| Diary of Dreams – Butterfly: Dance! Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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This song is written from the singer to a subject "you." In order to understand the song, we have to figure out who "you" is. There are other indications, but the dead giveaway is in verse 3: "color twists around your body. / You and I got lost in rainbows." One of the major Biblical visions of God is found when Ezekiel is called to be a prophet. He sees God. Part of the description is this: Ezekiel 1:27b-28a NASB: "and there was a radiance around Him. As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance..." And then Diary of Dreams sings "color twists around your body. / You and I got lost in rainbows." Some people might think that there's no way that a band like Diary of Dreams could be singing about God, but gothic people are often deeply spiritual, and there's no reason that people who believe in God can't be gothic. My handle should indicate the statuses I ascribe to myself. Anyway, the explanation that the singer sings to God makes sense with the rest of the lyrics. The man sings "hello? Are you listening to me? / Hello? Why don't you speak a word to me?" These are questions many ask of God at some time or another. Christians and others often come to the conclusion that God is there, perhaps even speaking, but not with the same kinds of words that humans use on one another. Nonetheless, the speech is there. However, the questions are still asked of God, especially in crises of faith. I believe that the singer addresses God in such a crisis. If I am correct that the singer is singing to God in a crisis of faith then it certainly makes sense that he is trying to see God in his future, trying to find God in his past. He is trying to see evidence of God in the past so that he can have faith and hope in God for the future. From this standpoint, the rest of the song can start to make sense. God's "world definition" would be either what He created or what He wanted. Further down, in verse 2, after the absence of spoken words has been established in verse 1, the singer starts trying to perceive God with other senses. He wants to FEEL God's recognition, to TASTE the way God looks. He's trying to perceive God in SOME way. Unfortunately, this seems to be a crisis of faith that ends badly. The singer seems rebellious against God by the end. His Bible is his own thoughts, and he lives by them, rather than living by the actual Bible. He was lost in the rainbows with God, but "our" (his and God's) "dreams were never made to last." He is separating himself from God. Note that he hasn't renounced his belief in God. His appeals were not addressed in the way he wanted, but he seems convinced that his past relationship with God was real. However, apparently unwilling to abide the perceived lack of answer to his appeals for further experience of God, he seems at the end to choose not to follow God. The song is hardly final - a belief in God which he seems to maintain coupled with his obvious belief that God is good and life with the experience of God is good lays a strong framework for the possibility that he will return to God one day. |
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| Blutengel – Engelsblut Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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English Translation: Lonely and fearfully you wander the night. Your thoughts turn in a circle. Darkness falls on your skin. There is no way back.* You carry the pain deeply in your soul. Icy cold weather clasps your heart. The gloss of your eyes is long expired. It is time for you to be gone. In 1000 years I shall still be with you.** My angel blood Lends power to us. We will always be immortal, Only you and I on the way by the night. In 1000 years I shall still be with you.** My angel blood Lends power to us. We will always be immortal, Only you and I on the way by the night. You can see the stars, They shine only for you. Do you feel the fire in you? You are now a child of the night. Glut your lust, and quietly your greed.*** Carry your fate with pride. Angel of eternity, There is no way back.* In 1000 years I shall still be with you.** My angel blood Lends power to us. We will always be immortal, Only you and I on the way by the night. In 1000 years I shall still be with you.** My angel blood Lends power to us. We will always be immortal, Only you and I on the way by the night. Glut your lust, and quietly your greed.*** Carry your fate with pride. Angel of eternity. In 1000 years I shall still be with you.** My angel blood Lends power to us. We will always be immortal, Only you and I on the way by the night. In 1000 years I shall still be with you.** My angel blood Lends power to us. We will always be immortal, Only you and I on the way by the night. *Literally: It leads back no more way. **Literally: Still in 1000 years shall I with you it's. ***Literally: Gourmet the lust and quietly your greed Proper translation is more than literal word conversion. Clearly the one to whom the singer sings is mortal at first. He makes the subject into a vampire, then encourages the subject to embrace this new existence. One of many, many Blutengel vampire songs. |
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| Camouflage – The Great Commandment Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I think that the song is referring to The Great Commission found in Matthew 28:16-20, in which Christ commands His disciples to spread the Gospel. The Gospel is something that the promises good to the poor and offers value to suffering lives, making it something that many in need really do believe. People that suppress it really do reap disaster (in the afterlife). According to the widespread but not universal Christian doctrine of original sin, infants are not innocent, contrary to non-Christian popular belief. Hence one might say that people with this attitude are "reeducated." Incidentally, the lyrics above contain a type. "Enfants" should be "infants." |
