There's honey in the hollows
And the contours of the body
A sluggish golden river
A sickly golden trickle
A golden, sticky trickle

You can hear the bones humming
You can hear the bones humming
And the car reverses over
The body in the basin
In the shallow sea-plane basin

And the car reverses over
And his body rolls over
Crushed from the shoulder
You can hear the bones humming
Singing like a puncture
Singing like a puncture

Killed to keep the world turning
Killed to keep the world turning
Killed to keep the world turning

Throw his bones over
The white cliffs of Dover
And into the sea, the sea of Rome
And the bloodstained coast of Ostia

Leon like a lion
Sleeping in the sunshine
Lion lies down
Lion lies down
Out of the strong came forth sweetness
Out of the strong came forth sweetness

Throw his bones over
The white cliffs of Dover
And murder me in Ostia
And murder me in Ostia
The sea of Rome
And the bloodstained coast

And the car reverses over
The white cliffs of Dover
And into the sea, the sea of Rome

You can hear the bones humming
You can hear the bones humming
You can hear the bones humming

Throw his bones over
The white cliffs of Dover
And into the sea, the sea of Rome

And murder me in Ostia


Lyrics submitted by mist3r

Ostia (The Death Of Pasolini) song meanings
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5 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    Great song with a lot of allusions. The lyrics obviously reference Pasolini being killed at Ostia (he was run over three times by his own car). "There's honey in the hollows", "lion lies down", "out of the strong came forth sweetness" etc. reference the part in the Book of Judges where Samson kills a lion with his bare hands and honey comes out of it: "Out of the eater came something to eat/ out of the strong came forth sweetness" (Judges 14:14). The White Cliffs of Dover is a notorious suicide spot in England. "Throw his bones over the White Cliffs of Dover" is probably a play on the old Vera Lynn song "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover." "Killed to keep the world turning" refers to the alternative theory that Pasolini's death was actually a political assassination (he was a Marxist and at that time in Italy, "the Years of Lead," there was a great deal of violence between far-right and far-left groups). I also like the way Jhonn Balance associates himself with Pasolini ("Murder me in Ostia"). He has a great voice and he really sings the fuck out of this song.

    mcshanesteveon May 08, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I always thought this was "the choruverse is over" (like a merging of "chorus" and "verse"). Not familiar with Pasolini's work (more familiar with Felini), but I want to check out some of his films now.

    Still one of the darkest songs I've ever heard. Very deep and very good.

    spacebon January 04, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's about the murder of Pier Paolo Pasolini, twisted (not personally, however) Italian filmmaker, by a gay prostitute.

    Cynothoglyson January 15, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    that makes sense.. it describes dealing with the dead body except for the murder me part.. kickass song.

    DJgifon November 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    How do you understand words "Killed to keep the world turning" ? I'd appreciate all your thought about it.

    fleuveon March 30, 2016   Link

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