| Opeth – Blackwater Park Lyrics | 8 years ago |
|
I'll leave the symbolism, which is completely subjective anyway, to others. But, on the surface, this is a song about a (fictional) leper colony called Blackwater Park. More specifically, a man's (a priest?) observations of the colony's "patients" (prisoners, really) and his descent into madness, disease and death as a result. Confessor of the tragedies in man... The last dying call for the everlost... (this makes me think he's a priest or some sort of religious figure, there to minister to the dying lepers, give their last rites, etc. Anyway, he's our protagonist, our POV on Blackwater Park. Let's call him Father Holier-Than-Thou, or Father HTT for short) Lepers coiled 'neath the trees Dying men in bewildered soliloquys (we meet our victims, who have lost their minds along with their health) Perversions loom round the bend (the hopeless and desperate lepers have resorted to "perversions", which I'll leave to your imagination. Keep in mind that this is from the POV of a man of God, so judging people is his favorite pastime. Holier than thou.) It is the year of death Wielding His instruments Stealth sovereign reaper Touching us with ease (We meet our REAL villain, Death himself. These lepers are victims of an outbreak, a "year of death". A lot of people are dying, and dying fast. The colony was probably started to try to stop the spread of the disease.) Infecting the roots in an instant Burning crop of disease (it's easy to catch. The crop is the people, "harvested" by Death the Reaper) I'm just a spectator An advocate documenting the loss (Father HTT, telling us he's not sick (yet), he's just there to observe and "help", though he's not doing much on that second point) Fluttering (?) with conceit This doesn't concern me yet So far from the knell Taunting their bereavement (No big surprise, Father HTT is an a-hole! In any case, he thinks he's safe and is going to live a long time. He's wrong. FORESHADOWING!) Mob round the dead Point fingers at the details Probing vomit for more Caught in unbridled suspense (Father HTT and his colleagues are getting curious and perhaps getting off on what they are witnessing. In any case, they're WAY too close now.) We have all lost it now (Father HTT and his friends have gone mad) Catching the flakes of dismay (Leprosy can be transmitted by flakes of dead skin... which you have a lot of when you have leprosy) Born the travesty of man Regular pulse midst pandemonium You're plucked to the mass Parched with thirst for the wicked (they succumb to the same weaknesses that doomed their patients, which they had been condemning earlier in the story. Some more "perversions" may be happening here.) Sick liaisons raised this monumental mark (The human weaknesses of the victims is what caused this event. Father HTT thought he was better than them. Holier, immune to their sicknesses. He was wrong.) The sun sets forever over Blackwater Park (They all die, including Father Holier-Than-Thou) |
|
| Devin Townsend – The Greys Lyrics | 8 years ago |
| I think there are layers of meaning here, as with most (good) lyrics. Outside of the concept of the album, I think he's talking about how memories fade over time, for better and for worse. "Can the greys wash away... chaos?" | |
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.