When the rooks were laid in the piles
By the sides of the road
Crashing into the aerials
Tangled in the laundry lines

And gathered in a field
They were burned in a feathering pyre
With their cold black eyes

When the swallows fell from the eaves
And the gulls from the spires
The starlings, in millions
Would feed on the ground where they lie

The ambulance men said
There's nowhere to flee for your life
So we stay inside
And we'll sleep until the world of man is paralyzed

Oh, the falconer awakes to the sound of the bells
Overhead and southbound
They are leaving his life
And each empty cage just rings in his heart like a bell

Underneath these cold stars
In this trembling light, and he cries
Amen, let their kingdom come tonight
Let this dream be realized



Lyrics submitted by thiagozero

Rooks Lyrics as written by

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY

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Rooks song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    The last verse references the poem "The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats. It begins:

    "Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold"

    potw.org/archive/potw351.html

    The falcons in the song are not circling, but they are a sign of the end of days.

    zalbicollison October 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    one of the best shearwater song on their last album. just great.

    anfalason June 05, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The end of days... such an apocalyptic song...yet sung so beautifully

    daniwriteson June 21, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The end of days... such an apocalyptic song...yet sung so beautifully

    daniwriteson June 21, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i just love the subtly intricate melody of this song.

    zoolahon August 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i just love the subtly intricate melody of this song.

    zoolahon August 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    Definitely an incredible, haunting song about the end of the world. Jonathan Meiburg loves birds, so mass deaths of birds would definitely signal the end for him.

    mrnovember09on December 03, 2013   Link

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