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| Nightwish – 10th Man Down (feat. Tapio Wilska) Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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The 10th man down refers to the singer himself. Unable to bear the horrors of the memories of having taken the lives of 9 others, he longs for death. "Cut me free" is his plea, as is "pull the plug, end the pain." When he sings "10th patriot at the gallows pole" he is preparing to kill himself (the hanging imagery refer to his method of suicide but may simply be metaphorical). I am a total pacificist, I believe it is always wrong to fight under all circumstances, so I absolutely love this song. It got me hooked on Nightwish! In Christ, ~Me |
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| April Sixth – Dear Angel Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Most everybody seems to agree with Drowner, but I'm afraid that I have to disagree. I absolutely agree that the song is about a breakup and he still has feelings for her, but his desire to "break (her) away" is not altruistic or selfless; he wishes to break her away from his own heart to end his agony. In actuality, the song sees him alone later in the night after the breakup, and he is self-injuring. This is the "second time" that he bleeds that night; the first is emotionally when she breaks up with him. This is consistent with another point in the song when he wishes "if only this pain died, too." He is trying to kill his pain (many or most self-injurers do so because they feel that the physical pain removes, reduces, or heals emotional pain). Incidentally, when he sings this line, the "too" refers to the fact that one other thing has died that night, their relationship. With regards to Tophster's suggestion that the girl died, this is not supported by the fact that the thing that died previously died that same night and, more tellingly, that it's only her words that rip and tear, and not also her death. In Christ, ~Me |
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| Delerium – A Poem For Byzantium Lyrics | 18 years ago |
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Line by line: Unbidden...-The "shadows" are memories. Unbidden means unsummoned, or to put it differently, undesired and unasked for. Yesterday does not necessarily mean literally yesterday, but instead possibly a period of time that is now passed. Thus undesired memories of someone were haunting her. I ran...-She changed her place of residence to an apartment or other small abode near a bay, obviously in response to those memories. She is trying to run from them. Interrupted...-Moving is very interrupting to life. You have to find a new job, new friends, a new life. "Another new beginning" confirms that uprooting her life is what she has done. Interestingly, "another" and "again" suggest that this is not her first move, probably not her first move to flee memories, and possibly a realtively common occurrence for her. This means that the memories haunting her have been over for some time. Where...-Echoing is obviously something that silence can not literally do, but an echo can be taken to mean a repeating report of a sound, or in this case, the lack thereof. The silence contrasts with what she used to hear when her past love was with her, and its constance reminds her that she is now alone. *skipping chorus until end* Through...-A lovely image of sullen solitude and cloaking one's self in the comfort of the night's physical darkness. Incidentally, she uses "in the streets," not "down the streets," which would have fit just as well. This is probably a deliberate choice, meaning what it states, that she walked ~in~ the street. This may reflect suicidal intentions, especially given that she did so in the darkness, and by her language on multiple occaisions. Confessions...-The release is for emotional distress. It is unclear whether the confessions being referred to are to friends, family, psychologists, God, or some combination thereof. The point is that the singer can not rely on this as an outlet, which is strongly negative considering her state. Held...-Being held down probably was for her own good, to protect her from self harm. Trying to cure her is likely by psychoactive medication. "Tried to give me reason" supports this. This strongly paints the picture of a mental institution, suggesting that the confessions of the previous line were likely to a osychologist. This also clearly follows the theme of the verse, which begins with suicidal intentions, progresses to talking to a shrink in a mental institution, and now has come to the point of her being forced to take medication. But nothing...-Despite the efforts of her caretakers, she can not be, as she put it, "cured." Her overarching statement that "nothing" can do this for her paints a picture of hopelessness and despair. *still skipping chorus until end* I do not...-This one is obvious but obviously what she is talking about is contingent on the next line. A calmer...-Obviously "calmer ocean" and "sun that will never rise" are both metaphors. Given that the song is about despair for the hopelessness of lost love, we can understand "sun that will never rise" as the source of light that will never return, her lost love. She isn't looking for him and doesn't intend to find him, important in light of the chorus. She also isn't looking for and doesn't intend to find "a calmer ocean." If the sun metaphor refers to her love then we might assume that the calmer ocean is also along this line. Importantly, we should ask ourselves "calmer than what?" The answer is than her current state. The ocean, to her, is the vast, unending body of salt water, not unlike an idea of a succession of tears that will never end, or simply a period of sadness without end in sight. She isn't seeking a calmer such period. She is content with the agony in which she dwells even though it is awful for her, seeking neither comfort in her lonely sadness, nor a resolution of that sadness by being with her love. My world...-She has come to accept her pain as reality, believing that it will remain forever. This is the world that will never change. She also accepts that her love will return to her thoughts again. I'll move...-When those memories return to her, she will again push them away. Moving on...-Obviously she feels that she was wronged. She is having difficulty forgiving. True forgiveness would not allow for her anger to keep coming back, resulting in the need for further forgiveness, so this need indicates that she never really lets go of her anger, only pushes it aside. And the chorus- Here and now...