moving forward in spite of how ridiculous the endeavor. Hollis says: How we learn to linger on Head in sand Expecting the dour Don't you know how life goes on Desperately befriending the crowd To incessantly drive on In the first partial stanza, Hollis is saying we just hang around simply to hang around, with our heads buried, unaware, expecting the worst. Obviously, this is sad commentary, but commentary that many people can relate to in our world. In the second partial stanza, Hollis sings that we must get along with other people (befriending the crowd), befriending the masses, pretending that we want to be a part of something we actually don't, all for the sake of constantly persisting and moving on (To incessantly drive on). Hollis is making commentary on the human race's need to keep going on but questions why. Without anything less than pure redemption, we're all screwed.
    fnordatpanixon July 25, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    How can on-one have commented on possibly the best song written in the last 20 years? Listen to it and draw your own conclusions...
    fishbearon August 28, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    With 'New grass', it's one of the best Talk Talk' song !
    Helioon December 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I think this song is about the beauty of Nature and how it continually dies and regenerates itself through the seasons. This is an amazing song and true art.
    Brownie6on April 04, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    The song has to do with the futility of progress in the face of nature's "incessant drive" to "linger on." But to finally see this and be free of the desire to achieve more than what nature intended for you is to be dressed in "gold's surrendering gown." You surrender yourself to futility, "redress with open arms" and be enveloped by it (and willingly do so)... finally achieving a "calm." Ascension comes with incentive's end. Once you come to this realization and closure, it becomes possible to finally achieve what you truly want for yourself... feel whole and fulfilled. Your eyes are finally opened.
    Trophycaseon May 17, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    "Burying progress in the clouds" So much criticism, condensed in one line.
    yumayumaon August 02, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    A wonderful piece of art, it's clearly about the damage man has done to the planet and ends with a thanks from nature to those who are trying to rectify it. A great song
    Sartorialon January 24, 2016   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    This is about the spirit of nature and it's elegant and poised way of being so graceful through what life really is. A drive to survive and procreate, build and repeat. The song is a salute to life and the struggle to exist, celebrated by spring, the rebirth of a hard perennial cycle. One of the greatest songs ever written!
    Brownie6on April 20, 2019   Link

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