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


Lyrics submitted by stentorian, edited by Home777, Mathiwn, TheCritic

White Chalk Lyrics as written by Polly Jean Harvey

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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White Chalk song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    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...

    indiaaon October 10, 2007   Link

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