-She is moving on, living her life and making the most of it. Even though...-Her moving on and "embracing freedom" is despite her loneliness, which she has accepted. Incidentally, she seems content to remain alone, as also noted in "do not seek and do not intend to find / a calmer ocean or a sun that will never rise." If that sun won't rise, she'd rather feel the pain of it it than release it, and that is why it's okay to be alone, even though it is clearly not. And looking...-The different sky refers to the fact that she has moved. It seems easy because she is far away from that first place with him, but ~seems~ is not the same as ~is,~ and her words are chosen very deliberately. Absence...-Absence here is absence not from him per se, but from human contact, especially romantic love. Absence is not the answer, as she notes, but is, in fact, the problem. However, she has chosen to cloke herself in her loneliness, to dwell in it. She has chosen to be solitary because of her previously stated unwillingness to move on, to seek other love, and her previously stated belief that seeking any kind of comfort is futile. She not only believes that fighting her pain is futile, but seems to prefer it to the prospect of losing that pain. To me, this song is incredibly beautiful. I relate to her very strongly, and prefer the pain of my own rejected love to letting go. I love how she embraces her pain, and I understand her despair. If the song is based on true human experience, however, then I genuinely hope that the singer will move on. Her misery is both a danger to her physical health as she has demonstrated a desire to harm herself, and simultaneously a negative in itself. Incidentally, Byzantium was a city of the Roman Empire that became the autonomous capital of the Eastern Empire some centuries after the Christian conversion. Although originally Byzantium, it was renamed Constantinople in honor of Emperor Constantine, the Roman Emperor that legalized Christianity, built Christian churches pretty much everywhere, gave large amounts of money to the church, and was himself a Christian. The city was a major hub of Christianity and the center of Greek Orthodoxy after the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches split in the early second millenium over the issue of who had more religious authority, the Pope of Byzantium or the Pope of Rome. After the fall of Rome (well before that split) Constantinople lived on for centuries, often fighting the Muslims of the Middle East. During this time it was seen as the last surviving piece of the great Roman Empire, and a beautiful Christian city of great religious import. However, after I think more than 800 years it was conquered by the muslim Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans converted the Christian places of worship into muslim places, looted the city, murdered the men, and raped and murdered the women. This is obviously evil, but for the day it was, while uncommon especially to such extremes, not unheard of. Constantinople had been the capital of the Ottoman Empire's greatest enemy and destroying the city on conquest was not entirely surprising. After three days the general of the Ottoman Empire called of the rape stating that it was evil. The city was rebuilt as an Ottoman city and the people that survived continued to live there, but eventually were genetically mixed with the Ottoman Empire's other people (who were themselves diverse). The city was renamed Istanbul, a name that it retains to this day. Significance to the title of the song may be found in the European reaction to the fall of Constantinople. One reaction was fear that with Constantinople gone the Ottomans would successfully sweep into Europe and conquer all of the Christian kingdoms. However, more relevant to the song was the sense of loss. The beautiful Constantinople was gone, perhaps irrevocably. It was a prized and beloved city of Christian tradition, and its loss was painful. In Christ, ~Me |
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| Delerium – Poem For Byzantium Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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This song is actually called "A Poem for Byzantium." The lyrics have one error, the very first word. The first word of the song is actually "unbidden," not "unforbidden." In Christ, ~Me |
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| E Nomine – Mitternacht Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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The lyrics above are incomplete. Here are the complete lyrics: Mitternacht. Mitternacht. Wenn die gondeln trauer tragen Und es hallt der toten klagen Tief im nacken das grauen sitzt Wenn die uhr beginnt zu schlagen Kalte, dichte nebelschwaden Berühr‘n dich sacht Mitternacht Loca inferna in nocte. Loca inferna in nocte. Anima in nebula. Mitternacht (mitternacht). Media nox, obscura nox. Crudelitas animarum. Compana sonat duo decies. Mitternacht. Media nox, obscura nox. Crudelitas animarum. Compana sonat duo decies. Mitternacht! Gefriert das blut dir in den adern Schnürt dir angst die kehle zu Hörst du dein herz und die glocken schlagen Ist es nacht Mitternacht ! Loca inferna in nocte Loca inferna in nocte Anima in nebula Mitternacht (mitternacht). Media nox obscura nox Crudelitas animarum Campana sonat Duo decies Mitternacht (mitternacht, mitternacht, mitternacht)! Mitternacht. Loca inferna in nocte Anima in nebula ***A Latin chorus begins here. I can't find the lyrics online and I can't make out the words (which would be easier if I spoke Lating) so I can not transcribe what is sung, but it is repeated once or twice*** Es ist mitternacht! Media nox obscura nox Crudelitas animarum Compana sonat duo decies Media nox obscura nox Crudelitas animarum Compana sonat duo decies Below is the translation. I used German to English and Latin to English translators as well as sometimes going in reverse to make sure that the words translated properly. I also used other peoples online translations, specifically from http://forums.massassi.net/vb3/showthread.php?p=516720 (much of which was inaccurate but some of which was helpful). Finally, I made use of my own limited but not nonexistent understandings of the languages. Midnight. Midnight. When the small gondolas carry the mourning And the crying of the dead resounds, Up to the neck the gray sit.