The Web

Marillion

The rain auditions at my window
Its symphony echoes in my womb
My gaze scans the walls of this apartment
To rectify the confines of my tomb

I'm the cyclops in the tenement
I'm the soul without the cause
Crying midst my rubber plants, ignoring beckoning doors
Clippings from ancient newspapers lie scattered cross the floor
Stained by the wine from a shattered glass
Meaningless words
Yellowed by time
Faded photos exposing pain
Celluloid leeches bleeding my mind
Christ, you've finished playing hangman
You've cast the fateful dice
Advice, advice, advice me, this shroud will not suffice
And thus begins the web

Attempting to discard these clinging memories
I only serve to wallow in our past
I fabricate the weave with my excuses
Its strands I hope and pray shall last
Oh please do last
Oh please do last

The fly trap needs the insects
Ivy caresses the wall
Needles make love to the junkies
The sirens seduce with their call
Confidence has deserted me, with you it has forsaken me
Confused and rejected, despised and alone, I kiss isolation on it's fevered brow
Security clutching me
Obscurity threatening me
Christ, your reasons were so obvious as my friends have qualified
I only laughed away your tears, but even jesters cry
But even jesters cry

I realize I hold the key to freedom
Oh I cannot let my life be ruled by threads
The time has come to make decisions
The changes have to be made

I realize I hold the key to freedom
I cannot let my life be ruled by threads
The time has come to make decisions
The changes have to be made

Now I leave you
The past does have it's say
You're all but forgotten
A mote in my heart
Decisions have been made
They've been made

Decisions have been made
I've conquered my fears, all my fears
The flaming shroud, the flaming shroud
Thus ends the web, the web, the web, the web, the web


Lyrics submitted by Idan

The Web Lyrics as written by Derek William Dick Brian Jellyman

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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The Web song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment
    This song is based around The Shroud of Laertes (Penelope's web), a Greek myth. Penelope waited for twenty years for her husband Odysseus to return from the Trojan war. During this time she had many male suitors and she made the decision that she would marry one of them once she had completed the Shroud of Laertes. However, she would weave it by day and unpick it by night, therefore never completing it. The Web is about a man who knows that he needs to move on after the breakup of a relationship but makes excuses forbidding him to do so: his own web or shroud. I can toitally relate to this song. How many times have we clung on to the hope that our love would return and putting off the time when we have to accept that it's time to let go and move on? But the song does end on an optimistic note as the narrator burns his shroud, he conquers his fears and moves on. One of my favourite early Marillion songs... all the more poignant now as I am currently going through this period of my life... ;)
    Ghostlighton August 21, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Dude above you are totally off- Its his womb as he is trapped in his apartment and sustains himself in there. It is about a guy and Ghostlight pretty much hit the nail on the head for the most part. Note the reference to the jester though to keep the album thematic (and more evi it is clearly a guy)- gotta love Fish's lyrics
    Islebebackon September 21, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Great song about Change and realisation (Sorry, I'm not very good at working out actual 'meanings' behind lyrics.) However, as always, brilliant vocals by Fish, and one of the Greatest Steve Rothery Guitar solos ever also feature on this track.
    Hunter_14180on March 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    heheh Ghostlight. I know exactly what you mean - currently going through exactly the same thing now. Whatever has happened (partner leaving being the most likely candidate - but why? there are references to teh media etc. Perhaps some kind of scandal) it's about the depression that follows, the justifiying to everyone else, convincing yourself you were right, it was their fault etc. But then eventually coming to terms with reality. Realising that only you have control over your future, learning from your mistakes and eventually moving on.
    Jaggehon November 01, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    There's just one problem with Ghostlights interpretation- if its written from the POV of a man, he would't refer to "its symphony echoes in my womb". using the Shroud of Laertes metaphor, I think the song relates to a woman, possibly pregnant, or with a child, stuck at home with nothing to do and ina relationship where the man has taken complete control of her life to the extent that she has no friends and no interests. She's lost her confidence, and remains alone in her apartment not knowing what to do- so she is trapped in a web. as the song goes on, shes saying that she knows that changing this situation is her responsibility and she's thought about making the move and hasn't yet,. But now she realises it is time to lose her fears and go on out into the world again. So she finally leaves the house and him behind even though she' s sad at the end of things, she realises that she has overcome her fears and broken free of the web she was trapped in. This is a fantastic song.
    Grahamvingoeon September 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    The Web is about solitude and the feeling of solitude. Isolation and the feeling of isolation for whatever reason. "I'm the cyclops in the tenement". I'm a "one eyed" man who can't see beyond the solitude of my confinements. The web is the life that we weave for ourself. "Confidence has deserted me, with you it has forsaken me" Unrequited feelings? Not having the confidence to profess your true feelings? "Confused and dejected, despised and alone".. I kiss isolation on its fevered brow"....I will always be alone. But it finishes on a positive note. "I've conquered my fears". "All my fears"....This song was and is my song because it meant so much to me when I was struggling with my sexuality...And when you come to terms with life..."Thus ends the web!"
    bgr1503on November 06, 2011   Link

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