I was really surprised at the lack of comments on this song. This is probably my favorite Loreena McKennitt song after her version of The Highway Man. I always put it on when I just need to chill out and be at peace.
When I looked at these lyrics I immediately got a sense of a comparison going on between two cultural groups. I feel that McKennitt is trying to promote religious tolerence in this song in such an artful and captivating way
Here's how I broke it down:
It's known that McKennitt likes to mix both celtic and middle eastern music, so I got out of it that she is comparing Islam and Christianity, two major religions that have been in major conflict throughout the years.
First she talks of someone chanting at sunrise (which if I'm not mistaken is a tradition in Islam) and see then says "Somewhere the sun rose, o'er dunes in the desert" which puts my mind in the middle east geographically.
Then in the following verse she says "Elsewhere a snowfall, the first in the winter" which makes me think of Europe, where Christianity was very prevalent around the times of the Crusades. She also refers to bells and robes which again makes me think of Christianity.
She says that both the person in what is assumed to be the middle east tand the person it what can be assumed is Europe are singing to and calling to a god. The fact that she uses the possessive "your" before god also establishes a difference between the gods.
Although she sets up this contrast she also uses a linking force as well she I believe makes this song all the more powerful. She asks both people (assuming that "you" refers once to the middle eastern person and next to the european person separately) "in your heart, in your soul, did you find peace there"
It is this one line that links the two different religions together. McKennitt, in my inturpertation is basically saying this: You both worship your god and you both have a common goal: to find peace within yourselves and with your god. If you are so similar why are you fighting? I even feel that this message can be extended to a tolerance of all religions different from your own.
Overall a beautiful song with a beautiful message :D
I was really surprised at the lack of comments on this song. This is probably my favorite Loreena McKennitt song after her version of The Highway Man. I always put it on when I just need to chill out and be at peace. When I looked at these lyrics I immediately got a sense of a comparison going on between two cultural groups. I feel that McKennitt is trying to promote religious tolerence in this song in such an artful and captivating way Here's how I broke it down: It's known that McKennitt likes to mix both celtic and middle eastern music, so I got out of it that she is comparing Islam and Christianity, two major religions that have been in major conflict throughout the years.
First she talks of someone chanting at sunrise (which if I'm not mistaken is a tradition in Islam) and see then says "Somewhere the sun rose, o'er dunes in the desert" which puts my mind in the middle east geographically. Then in the following verse she says "Elsewhere a snowfall, the first in the winter" which makes me think of Europe, where Christianity was very prevalent around the times of the Crusades. She also refers to bells and robes which again makes me think of Christianity. She says that both the person in what is assumed to be the middle east tand the person it what can be assumed is Europe are singing to and calling to a god. The fact that she uses the possessive "your" before god also establishes a difference between the gods. Although she sets up this contrast she also uses a linking force as well she I believe makes this song all the more powerful. She asks both people (assuming that "you" refers once to the middle eastern person and next to the european person separately) "in your heart, in your soul, did you find peace there" It is this one line that links the two different religions together. McKennitt, in my inturpertation is basically saying this: You both worship your god and you both have a common goal: to find peace within yourselves and with your god. If you are so similar why are you fighting? I even feel that this message can be extended to a tolerance of all religions different from your own. Overall a beautiful song with a beautiful message :D