* When the clock begins to sound Cold, dark clouds Touch you lightly. Midnight. Located below the night. Located below the night. Life in a dark cloud.** Midnight (midnight). In the middle of the night. In the dark of the night. Cruel life. The bell rings twelve times. Midnight. In the middle of the night. In the dark of the night. Cruel life. The bell rings twelve times. Midnight! Your blood freezes in your veins. Your fear catches in your throat, too. You hear your heart and the clock strike.*** This is night. Midnight. The place below the night. The place below the night. Living in a cold, dark cloud. Midnight (midnight). In the middle of the night. In the dark of the night. Cruel life. The bell rings twelve times. Midnight (midnight, midnight, midnight)! Midnight. The place below the night. Living in a cold, dark cloud. ***That Latin chorus that I can't catch*** This is midnight! In the middle of the night. In the dark of the night. Cruel life. The bell rings twelve times. In the middle of the night. In the dark of the night. Cruel life. The bell rings twelve times. *That's the literal translation, but this is probably meant to be something like “The gray are piled neck-high” **Literally “cold, dark dark clouds,” as "dichte translates to "dark" and “nebelschwaden” translates to “dark clouds,” or more literally “dark nebula clouds." ***"strike" probably also refers to what we think of as the heart's “”beat” in this case. |
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| Powerman 5000 – When Worlds Collide Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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I'm afraid I have to disagree, heartbeats. What the artist had in mind when they wrote a song is usually best identified by the simplest explanation that clearly lends meaning to all of the lyrics. Your explanation does very little for most of the lyrics in the song. For example, with your explanation the idea that "9 of 10 drop" seems meaningless. Other parts ("who's the light and who is the devil," "watch us suffer, yeah, 'cause we can't go," "I'm gonna be the one that's taking over," and "one by one they will be hand chosen") are similarly unclear with your prescribed meaning. I have to say that I think that you're wrong. Respectfully in Christ, ~Me |
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| E Nomine – Vater Unser Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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The lead singer of E Nomine is an ordained Christian Minister. Go to E Nomine's MySpace page and you will see him standing with the rest of the band in front of a cross. On the cover of the CD that this song is on, Das Testaments, the artwork is the nave of a church. Many of there songs are Christian, many others secular. This one is religious. I am pretty sure that that one part that people haven't gotten is actually "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." In the English version of the song that is what he says at that time. Most of the lyrics are "The Lord's Prayer." In two of the four gospels there are records of Jesus teaching the disciples how to pray, and the prayer that He gave them was The Lord's Prayer (hence the name). The prayer can be found in Matthew chapter 6, verses 9-13 and in Luke 11:1-4 If you listen to the song itself then there can be heard a Latin chorus. I have no idea what they are saying. Excluding the Latin chorus and assuming I am correct about the "Lord is my shepherd" thing, the lyrics in English are as follows: Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth, As it is in Heaven. And forgive us our tresspasses As we forgive those who trespass against us. In the Name of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth, As it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us, And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, And the power, And the glory Forever and ever. Amen. In the Name of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen. In the Name of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth, As it is in Heaven. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. (As we forgive those who trespass against us). Father, hear my prayer. Lord, hear my prayer. Let us pray. In the Name of The Father, and The Son, and The Holy Spirit. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want! Amen. Our Father, Thine is the kingdom, And the power, And the glory Forever and ever. Amen. I would love to know what the Latin chorus is, but I can't even look it up word by word since I can't make out the words with any sort of accuracy. :-/ Oh well! Still a wonderful song! In Christ, ~Me |
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| Evanescence – Whisper Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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Btw, one last thing. At the beginning of the Sound Asleep version of Whisper Amy says "dea-death in it's most hideous form." This is not just a cool arbitrary thing to say, she is referring to suicide. In Christ, Me |
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| E Nomine – Deine Welt Lyrics | 19 years ago |
| Just to throw this out there, the lead singer of E Nomine is an ordained Christian (not sure Catholic or Protestant) minister. | |
| Powerman 5000 – When Worlds Collide Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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"When Worlds Collide" has been popularly misinterpreted as a song the meaning of which is solely based upon secular themes, perhaps those of warring individuals or those of secular science fiction, since its release by Powerman 5000 under Dreamworks Entertainment in 1999. This misinterpretation likely stems from the image of the band, the other work that the band has done, the band's obvious interests and influences, and the music video to which the song was set subsequent to its release. In fact, "When World's Collide" is the title of an old science fiction book and subsequent movie! Still, while it is true that Powerman 5000 seems to be heavily influenced by science fiction as a genre and that their personal artistic expression of the subject matter of the song was, by their image and video, their musical style, and even somewhat by their lyrics, to attach a science fiction theme