Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)

Methinks it is based on Anne Rice's "Interview With The Vampire".

yeah, i think this song is based on Anne Rice´s Vampire Chronicles

No DonDiavolo you just happen not to know shit. Anne Rice wrote Interview With The Vampire in 1976. The song was inspired by the novel.

This song is about cocaine. -There's a crack in the mirrorand a bloodstain on the bed There's a crack in the mirror and a bloodstain on the bed

One is refered to as a vampire, meaning addicted. They thrive on that vital source.

He call's himself the walking dead, overdone on cocaine.

It's a beautiful song. The mirror is an obvious reference.

This song is definitely inspired by the novels of Anne Rice. Plus, 'New Orleans'... I doubt that's co-incidence. There's an interview on youtube in which Johnette does actually say that it was inspired by the author. But onto the song...

To me, the line 'Oh, You Were A Vampire, And, Baby, I'm The Walking Dead' is a reference to Louis and Lestat... Lestat is obviously a vampire, but Louis, when he was still mortal, was living in a ghoul-like state, and very depressed after the death of his brother/wife and child (novel/film). Basically, he had a death wish, but wouldn't, or couldn't, end his life himself, and so put himself in situations where another might do it for him. In this manner, the mortal Louis was like the walking dead.

Oh, and he certainly had 'a lot to think about' once Lestat made an offer to turn him.

The novel Interview with a Vampire was written in 1976 so it was around before the song came out, which was already established in a post by instigator. Debora is right on Johnette admitting it was inspired by the author.

I've also heard it was about a friend who contracted HIV, although I don't know how true this is. But the lyrics would fit. "You were a vampire and baby I'm the walking dead" and someone with HIV would definitely have a lot to think about.

I think it is talking about being with a narcissist.

"There's a crack in the mirror and a bloodstain on the bed"

Narcissists are often viewed as vampires because they suck the life force out of people, and they are constantly projecting an image of themselves, so she sees a crack in the image that they try to project almost like the true self is coming out.

"There's a rocking chair by the window down the hall"

It could mean looking outside of herself seeing what she let this person do to her, the lyric "I hear something in the shadow down the hall" could mean a shadow of the person she once was.

"They used to dance in the garden in the middle of the night"

That could mean all of the promises that were made.

Anyway that is what I think it means.

It was based on Anne Rice's works, though the author would repay the band by keeping the video off of MTV via legal maneuvers. I lost a ton of respect for Anne Rice at that point.

It sounds like it could be used in an episode of "True Blood" ("I got the ways and means to New Orleans/I'm going down by the river where it's warm and green") since that show takes place in Louisiana.

So I just saw a post on another song that this is a story album, about someone (Wendy, I guess) getting AIDS. I know the final song is about that, but never thought that the whole CD was a story on it. I'm surprised Johnette has not mentioned it, though, it that were the case. But thinking that way, I can actually see it as a storyline. So this song would be about her first contracting AIDS. She uses the novel as a way to tell it as like a metaphor. Very interesting, I'm going to listen to the entire album and see if it does strike me as that.