To see the lyrics, click on the name of the version you are interested in (on the left).

This is a very ambiguous song I find.

Of course it deals with ecology and pollution, how we are destroying nature etc.

But there are a few things which confuse me, such as the old lady crying by the riverside, or the whole of the finale. The "mountain stream feeding [the] ocean" could also very well be a metaphor. But then, what could be the other meaning of the song?

Well, knowing that at that time Neil used to "preach" socialism in his school and that he wasn't really appreciated for that (siding rather with the Catholics than the Protestants, which seemed shocking for a Bishop's son), I once tented to think that the whole song was actually about the Catholics claiming Northern Ireland as their own, which would go against the "logic", Northern Ireland being still mainly Protestant. But well, that's probably me trying to read too much in a simple song...

Anyway, it's likely the backing vocals would help catch the meaning, but as a matter of fact, I wasn't able to get them. So if you manage to do so, do not hesitate to contact us.