He gave to her, yet tenfold claim'd in return
She hath no life but the one he for her wrought;
Proffer'd to her his wauking heart, she turn'd it down,
Riposted with a tell-tale lore of lies and scorn.

Prophetess or fond?,
Tho' her parle of truth:
"I ken to-morrow, refell me if ye can!",
Yet the kiss and breath, Apollo's bane
Sëer of the future, not of twain,
"Sicker!", quoth Cassandra.

Still, is she lief and quaint in his eyne, a sight divine?
A mistress fuell'd by his prest haughtiness
If he did grant, wherefore then did he not foresee,
Belike egal as it to him might be?!

Prophetess or fond?,
Tho' her parle of truth:
"I ken to-morrow, refell me if ye can!",
Yet the kiss and breath, Apollo's bane
Sëer of the future, not of twain,
"Sicker!", quoth Cassandra.

'Or was he an eried being,
'Or was he weening - alack nay mo;
Her naysay' raught his heart,
Her daffing was the grave of all hope
She belied her own words,
He thought her life, save moreo'er scourge,
She held him august, yet wee;
He left her ne'er without his heart.


Lyrics submitted by Fistan

Cassandra Lyrics as written by Wycliffe Johnson Cleveland Browne

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Cassandra song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

12 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +5
    General Comment

    some of these words are wrong >.< I corrected them as I defined the trouble words.

    Wrought-shaped Wauk-from walk, to toss about restlessly Riposte-to reply or retaliate, to answer Tell-tale – one who idly or maliciously discloses private or secret matters; a tale-bearer, a tattler Fond-crazy, dazed, mad Parle-speech Ken-to know, to see, to be aware of Refell-to refute Bane-that which causes ruin, poison Twain-two [used often in poetry for sole purpose of rhyme] Eyne-plural of eye Aegis-shield or defensive armor, applied in ancient mythology of Jupiter (Zeus) Prest-ready, active Egal-equal Belike-probably, perhaps Weening-arrogant, self-conceited Alack-lacking, wanting, missing Mo’-more Raught-to reach or snatch at or after Daffing-insanity Belie-to falsify Scourge-to chastise August-Inspiring mingled reverence and admiration; impressing the emotions or imagination as magnificent; majestic, stately, sublime, solemnly grand; venerable, revered. save-except, but quaint-clever lief-dear, beloved

    you're welcome :) and if you haven't noticed it should be "horrid" not "eried" you guys need to listen more attentively...

    dark ivoryon July 09, 2008   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    Let me enlighten you:)

    The song is about Cassandra, a woman the Greek god Apollo fell in love with. He asked her to marry him but she denied. She told him that she would marry him only if he gave her the gift of foresight... Apollo was so in love that he agreed and gave her the gift. But Cassandra didn't keep her promise and denied him once again ("She belied her own words...").

    Apollo asked her if he could at least kiss her and when they came close to kiss, Apollo spit in her mouth and cursed her so that even though she had the gift of foresight, noone would believe her words ("Yet the kiss and breath - Apollo's bane -").

    Cassandra was the woman who tried to warn the people of Troy about the trojan horse, but of course noone believed her.:)

    I hope this helps!

    Vovinon January 30, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is one of my favorite songs by TOT not only is it's dark but it's meaning goes so deep...i def fell in luv with this song as well as Angelique the vocals are beautiful

    DarknesMyBrideon March 06, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    well im greek and recently checked the lyrics of this song,,i used dictionary to translate some archaic terms i didn't know and loved it.i would like to add another version of cassandra and appollo myth, cassandra kept her promise and made love with appollo but got dissappointed and left him.appollo got furious that a mortal girl turned him down but as a god was obliged to keep his word too and give her the gift of foresight.so he did but also enchanted her so noone would believe her words.cassandra was daugter of priamus,king of troy and everybody considered her insane.yet vovin ,your version is the most well-known :)

    cordelia87on May 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love this song. It's so dark and passionate. Plus the lyrics are great. So mournful.

    Arianrhodon October 17, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    you have to love idiots like DarknesMyBride "this song has such a deep meaning" but then says NOTHING about what it means.

    ViciousMachineon September 23, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    No wonder no-one says nothing of what it means... At least to me the words in themselves are mysteries... I need my dictionnary for every second word. Though, I'm going to understand it, some day. Is it as hard to understand for a native English speaking person?

    Lynn-Lynnon October 01, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It was a long time since i read it, but I'm pretty sure that some of the lines are direct quotes from The Iliad. Worthy reading for anyone with the slightest history/mythology interest. The song really captures her pitiful greed and regretful sorrow. Strong words, by a strong band.

    Strayliteon March 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Eee.. Vovin, you are amazing. Now I know the meaning.

    But certain lines make no sense to me. Even the ones with words I know. Eh.. help, someone?

    xxx_Rottenon November 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    She was also the one that said "Beware of the Ides of March" in Julius Caesar.

    musicmama888on August 09, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.