Music possesses the remarkable power of transporting us through time and space, evoking memories of the past while stirring visions of what’s yet to come.
In the case of Mon Rovîa’s introspective folk single City on a Hill, he takes you on a deeply personal odyssey navigated by his poetic pen.
Released on December 13, 2023, as the lead single from his Act 3: The Dying of Self EP, City on a Hill unveils its cathartic spell from the first few lines.
A solitary acoustic guitar lays the rhythmic groundwork, each plucked string pulling you inward to a hushed realm where only Mon Rovîa’s soulful vocals remain.
City on a Hill Lyrics: Loneliness’ Serenade Begins
The lyrics commence by encapsulating vivid scenes of the isolation of lying awake at night, consumed by one’s troubled thoughts (“Cried yourself to sleep, I know, lonely under the sheets”).
Mon Rovîa’s poetic brushstrokes render feelings to which many can intimately relate.
His plaintive words illustrate attempts to find purpose and belonging amid life’s perpetual growth and decay (“‘Cause you’ve tried to make yourself seen through a field of green, but it’s overgrown”).
As the opening verse concludes by pondering, “Where does that leave you?” The yearning chorus emerges as a mantra of introspection with the refrain, “Can you be still? There’s a void only silence can fill.”
In this passage, Mon Rovîa implores listeners to find solace by being present and embracing the profound peace that stillness provides.
A Rumination on Struggle and Purpose
The second verse continues this poignant exploration, reflecting on fundamental human experiences of loss, abandonment, and the continual search for one’s purpose and legacy.
“Who do you have left when it all goes bad?” Mon Rovîa ponders, his voice fraught with melancholy yet underpinned by resilience.
The line “Did you trade your torch for a silver fork and a life in the dark?” cut to the core of our fears and insecurities about sacrificing our authentic selves for safe complacency.
As City on a Hill builds towards its climactic peak, Mon Rovîa’s poetic lyricism ushers you towards an uplifting realisation.
The refrain of “Alone, in your city on a hill” reverberates not as a lament but as an empowering mantra—a reminder that even in solitude, we possess an unshakable inner fortitude to overcome life’s struggles.
A Voice Forged by Adversity
Perhaps it’s Mon Rovîa’s own life journey that imbues City on a Hill with such profound emotional depth.
Born Janjay, he was adopted by Christian missionaries at age 7 during the Second Liberian Civil War.
The ensuing relocations—from Monrovia to Florida in 2001, then Montana, and later the Bahamas—immersed him in different cultures and an upbringing exclusively soundtracked by Christian music.
This nomadic youth forged a resilient human being, one drawn to craft impressionistic lyrics probing themes of hurt and hope for a better future.
As Mon Rovîa himself states, “I wouldn’t say my songs are very happy.” Yet it’s that profound sense of longing and introspection that reverberates so powerfully in the Mon Rovîa lyrics for City on a Hill.
An Enlightening Musical Refuge
By blending his introspective songwriting with a sparse yet lush folk arrangement, Mon Rovîa has sculpted City on a Hill into an enlightening musical refuge.
This is not a mere song but rather a poetic expedition that guides you through internal and external.
Mon Rovîa’s ethereal poetry holds a mirror to our own experiences, allowing us to confront life’s harsh realities while emerging uplifted by the resilience echoing in every heart-rending stanza.
Unlike some fleeting pop confection, the City on a Hill lyrics showcase a sprawling, thought-provoking epic that warrants full immersion.
With each revelatory line, Mon Rovîa’s poetic cartography unveils another vein of resonant self-discovery.
This shining City on a Hill is no ordinary destination but a hard-won nirvana—a place of solitude, strength, and an embrace of one’s authentic self.
For those disillusioned by music’s increasingly disposable nature, the poignancy of Mon Rovîa’s lyricism on City on a Hill restores faith that true artistry can still flourish in our frenzied era.
This song is a timeless monument to the enduring power of the written word. By using poetic songcraft as a spiritual metal detector, Mon Rovîa has unearthed a glistening seam of emotional lithium—a vital source of light to illuminate even our darkest, most insular moments.
One can’t help but emerge from this unforgettable musical expedition of City on a Hill forever changed.
If you haven’t yet experienced the transcendent folk poetry of City on a Hill, add this profound Mon Rovîa song to your playlists and prepare to get lost in its poignant, uplifting lyricism.
It’s the perfect catalyst for introspection and self-discovery.
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Mon Rovîa City on a Hill Lyrics
Verse 1
Cried yourself to sleep
I know, lonely under the sheets
‘Cause you’ve tried to make yourself seen
Through a field of green
But it’s overgrown
If it all came true
When you’ve seen it all through
You’ll look back
At the footprints on the path
Where does that leave you?
Chorus
Can you be still?
There’s a void only silence can fill
Where you are is all that’s real
When you’re there, remember how it feels
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Alone, in your city on a hill
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Alone, in your city on a hill
Verse 2
Who do you have lеft
When it all goes bad?
Who is by your side
Whеn the fire subsides
And it rains in your head?
Did you leave your mark? (Did you leave your mark?)
Can they catch your spark? (Can they catch your spark?)
Did you trade your torch
For a silver fork
And a life in the dark?
Chorus
Can you be still?
There’s a void only silence can fill
Where you are is all that’s real
When you’re there, remember how it feels
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Alone, in your city on a hill
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Alone, in your city on a hill
Outro
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Alone, in your city on a hill
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Alone, in your city on a hill