We Gathered In Spring

I see it as a nostalgia/regret/loneliness song. First, the narrator is nostalgic for a mythical time (when people lived to be 300 years and there were giants). Then, he's nostalgic for something in his own life (his old house, his wife, friends). That was a long time ago, when he was young (the spring). He's old now--I get to that in a second.

The loneliness is pretty clear: he's tired of being alone on the hill, where nothing grows. It's a bad place.

And the regret: he's old and he's going to die alone on the hill (it's where he's going to eat his last meal). Thus, he returns to the mythical nostalgia, when people lived 300 years, and perhaps he could have recaptured that which he lost, when he was young.

I believe this song is about... Jesus. I know. I know. Why do I have to bring it back to Jesus?

But, seriously, "I'm tired of being here on this hill" refers to the crucifixion at Mount Calvary.

"No-one lives to be three hundred years Like the way it used to be"

By the time of Jesus, all of the people named in the Old Testament are already gone. People like Noah, who lived to be 950 years old, Moses, who lived to be 900, etc. He may also be expressing his regret at the decline of modern man (modern to his time of course).

"I think they were giants"

Again, this may refer to their super human longevity, or their super human virtue, in comparison to his contemporary fellow man.

"On this hill, nothing grows except greed"

We've covered this mostly. Jesus, on Mount Calvary, referring to the greed of the men and women around him.

"You will stay to finish your work"

Midlake switches from first person to second person in a number of songs. I believe this is an example of that. In other words, Jesus will "stay" through his death, and eventual resurrection to finish his work, that being the salvation of mankind.

"On this hill Where I'm sure to find my last meal"

Clearly the man speaking is going to die on that hill...

"On a clear day I can see my old house And my wife in the front yard Talking with the friends"

This bit reminds me of the Last Temptation of Christ. Jesus is thinking about what it would've been like to live a normal life, married to Mary Magdalene.

"We gathered in spring"

Passover, Easter...

i love this song, its so mellow but uncertain exactly its about?

there is no need for explanation. just listen and let your soul decipher.

a nice song with lovely lyrics.My interpretetion is that of a man that had to abandon his home and wife to go to a big city looking for s better life,job etc and he thought that could be a giant there,as maybe his parents or grandparents became acting the same way.But times are not the same anymore and he's not getting what he want from the unhappy situation.And his only comfort is to remember the simple happiness of his previews life. "on a clear day ican see my old house and my wife in the front yard talking with the friends" Is this fucking spring coming anyway someday soon ?

how i see it, he wants to be great, but lives a mediocre life where nothing great happens. He wants to be like those in the past who he thought lived to be three hundred and who he thought were giants because they led such amazing lives.

I think its about a man who left to become something great, like a giant.

He talks about how people "used to" live three hundred years, meaning that there was a time before all this where there was this seeming immortality, this great power that made men seem like giants.

However, now that he's finally reached "the hill" or what he thought would be the peak of his life, he realizes all the better things he left behind in pursuit of greed.

A gathering in spring sounds like a picnic or some happy moment shared by a group of people on a beautiful day. That's how it USED TO BE but now it is nothing but a dying hilltop for him, and the memories of how things used to be.

I believe this song is about... Jesus. I know. I know. Why do I have to bring it back to Jesus?

But, seriously, "I'm tired of being here on this hill" refers to the crucifixion at Mount Calvary.

"No-one lives to be three hundred years Like the way it used to be"

By the time of Jesus, all of the people named in the Old Testament are already gone. People like Noah, who lived to be 950 years old, Moses, who lived to be 900, etc. He may also be expressing his regret at the decline of modern man (modern to his time of course).

"I think they were giants"

Again, this may refer to their super human longevity, or their super human virtue, in comparison to his contemporary fellow man.

"On this hill, nothing grows except greed"

We've covered this mostly. Jesus, on Mount Calvary, referring to the greed of the men and women around him.

"You will stay to finish your work"

Midlake switches from first person to second person in a number of songs. I believe this is an example of that. In other words, Jesus will "stay" through his death, and eventual resurrection to finish his work, that being the salvation of mankind.

"On this hill Where I'm sure to find my last meal"

Clearly the man speaking is going to die on that hill...

"On a clear day I can see my old house And my wife in the front yard Talking with the friends"

This bit reminds me of the Last Temptation of Christ. Jesus is thinking about what it would've been like to live a normal life, married to Mary Magdalene.

"We gathered in spring"

Passover, Easter...