3 Meanings
Add Yours
Share
Q&A

The Hunter's Star Lyrics

the hunter's star
burned brighter than all of the suns in the firmament
as through the sky he raged
with his hook and blade
and the world, unmade

as forests bow
and blacken the air
as the canopies burn away,
and the arc-lights fade
and no gull remains
to repeat its call

only now would you long
for the ancient boughs,
the moon, overlapping the long white clouds
and the home life of a love
who will never return again

no child at all
would wake to the light
of a sun that is reddening
like a robin's breast,
and no lioness
boards a last, great hull
on the waves
that close
on a world
that will never return again
and no sound escapes
from the night to come.
Questions and Answers

Ask specific questions and get answers to unlock more indepth meanings & facts.

3 Meanings

Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.

Cover art for The Hunter's Star lyrics by Shearwater

This song sticks with the major theme of the album; man made apocalypse(s). In this song, nothing survives the end of the world. I think the first verse refers to what causes it. The hunter's star is probably nuclear weapons although it doesn't seem to quite fit (only one is mentioned but one nuke isn't powerful enough to destroy the world). It might be some doomsday weapon that hasn't been created yet. Anyway the subsequent verses state what happens to the world after the weapons have been used. Nothing is going to survive this apocalypse, there'll be no Noah's Ark this time to save the lions and other animals from extinction.

Not exactly an uplifting ending but it does fit perfectly with the rest of the album. It's a great song.

Cover art for The Hunter's Star lyrics by Shearwater

the lyrics of this song slightly mention other songs on the record. not that that has a meaning necessarily, i'm just pointing out.

Cover art for The Hunter's Star lyrics by Shearwater

This song sticks with the major theme of the album; man made apocalypse(s). In this song, nothing survives the end of the world. I think the first verse refers to what causes it. The hunter's star is probably nuclear weapons although it doesn't seem to quite fit (only one is mentioned but one nuke isn't powerful enough to destroy the world). It might be some doomsday weapon that hasn't been created yet. Anyway the subsequent verses state what happens to the world after the weapons have been used. Nothing is going to survive this apocalypse, there'll be no Noah's Ark this time to save the lions and other animals from extinction.

Not exactly an uplifting ending but it does fit perfectly with the rest of the album. It's a great song.