Bitter Green

The lyrics tell of a woman known as Bitter Green, who spends years waiting for an absent lover. She seems kind and open to others, yet her hope is focused on someone who may never return. The mood moves from gentle longing to loss: she is eventually gone, and a stranger arrives too late, grieving at her grave.

The hills that echo her soft footsteps create a quiet, almost dreamlike setting. “Waiting in the sun” suggests that she continues to hope, even as time passes. The lover’s uncertain fate—perhaps lost at sea, perhaps imprisoned—makes his absence feel like an unresolved story rather than a clear ending. “Take her hand” can mean offering companionship, love, or a way out of loneliness.

The stranger at the churchyard may be the missing lover, but the lyrics do not confirm this; he could also be someone else connected to her. His tears and dream of a kiss suggest regret and a wish to recover what was lost, though reunion is impossible. The song leaves the relationship and the woman’s nickname unexplained, so Bitter Green may be remembered with tenderness, sadness, or both.