to that subject matter, the song was written about a pre-existing concept not generally associated with science fiction. This pre-existing concept is one related to the future, so science fiction does not seem wildly inappropriate to the topic, but what the song is truly about is an idea that is 2000 years old, Christian eschatology. The title of a song is usually chosen by the artist to summarize the meaning of the song for which it is selected. "When Worlds Collide" is no exception to this idea. The title and line "when worlds collide" is not a unique theme in society today. As stated above, the title is shared with, and as seems apparent later in the song, taken from, an old science fiction novel. That novel, in fact, is about the end of the world (due to collision with a rogue star), so if Powerman 5000 truly did wish to write a song about eschatology then they chose an excellent name! However, the words "when worlds collide" do not appear only in the title of the song, they recur through the chorus. This is evidence that the words do not only reference science fiction, they also convey meaning in themselves, and thus we need to explore what other meanings those words can express. In contemporary society the idea of worlds colliding is an expression that is somewhat common. It is used to convey the idea of any two dissimilar things that are normally kept apart coming together with large or striking consequence. When Powerman 5000 selected this title for their song, they were either trying to suggest that the song was literally about two astral bodies crashing into one another (as in the book), or else they were trying to suggest that the song was about a large-consequence meeting of two things that had previously been disparate. Other lyrics within the song make it evident that their meaning is the latter. They are singing about the meeting of two once-separate things, specifically Heaven and Earth. One of the most relevant questions when trying to discern what "When Worlds Collide" is about is who, specifically, the singer is addressing in his lyrics. The answer to this question helps to convey the meaning of what those lyrics are. In the case of "When Worlds Collide," the singer is addressing another individual (most likely a woman, based upon his use of the word "Baby" in addressing her) who is experiencing the same effects from the event that he is referring to as "worlds (colliding)." The fact that he is addressing someone is readily obvious based simply upon the use of word's such as "you," but "you" can be either singular or plural, so it is necessary to justify that he is addressing a specific individual as opposed to a group by another means. Again his use of the word "Baby" serves to clarify this, since the word baby can be used either to refer to an infant (which he is likely not doing) or can serve as an intimate pet-name used to address an individual. It is also shown that he is addressing an individual by the question "what is it, really, that is in your head," which uses the singular for "head," not the plural. If the singer was addressing a group with that question then the word "heads" would have been used instead. It has been shown that the singer is addressing another individual who is most likely a woman (although gender here is really irrelevant), but what is their shared experience with what the singer is referring to as "worlds collid(ing)?" It is obvious that she is going through the same consequences that he is from the event based upon how he discusses the topic and a variety of particular questions that he asks her. "Are you ready to go," he asks, "'cause I'm ready to go." His question suggests not only that she can go somewhere, but that she might have reason to be ready to go there. Furthermore, the statement immediately succeeding the question states that he might have reason to go to the same place (it also explicitly states that he is already ready to do so). They have both found themselves in a situation that might necessitate their departure from some location or their journey to some location. He continues further in the chorus: "what you gonna do, Baby..." suggesting that she needs to do something or that she must do something, which in turn raises the question of what has caused her to have this need or necessity. The logical answer to this question is that it is the same thing that has caused him to have to go. "Are you going with me? 'Cause I'm going with you." Their "going" together, that is, their leaving from or journey to a location together, suggests that they both find themselves in a situation that necessitates this going, which logically suggests that they find themselves in the same situation, likely caused by the same event. Their mutual affection by this event can be seen in the end of the chorus: "are you going with me? 'Cause I'm going with you. That's the end of all time!" The singer specifically refers to something here as "the end of all time." He is either referring to their "going," their leaving or journeying together, as "the end of all time," or else he is referring to the situation that is causing them to go as the end of all time. It's logical to assume that his meaning is the latter based on the fact that a journey can be the end of a past time but is typically also the beginning of a new, future time. Only the latter possibility explains the words "end of all time." If his meaning is the latter, then it stands to reason that he is referring to an issue of eschatology and thus that the only destination they could possibly be going to is the next life or next age, which necessitates a religious view of the issue. So we know that the song refers to religious eschatology. In other lyrics it is possible to find evidence for the idea that the song is based specifically on Christian eschatology. This evidence also serves to provide further justification for the facts that have already been established above. For example, in verse two the singer tells his adressee that "when we get there I say 9 of 10 drop." Drop here means die, so we know that at their destination there will be 90% mortality (approximately). What this tells us is that many are going to be there with them (although this line does not tell us if they are already there or making the same journey) but that the vast majority will not survive. If the journey