The Sulphur Man

Man, I just had a revelation! It's all about suicide, and I think the sulphur man is a mention of the devil (fire and brimstone = sulphur etc) Fate brought you brought you next to ghosts (well, you attempted suicide because you were fatefully depressed) they talk in code looking for the way out (they are all other people who are only half living, and they are struggling but no one understands them)

I hope you'll want to live a day and learn to cope I hope you will find what matters (yet again, an obvious message of support)

Through the streets and on your own Almost lost and almost gone We'll be looking all we can We'll be searching for the sulphur man (you're nearly dead, and we're searching for the devil because we know we'll find you there)

Pills stop you Stopped you feeling life Fall Into a home Sympathy and all A soul in tatters A soul as black as coal I hope, I hope I wish you could find what matters (a really obvious pointer - pills = attempted suicide, a soul in tatters = depression) So that's all I can think of that fits, really. Please, someone else comment!

This is definitely about someone in deep depression and suicidal. 'The sulphur man' is death or maybe a personification of the person as death. The 'pills' could be anti-depressants, but I think they more likely represent drug misuse that intensified his depression. 'Fate brought you next to ghosts' suggests that he got into this state as a result of personal suffering, probably the loss of someone close. 'They talk in code, looking for the way out' is people in the same state as this guy all share a common goal that no-one sane can really understand, they want to kill themselves. This guy cannot be helped anymore, he has to save himself, he needs to 'want to live', 'learn to cope' with his problems and 'find what really matters' to him. All anyone else can do is 'hope'.

Maybe "pills stop you" refers to medication stabilizing a mood disorder/major depressive disorder... ? Stops a person from feeling the extreme highs and lows. Falls into a care center ("home")?

LouisaG., totally get the idea about sulphur man being the devil; sulphur was referred to as brimstone...

but here are a couple more ideas:

sulphur man is a man on drugs as sulphur is a major pharmecutical feedstock as well as being used by itself for treating diseases

or

Sulphur man is called that due to his skin tone? such as caused by jaundice, often a side effect of heavy drug use, disease, etc.

or

Sulphur man was a coal miner who survived a cave in (fate brought you next to ghosts... his coworkers who died next to him? and they are looking for a way out...) Sulphur is common in coal excavation, some grades are high in sulphur, and england has a lot of high sulphur coal...

any thoughts?

J

OP hit it squarely in the suicide. I relate to so many Doves songs. Some are inscrutable, some as clear as day. This one reminds me whenever I was hooked hopelessly on opioids and was thinking about suicide everyday. Luckily I managed to kick that habit all by myself, no help from anybody, no rehab, no nothing but my own sick and tired of being sick and tired feeling of living day to day in fear of withdrawals. I'm still pretty fucked up in the head, but at least I don't have to worry about opioids anymore.

I can't believe no one's commented! This is one of the Doves' most awesome songs - maybe about someone who's depressed - and the person's friends realise, but they can't do anything about it. Don't quite get what the hell the sulphur man is. It sounds like something radioactive.

In alchemy, sulphur is one of the three essential elements (alongside mercury and salt) believed to represent the soul and the principle of combustibility and transformation. Sulphur has also been symbolized as the human soul, associated with purification, change, and a volatile nature.

This song is about a friend enduring difficult times, and despite all our efforts, we feel powerless.

We'll be looking all we can

We'll be searching for the sulphur man

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