I can't understand: Along the loom of the land, The mission bells peeled Please help me understanding the meaning of the sentences in these lyrics by Nick Cave. I don't mind about understanding the w

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Andrew

I can't understand: Along the loom of the land, The mission bells peeled Please help me understanding the meaning of the sentences in these lyrics by Nick Cave. I don't mind about understanding the whole story, just what has been marked. ... ... And the wind it bit bitter For a boy of no means With no shoes on his feet And a knife in his jeans >>> Along the loom of the land >>> The mission bells peeled From the tower at Saint Mary's Down to Reprobate Fields And I saw that the world Was all blessed and bright And Sally breathed softly In the majestic night .... .... Personal opinion: I repute Nick Cave as an exceptional artist, in case you are curious about this song, here are two links for listening: a. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLBD-YNtmVo (with full band playing) b. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjQZ_RHafY4 (Nick Cave's voice, piano and violin outstanding) lyrics: http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858558728/ === thank you ===

Oct 8, 2014 11:12 PM

Answers · 3

Hi Andrew, This is an interesting use of "loom" - Nick Cave seems to have used the verb (eg. to loom over something / to loom into view) as a noun. So the image is of a wide and great landscape. For the bells, there's a little misspelling. It should read "pealed", which is specifically how we describe a ringing bell (especially a loud and clear sound). The mission bells would be the bells of the church, set up by missionaries. Interestingly, another member asked about "mission bells" a few years back: http://www.italki.com/question/88062

October 8, 2014

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