in question is to the afterlife, as established above, then this is in keeping with Matthew 7:13-14 in which Jesus tells us "enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only few find it" (NIV). These two verses make it sound as though the righteous and unrighteous will never be together in the afterlife, but this is not what Jesus tells us. In Matthew 25:31-46 He describes the righteous and unrighteous all before God's throne at once, separated into two groups and being sentenced en masse (no trial is necessary as The Lord already knows the facts of each person's life). After sentencing is complete the unrighteous "go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life" (Matther 25:46, NIV). So if we take the idea of the narrow and wide gates and the idea of this moment of sentencing together then we can imagine the scene; God separates the righteous from the unrighteous into two groups, the group of the unrighteous much larger than the group of the righteous, passes judgement on each, and condemns the unrighteous to eternal suffering but rewards the righteous with eternal life. Not only does this scene fit in closely with the lyrics "but when we get there I say 9 of 10 fall," it also is described well by "and one by one they will be hand chosen." As we can see, Christian eschatology is a very good fit for the subject matter of this song, and generally speaking the "best fit" in literary analysis is the correct one. We can also see the influence of Christianity in the reference to "the devil;" the devil is only present in Christianity, no other religions. Now it is true that there are a small number of lyrics that do not at first glace seem to fit into the theme of Christian eschatology at all. Specifically "you are a robot" seems poorly matched. It is not, but I will address that later. Suffice it to say for now that the statement is being used to express a Christian idea but the diction is drawn from the science fiction that the band seems to delight in. So if the subject matter of the song is Christian eschatology then are we to assume that the band simply meant to describe the end times? By no means. The song contains harsh criticism which is used to express ideas much more specific than mere description. The song specificially expresses the idea of Christian hypocrisy. However, this fact is best demonstrated after establishing the identity of the speaker (not the identity of the singer, but the identity being assumed for his role in the song). What role is he taking on? That of Jesus. We know that he is not merely equal in all ways to the one that he addresses. This is obvious from the statement "I'm gonna be the one that's taking over." He also states "you can't decide so I'll be your guide." He is set apart from her. Although we established in the second paragraph that they are being affected by the same situation and that that situation is causing them to take a journey, there are differences in their situation. In a Christian eschatological setting it is obvious that the one taking over is Christ, Who, before the end of the world, is believed to be going to be on Earth (having returned in the second coming) before everyone is taken to Heaven, thus meaning that He is making that same trip from Earth to Heaven as everyone else, the same journey as the one that He is singing to. Since nobody other than God is to "be the one that's taking over," we know that this must refer to Christ. In this light, the deeper meaning of the song becomes more clear. What would it mean if Christ spoke the words "what is it, really, that's going on here?" To me, these words smack of the idea that something appears one way but is in actuality another, and in the case of Christ asking them, His meaning would seem to be "are you really as righteous, as Christian, as you claim to be?" He goes on "you've got a system for total control." Christians are not supposed to have control at all! They are supposed to relinquish all control to Christ. Obviously the person to whom Christ is meant to be speaking in this song is not living into the true Christian lifestyle. The doubts that Powerman 5000's Jesus is expressing go on farther in the song; "what is it, really, that is in your head," and "what is it, really, that motivates you" both express this. He questions whether it is "the need to fly or the fear to stop" that is her motivation; here fly means to be high spiritually, to be close to God, and stop means to do the alternative of flying, falling, that is dying the eternal death of Hell. Jesus is asking her if her main goal is really to be close to God or if it's just to escape Hell, the suggestion being that the latter is inadequate. Getting back to that confusing "you are a robot" line, what is a robot? A soulless construct, a spiritually empty humanoid form that takes action like a human (at least as it is being used in the song). If Jesus is questioning her devotion to God and sugesting that she is going through the motions of Christianity not to be close to God but instead to escape Hell then the idea of comparing her to a being that takes physical action but is spiritually empty is a very good fit. The profound theological and moral inadequacy of the person that the band's Jesus is addressing is seen when He asks her "now who's The Light and who is the devil? You can't decide." That she can't even identify Christ from satan demonstrates just how distant from God she really is. However, He has not given up on her! Quite to the contrary, after observing that she can't make this discernment the Jesus figure states that He will be her guide. He is going to help her. This both demonstrates Christ's profound love and His generous mercy, and it is this mercy that is the true heart and soul of the song, for while it deals with the Christian hypocrisy of empty worship, this Christian is being offered help. In the chorus Jesus does not simply tell her that it's time to go, He asks her if she's ready. He's concerned about her spiritual state. Worthy of note is that when He tells her that He will be her guide the tone of the song changes. From then on He still questions the motives of Christians, but never her motives: "what is it, really, when they're falling over?" Here I take falling over to mean bowing down, worshiping. Jesus has redeemed this Christian and mended her heart. She is now in