This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
White chalk hills are all I've known
White chalk hills will rot my bones
White chalk sticking to my shoes
White chalk playing as a child with you
White chalk stands against time
White chalk cutting down the sea at Lyme
I walk families by the Cerne
On a path cut fifteen hundred years ago
And I know
These chalk hills will rot my bones
Dorset's cliffs meet at the sea
Where I walked our unborn child in me
White chalk, gorse-scattered land
Scratched my palms, there's blood on my hands
White chalk hills will rot my bones
White chalk sticking to my shoes
White chalk playing as a child with you
White chalk stands against time
White chalk cutting down the sea at Lyme
I walk families by the Cerne
On a path cut fifteen hundred years ago
And I know
These chalk hills will rot my bones
Dorset's cliffs meet at the sea
Where I walked our unborn child in me
White chalk, gorse-scattered land
Scratched my palms, there's blood on my hands
Lyrics submitted by stentorian, edited by Home777, Mathiwn, TheCritic
White Chalk Lyrics as written by Polly Jean Harvey
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Bittersweet Melancholia... She loves the white chalk but it's also smothering.
this is my creazy interpretation: it's around 1901, her name is annabel and she's rich. she was in love with a soldier and had an affair with him. he went to war and she realized she's pregnant with him. than he was killed on the battle field and her body is not strong enough to keep the baby alive. and now after a year she's standing on the dorset cliff and watching the sea, wondering if she should jump. she knows she will never love anyone else, that she's ment to live her life alone...and she feels like it's going to be a long and sad road til finally these hills will bury her bones...
I think that's beautiful Indiaa
i think its about being in the same place for too long, growing up and dying in the same town you were born in. 1min 44 is so gorgeous!
eh . . screw 'em indiaa . . . you have a lovely imagination and sometimes you get associations with certain words of a song. You are entitled.
OFFICIAL LYRICS FROM HER WEBSITE:
White chalk hills are all Ive known. White chalk hills will rot my bones. White chalk sticking to my shoes. White chalk playing as a child with you.
White chalk south against time. White chalk cutting down the sea at Lyme. I walk the valleys by the Cerne, on a path cut fifteen hundred years ago,
and I know, these chalk hills will rot my bones.
Dorsets cliffs meet at the sea, where I walked, our unborn child in me. White chalk, gorse-scattered land, scratched my palms, theres blood on my hands.
Indiaa, what the hell?
Yeah, what the hell, indiaa? I know this is a place for interpretations...but I didn't think that included chewing mushroms before posting. Anyway- I think this song is indeed about having enough with the same life you've led so far. Playing as a child, when I carried your unborn child. Enough. I need fresh air. Yet, it's part of who you are. This song is just about "one of those days"...
The lyrics you posted are so WRONG.
I believe that this song is about her going through a deep depression.. drug use.. and abortion.
"Where I walked our unborn child in me White chalk poor scattered land
Scratched my palms There's blood on my hands."
I think it's about tradition. it's about where you're from. 'sticking to my shoes' - always with you. and the reference to 'rot my bones' - she'll be burried there. Unborn child - tradition will carry on.
I don't think it's a depressing song at all, I think it's very uplifting! I'm not sure about the last lines.. i mean I'm guessing she's scratched her palms against the hills... I mean wasnt PJ born in Dorset?? Hmm,
Yeah, PJ was born in Dorset.
I don't think this song meant to be sad. I think it's about always being tied in your heart to a certain place. The place where the narrator grew up, the place she played as a child, the place she had kids. Those hills have been around longer than her, and they'll be there once she's gone. No matter where she goes, she'll always end up back at those hills.
Born over the border in Somerset. Raised in Dorset. Still a beautiful West Country genius regardless of where she was born.