Down the Burning Ropes

I think this song is about a murderer who lets his lover take the falls for his crimes, and she gets hung at the gallows.

"When the hills let go Slowly fade into the water like some ancient lover On a ship filled with ghosts It's something to behold" This part might mean that his problems are sinking, like his ancient lover- ancient because she is dead and her ghost haunts him.

"When the paper thin girls With twisting little braids in their hair, They take off their coats and throw Pebbles and stones from the side of the boat, Crying out The stones they float, the stones they float Oh my God, the stones they float, the stones they float"

The paper thin girls could be the spectators for the hanging, and the stones floating is a metaphor. Stones don't float, it is impossible for them to float, and like the woman being hung, it is impossible for her to be the murderer.

"Down the burning ropes Past the places where the steal beams meet concrete skies You make your bed under the moonlight I think it's time we said goodbye"

Down the burning ropes could be the nuse (dont know how to spell it) that is going to hang the woman. When they bury her she is in a grave, and her "bed" is buried under the moonlight

"Cause nothing moves in the warm air And words that once would cut like a knife, They just hang in the cloud and you're Pushed by the lord, But you're pulled by the crowds and You're overboard, you're overboard Oh my God, she's overboard"

So now that she is killed, she is innocent so rather than go to hell the Lord is trying to bring her to heaven but the spectators believe she is guilty so they want her to go to hell, and now she's overboard with the accusations of this crime.

"My love she's overboard She's overboard My love she's over board" This proves that it's his love thats the one who is "overboard"

"Not a shell unbroken In the valley where my heartache and the timbers lay It's not the time to be hanging around here You know what some might say"

So now the village where he lives is full of heartache and the aftermath of this woman's death. Gossip goes on in the village.

"That people get too reckless That even with the simplest of crimes They leave, blood behind, As I clean the knife for the very last time I think she knows, I think she knows Oh my God, I think she knows

I think she knows"

People were gossiping about how people get reckless with their crimes, and he reminisces on how he became reckless with his murders and his wife probably came in and witnessed the killing. He realizes that his lover knows that he is a murderer.

I think it's about his ill-fated trip to America (where the steel beams meet concrete sky) to record an album and it went to shit.

It's about the stark difference between his home life and the Big Machine. Ireland made him and it gave him his love for music (the lover that later goes overboard). Pushed by the Lord (natural musical gifts and love for it) but pulled by the crowd (promise of reaching a wider audience).

When the hills let go and slip into the water can be seen as literally watching Home fade away into the distance as you travel. He seems to be saying that the ghosts and paper thin girls (stereotypical Hollywood types) were with him from the beginning of the journey and he didn't like it from the start.

The stones they float. This I think is echoed later when he talks about words that would normally cut like a knife. The stones that they throw from the side of the boat I imagine can be viewed like 'sticks and stones' in that the way they speak (to him) is harsh and hurtful. Rather than sink like the paper thin girls are used to they float in the air for James as he's not used to hearing it.

He went to make some money so he could keep doing what he loves (the simplest of crimes) but betrayed his love (leaving blood behind). He then worries that "she knows". He's betrayed his God-given gifts and she knows it, will she forgive him?

By the sound of the album which he made once BACK in the UK, I'd say she did. Amazing album and this is potentially the best song on it.