the group of the righteous looking at the sinners as they still bow in empty worship to God without love in their hearts. He observes that everything that she thought was denied, and how true this is, for it is only now that she realizes that the worship that she practiced with those same Christians in her physical life was purely in vain. She now realizes just how wrong she was about her relationship with God and her way of life. Thankfully, she is now also changed and ready to be with God for eternity. On a final note, having demonstrated what the song is about, the redemption of a hypocritical Christian during the final judgement, I want to point out a couple of supports that I didn't get around to using in the above essay. First there "what little life that you had just died," a line that makes absolutely no sense except in the context of Christian eschatology. Her "little life" is her physical life on Earth. Jesus calls it "little" because of His understanding of the true nature of the universe and its relatively minor significance compared to the spiritual that is following. Furthermore, He has perspective that allows Him in His timelessness to see just how momentary that life was compared to eternity. Her life has just died, quite literally. Something in the end times killed her. That is why she now stands in judgement. Jesus is asking a question here, which, like His other questions, demonstrates that He does not consider her spiritually adequate. His question implies that she does not have an accurate concept of what "life" really is, almost surely meaning that she values her past physical life much too highly. Then there are the lines "now is there any body out there? / Now watch us suffer, yeah, 'cause we can't go." To understand this bit perfectly requires a little context from the band's major influence in this song, that old book When World's Collide. In the book a scientist sees the impending collision and builds a spacecraft ark with which to save 50 people and start a new civilization. At the climax of the book before the impending destruction of Earth as the spaceship is about to take off the people in the area begin to riot in an attempt to get on board. "Is there any body out there" thus could mean "is there anybody outside of the ship," and "now watch us suffer, yeah, 'cause we can't go" is pretty obvious, so I'll let that sit. As the band is using the metaphor of world's colliding for Heaven and Earth meeting, we can take those few survivors to be the ones chosen by Christ and the rest to be the damned. Thus the band's lyrics express the Christians' view of those that are not saved. This song makes me smile inside. Listen to it. Like it. I like it. I like it a lot |
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| Evanescence – Whisper Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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This song is a Christian's contemplation of suicide. The opening words, "catch me as I fall, say You're here and it's all over now," are her prayer to God. This is evident due to her next words "speaking to the atmosphere, no one's here and I fall into myself." What does she mean "speaking to the atmosphere?" She means that she is looking upward. Literally upward, to the sky, the clouds, the air. Her disappointed words tell us that she intended her plea for help to reach Heaven, but she is not experiencing the presence of God. Lacking this experience of His presence, she perceives only the atmosphere to which her eyes are directed. It is this feeling of alone that is the "truth" that "drives (her) into madness." Then she sings the peculiar words "I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away. If I will it all away." What does she mean "if I will it all away?" At this point she COULD be talking about mere force of will. However, she may also mean that she can stop the pain by way of suicide, and that this is her meaning becomes evident later in the song. For example, in the bridge that comes after the second chorus she sings "fallen angels" (Christians believe that all demons are angels that rebelled against God and were banished from Heaven. These are called "fallen angels") "at my feet." She feels that there are demons around her. "Whispered voices at my ear." Where are these voices coming from? Well she JUST said that there are demons around her, so we are led to believe that these are the ones whispering to her. Many Christians believe that demons are, or at least sometimes are, the source of temptations to do evil. That is the case here. One can imagine them hovering over her, telling her to do things. They are tempting her, but to what? "Death before my eyes, lying next to me, I fear. She beckons me." Here we see what the temptation is. If death personified is beckoning her, then clearly she is being tempted to death. She is being tempted to die, and the only way that she can CHOOSE to die is by suicide. Thus she is being tempted to suicide. Her plight, and the subject of the song, lie in her next words: "shall I give in? Upon my end shall I begin?" Clearly here she is trying to decide whether or not she should relent to the temptation and take her own life. Unfortunately, for her the answer is yes; "forsaking all I've fallen for I rise to meet the end." "I rise to meet the end" is clear enough, but what does "forsaking all I've fallen" for mean? Well, if by rising to meet the end she is forsaking something, then it must be directly opposed to suicide. What could she possibly feel is directly opposed to suicide? God. She believes that she has fallen (the title word of the album, btw) for God, fallen here likely NOT meaning in some way sinned or become unpure, as that is antithetical to God and therefore impossible to do for Him, and instead likely meaning suffered and lost what was important to her, probably repeatedly. So if she is tempted to suicide then we can safely assume that when she says that she can stop the pain if she wills it all away, she means by the method of suicide. Thus she refers to suicide immediately before each instance of the chorus (before the first and second chorus by "I can stop the pain if I will it all away. If I will it all away," third chorus by "forsaking all I've fallen for I rise to meet my end." Since the chorus always comes immediately after she brings up suicide, we