I hear a sound, a sound above my head
Distant sound of thunder, moving out on the moor

Blackbirds flew in and to the cooling towers
I'll pack my bags
Thinking of one of those hours
With you, waiting for you

My God, it takes an ocean of trust
In the kingdom of rust

I long to feel some beauty in my heart
As I go searching, right to the start

The road back to Preston
Was covered all in snow
As I went looking for that stolen heart
For you, waiting for you

My God, it takes an ocean of trust
Takes an effort, it does
My God, it takes an ocean of trust
It's in the kingdom of rust

Oh, in the kingdom of rust

I long to feel that wince in my heart
As I went looking
I couldn't stop
Now I'm waiting for you

Oh, yes, it does
I know it takes an ocean of trust
In the kingdom of rust


Lyrics submitted by wednesday181, edited by huw1085121

Kingdom of Rust Lyrics as written by Jez Williams Andy Williams

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Kingdom of Rust song meanings
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19 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    great to have the doves back with this awesome song.

    seems, imo, to be a song about being deeply in love with someone who isn't available ("went looking for that stolen heart"), but as opposed to trying to get to them and controlling the situation themselves, they decide to let things happen in their own due time, to let go, wait to see if they will ever return the love they feel. it doesn't seem that this is something that comes very easily, willingly, as the person from this perspective is in love. "my god, it takes an ocean of trust" to believe that the other person will one day come around if they just learn to let go and not force the situation.. and so they wait.

    the line "i long to feel that wince in my heart" is absolutely great. describes well the sensation of being in love, imo.

    halifax09on March 05, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Reportedly, Jimi wrote this song for his late father who died while the band was recording Kingdom of Rust. In this case, kingdomofrust's explanation is the closest, it just needs to be appropriately adjusted for his father instead of a lover.

    Phoenix10kon August 02, 2009   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    Great song, this one is a grows on you,

    The term 'kingdom of rust' is probably referring to this world where everything ages(rust decays slowly) and then dies naturally.

    I have to agree he is deeply in love with someone(most probably a girl) who isn't available because they have passed away: 'videos shows him scattering the ashes at the sea in the end'

    So in order to remember his lover he is going back to where he met her first, at the beach: 'As I go searching Right to the start'

    He is religious and is tempted to committ suicide but is saying its is so hard to hold on to your faith: 'My god It takes an ocean of trust Takes an effort, it does'

    He is exptecing he would feel his lover's presence when he goes to the sea to scatter the ashes and feel that 'wince' in his heart: I long to feel That wince in my heart As I went looking

    Now he is going to wait to die naturally where he will meet his lover in the hereafter: 'I couldn't stop Now I'm Waiting for you'

    kingdomofruston April 03, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The phrase "Kingdom of rust" could well refer to the decayed industry of the region. Could be an allegory to his relationship with his first love from the area and/or his family?

    meansongon January 30, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    And so each venture Is a new beginning, a raid on the inarticulate With shabby equipment always deteriorating In the general mess of imprecision of feeling, Undisciplined squads of emotion. And what there is to conquer By strength and submission, has already been discovered Once or twice, or several times, by men whom one cannot hope To emulate–but there is no competition– There is only the fight to recover what has been lost And found and lost again and again: and now, under conditions That seem unpropitious. But perhaps neither gain nor loss. For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.

    juliankeyneson November 25, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    unintelligible part is 100% "yes it does" it makes sense too and also he says that thru out the song

    nygiants27on July 02, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Bear with me cause I'm not that deep.

    i think the song overall is about questioning his faith during a tragedy, whether it be loss of a loved one or a relationship or whatever.

    my, god it takes an ocean of trust sounds like he's saying its impossible to put all his faith in someone,something, god, whoever while his world is crumbling around him (the kingdom of rust).

    But at the end he's come to the realization that he just has to have faith(i know it takes an ocean of trust).

    i say this because at the end of the video when he emptied the ashes and he was crying it seemed that he was happy.

    so it all works out in the end, just have to have faith.

    great song!

    cure4thecoldon February 06, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The first unintelligble bits sound like:

    The road back to Preston was covered all in snow So I went looking for that stolen [still unintelligible!]

    In the video you see a motorway sign to Preston, and although he's not going "back" there it is mentioned so that makes me think that what the lyric is

    chrislfc19on February 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The "unintelligible" part sounds a bit to me like "it's hard" ...idk just throwing that out there :)

    dancerx93on April 29, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Preston is a small town in Lacashire, NW England.

    The 'cooling towers' are those of a nuclear power plant. Preston happens to be powered by one.

    meridianchildon May 17, 2009   Link

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