The Cross

Although I'm athiest.. this song is pro-christianity, and even though it is I still think the meaning and tone behind it is awesome.

this song is so gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood.. from the piano melody to the hard teeth gnashing vibrant metal excess.. this band has some good stuff up its sleeve...

i think that this song is actually anti christian. he speaks about d world issues and how much of defect it has on humanity-'harvest of love and light dictated by war and hate' these words to me are very genocidal. also he illustrates d fact that ppl will look to god for answers rather than searchin for answers themselves by askin a rhetorical question-'will u betray innovation in the name of tradition' and in the end, after speakin about how corrupt d world is, he says christianity world wide.. just as violence and corruption is world wide

I think Lord Nephthys is right... I mean, their name IS Samael.. and Samael, according to the Jewish Scriptures, was the name of SATAN before he became a devil. That may indicate they're anti-Christian.

Samael had been an archangel before he defied God, after which his name became Satan.

And yes I think this song is challenging us to think about whether we think for ourselves - or just follow plain old tradition, and also pointing a finger at WHERE tradition has got us.

What the lyricist probably didn't realise was that what he was saying was double-edged, it could prove his point or it could work against it. For example, some traditions really ARE unnecessary and useless, but some are grounded in truth. What we should all do when concerned with a challenge like this is to just... decide for ourselves, no matter what anyone says, not even the one who told us to decide in the first place.

I used to be a pagan, then I morphed into an atheist, then, for some strange reason became a Christian. And am staying that way. (I just remember that what the guy's saying could be taken both ways so I don't fel too much guilt)

Because how can they be so sure that Christianity is wrong?

However that doesn't stop me from absolutely headbanging along to every beat in this song: it's AWESOME!

To me the song is a pretty scathing attack on Christianity, it's about the pervasive influence it has on society.

The first verse is about how Christianity spreads because of mans need for spiritual enlightenment (macculate our loneliness) and about the problems inherent in Christianity being trapped "between two worlds", the physical world represented by the corruption of the church and the spiritual world represented by the ideology Christianity strives for. The two 'worlds' are at odds with each other and Christianity is a struggle between the dominance of the two (tension of opposite poles)

The chorus address the negative influence Christianity has, Pilot souls refer to people who live their life on 'autopilot', never questioning anything about the world around them and accepting the status quo.

"Would you betray innovation in the name of tradition" is fairly straight forward and obvious.

The last verse is about the separation of church and state Helvetia (Switzerland, where Samael is from), voted to overturn the separation of church and state (Christianity is the state religion).

Anyway thats just the way I see the song, the great thing about their lyrics are that their ambiguous enough for people to derive their own meanings from them. The song is amazing one of Samael's best in my opinion.

Yay for religious rants. I'm actually in a somewhat odd position here. I'm very much a Christian but I adore the music in this song. So I listen to it anyway and come up with my own rants to counter the lyrics :)

"Would you betray innovation, in the name of tradition" I'm going to write an essay on that line some day. The truth of the matter is that I'd betray either one for the other in the name of "right", "truth" or "boredom". However, Vorph (Samael's singer and lyricist) doesn't mention the fact that innovation and tradition can co-exist quite easily.

I could go on. and on and on and on and on.....

stealtheharmony really gets it right in that long paragraph of his.

what about the song "worship him" ? somehow it sounds like what a religious person would say =\

and yeah this song is confusing

Yet another song about being gay by Samael

The wind of spring blows in heaven in the land of gold in the land of god (Just a reference that god was suppose to make everything perfect, yet it is not, people are born gay and are repressed by religion) manipulate the holiness (the words of god are interrepted instead of teaching love they teach hate) maculate our loneliness (Gays are not allowed to be part of society and are condemned to living alone and in fear) shining between two worlds (the person is trying to balance religion with their sexuality) learning to win and hold fraction of monopoly (trying to get acceptance from the church, yet religion teaches shame for being gay) tension of opposite's pole (people consider gay evil the opposite of good) give or take what has to move (this line refers how christianity is bounded by tradition and has to be more progressive) for I will fight for my country Eldest to the one and I harvest of love and light (this lines refers to having pride in who you are no mater your sexuality) armless - amnesty (this refers how christianity is suppose to be so accepting but is not, it does not embrace love for all, it just ingores groups of people and pretend they do not exist)

North south east and west the cross is sent over the lands (refers to how christianity is world wide) keep draining what was and will be in our time in our life (christianity teaches not to take pride in yourself and who you truly are) pilot soul takes you on the ride, no rise no fall for Humankind (christianity teaches that you should reject your gay sexuality, to go on a pilot mode and do what society says you should do (being straight), therefore you will not go to hell, but you will never experience the higher things in life such as love for another)

Among the best survive or leave (this refer to being in church, your among the purist, so you have to survive living without your natural instincts of being gay or leave) paranoid night so hard to relieve (paranoid night refers to going out to relieve your gay urges and being nervous that you will get caught and that other will know of your sin) would you betray innovation in the name of tradition (are you going to deny your sexuality to live by god rules) hopeless - amnesia (this line is a statement that if you deny your gayness that life will be hopeless)

North south east and west the cross is sent over the lands keep draining what was and will be in our time in our life pilot soul takes you on the ride, no rise no fall for Humankind

Helvetia gloria still smile behind the shade of shame cross your faith, join your hands tomorrow holds another day (the first line Helvetia Gloria is refering to embracing a woman but still you are always going to lust for a man so you have shame for who you are, the second line states "cross your faith, this is actually refering to rejecting your faith and joining hands with another man and being in a relationship with them and feeling hope for the future)

Eldest to the one and I harvest of love and light dictated by war and hate (refrering to how religion is hatefult) supported by those who hide (there are religious peope who are gay) it lives in your mind (no matter how much you reject your gayness it is still there) whatever you may say (referring to how people say you can get rid of being gay-reference to the ex gay movement) whoever you may pray Christianity world-wide (all religions teach that homosexuality is wrong, so no mattter who your god to it is teaching self hate-this theme is continued in the song anti-god by the line that I am the only hope that you got)