can assume that it is an answer to her temptations. This is indeed the case. We can see that the chorus is dominated by instructions NOT to take actions; turn away, give into the pain, try to hide, close your eyes, turn out the lights, sleep, and die are ALL actions that she is instructed not to take in that brief chorus. Importantly, every single one of those actions (except die, which is not a metaphor) can be used as a metaphor for death in general (close your eyes, sleep) or suicide specifically (turn away, give into the pain, try to hide, and turn out the lights). So the entire chorus is essentially dominated by a single statement being repeated over and over again: "don't kill yourself." But if the Christian is the speaker for all of the other lyrics in the song, then why are these command sentences addressed TO her? Are we to believe that she is speaking to herself? This is unlikely for two reasons. The first is that the commands are given to her not only while she is deliberating suicide, which could reasonably thought to be the other side of her temptation, the desire not to give in, but also AFTER she has already decided on suicide in the third and fourth chorus. The second reason is that the desire to kill herself is never represented in the same way as these commands to her; she never speaks TO herself about killing herself, and there is no equivalent portion of the song in which she uses metaphors or literal lyrics to say "kill yourself" to herself over and over and over. Both of these facts lead us to believe that it is an outside speaker directing her not to do so, drawing a parallel to the fallen angels telling her to do so. What is this parallel? Clearly not a human, as a human would almost undoubtedly use force to stop her if necessary. The focus of the song is on her temptation and decision making, and the fact that this speaker only uses words is in keeping with that. The speaker is God. Although she did not feel like He was there at the beginning of the song, she never once denies His presence after the first chorus. He is there, and although she failed to recognize Him at first, by the very end she has regained her faith (although not overcome her temptation) and she prays again. So at the end of the song, are we to assume that her words "I rise to meet my end" are her fate, that she kills herself? By no means! The song doesn't end here! Instead it continues. There is an instrumental with no lyrics, which we could perhaps interpret as being a moment wherein she was beginning to carry out her plans, but then the chorus, God's words to her, repeats! He tells her again not to turn away, not to give into the pain. And after the end of this chorus, we can see that her heart is changed because she starts to pray for help again. In the song, latin chanting can be heard: "servatis a periculum. Servatis a maleficum." This is an old Catholic chant meaning "save us from danger, save us from evil." Her prayers at once tell us that her faith in God's presence has been restored and that she is not completely settled on suicide, that she might, and in fact wants to, change her mind. We are led to believe that God is continuing to help her in that the chorus continues two more full times, God continues to tell her not to. As the music dies off, the chanting prayer is the last of the lyrical content allowed to continue, and as it fades away slowly we are led to believe that the reason for it has not ended but will continue, perhaps into infinity (or at least the span of her life). Her struggle will be ongoing, but an ongoing struggle is not a lost one. She does not kill herself. Beyond those lyrics necessary to reveal the theme of this song, many other lyrics of the song are amazing in their poetry and beautiful connections. For example, the theme of sight occurs again and again: "don't close your eyes. (meaning die) God knows what's behind them (more evidence that this is a metaphor for death, as God alone knows what the afterlife has in store)," "frightened by what I see," "blinded by tears," "turn out the lights," "death before my eyes." Fear is another recurring element in the song: "frightened by what I see" "immobilized by my fear" "lying next to me, I fear." This is not coincidence, nor merely a neat little twist. The meaning of the song is actually beautifully supported by these two elements, which are connected in "frightened by what I see." That she is frightened by what she sees is only given meaning when we know what it is that she sees, which comes from "death before my eyes." She sees death and she is frightened, as she explicitly states when she says "lying next to me, I fear," speaking of death. So we see that she sees death and is afraid. She also sees life and is afraid! Both closing her eyes and turning out the lights are metaphors for death, and she wishes to take them because each would render her unable to see and she is frightened by what she sees. If she ONLY sees death, then this metaphor makes no sense because while they each would render her unable to see, they would do so by the culmination of her fear of death, her suicide. Instead, she sees life AND death, and both frighten her. We know that she sees life because she says "I'm frightened by what I see, yet somehow I know that there's much more to come." Well she can't say "much more to come" of death unless she's already endured death, which she very obviously has not. What she has endured is life and, we can assume, its hardships. These hardships are what she knows there will be more of, and the fear of them is so great that it immobilizes her. However, she does not have to see them. She states that she will soon be blinded by tears, meaning that she will no longer be able to see them. How can tears blind her to the hardships of life, past and present, which are not a tangible thing but a concept? The answer is simple; here being "blinded by tears" is a metaphor in parallel with closing her eyes and turning out the lights. It is an inability to see, and as we have already established, inability to see is a recurring metaphor in this song for death. This song rocks. I love that the chorus is God's answer to her prayers. I love that she regains her faith in His presence. I love the poetry. I love the topic. I love it. Evy-nescence pwnz you!!! |
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