Medusa and Hemlock

can anyone please explain the meaning of this song? ^.^ thanks in advance

maybe it has no meaning.......

I'm working on a complete word for word explanation.I think it's about the decadence of society and civilisation into witchcraft and paganism. Have some patience and i'll have it posted in the next few days. Medusa was a gorgon of greek myhtology who had snakes for hair and could turn people to stone by staring at them. Hemlock is a type of poison. More of an explanation in the next week. Love this song. Not a fan of Cradle Of Filth's old work, but on Nymphetamine they really produced something that i like.

I have interpreted this song as the decadence of society and civilisation into witchcraft and paganism. It could also be a metaphor of today’s modern world, interpret as you wish. However, if anybody has a completely different idea, post it here and let me know cause I’m always interested in how other people interpret a certain song. I have set my song meaning out in a paragraph-by-paragraph format so you can see what part of the song it refers to. Enjoy!

Firstly, I’d like to point out that I had to make a few tiny corrections in the lyrics posted. They were basically right but a few words were wrong. These are the lyrics(hopefully correct) from the Nymphetamine album with my interpretation of each verse;

Dim the lights, wrong the rites Toss the puerile cross away We are gashing from a venomous womb

Dimming the lights is making the world dark and evil, wronging the rites (religious or solemn observance or act) is going against all other religions. Puerile means immature. The “venomous womb” is the poisonous place of origination.

Burning bright, dead of night Pyres stain a milky way Lust is splashing the dark face of the moon

The funeral pyres of the dead are so many that the smoke stains the night sky. The lust for decadence is there, but hidden in the dark where it originated.

In the Samhain mist We lay in welcome by the western gate With the five fold kiss For every soul returning From the fecund abyss Where nature’s travesties congregate With a stone cold wish To see the wickermen burning

The Samhain mist has something to do with paganism and is the feast at the start and the end of the sacred year. I’m not sure of the significance of the western gate. The five fold kiss (feet, knees, womb, breasts, lips) is something to do with Wicca, the modern day religion of witchcraft. Every soul returning from the fecund (fertile) abyss is greeted with the five fold kiss of Wicca. Travesties mean imitations. A stone cold (long awaited) wish to see the wicker men burning is like the long want to be able to practice witchcraft.

The wind, she whispers Through the graveyards of our hearts… Wreathed in dreams As she weaves Her witchcraft We breathe, enamoured Of the conquering dark

Wreathed=surrounded or hidden by. Enamoured means inspired by love or liking, so this verse is basically about converting people over to the dark side.

Medusa and Hemlock

I’m still not sure of the significance of the words Medusa and Hemlock but I think, since Medusa was a gorgon of Greek mythology and Hemlock is a type of poison taken from a fern like plant I think this sentence is referring to the paganistic use of mythology and poison potions.

Harvest past, fires cast Ashen shades this Hallowe’en We are Set now to Beherit the earth

Harvest past, fires cast means the passing of the years. Beherit means the opposite to inherit so it kinda ties in with the next verse about widdershins.

Widdershins, death begins To fashion fete to gallow scenes… Sprits rising to discredit rebirth

Widdershins is the reversal of magic, therefore turning good to bad. Fete, when used in the right context can mean the day of a saint. There is no need for rebirth because the spirits are rising up.

In the Samhain mist We lay in welcome by the western gate With the five fold kiss For every soul returning From the fecund abyss Where nature’s travesties congregate With a stone cold wish To see the wickermen burning

Same as above.

The wind, she flitters Through the forest of our hearts… Wreathed in leaves As she weaves Her witchcraft We breathe, enamoured Of the conquering dark

Basically the same as above.

I will trace the knot of serpents in your hair Plot your face, then ascending marble stares You shall pluck me, masked, from roses-in-despair Tasting my blood That runs from worming tongue like prayer

This verse is the description of Medusa. Medusa had snakes for hair. Marble stares is a great pun because legend has it that Medusa could turn people to stone by just looking at them and marble is a stone and stairs is written as stares.

Under pagan veneer snakes a fear That makes the stars Grieve, just to be Uncharted on this Eve When part of me chars a path Through your heavenly constellations

Stars are seen in Astrology as being able to tell the future so if they go back to being uncharted, the earth goes back to having no future.

Medusa and Hemlock

Same as above.

Back to black, hinges crack Rituals call obscenities Sheets of demons rush insanity skies

Back to evil, doors open. The new rituals go against everything old and good.

Tread the salt, the dead exult Preachers beg our clemency Seeking warmth in inhumanity’s eyes

The dead exult (rejoice) because they now walk the earth. Preachers beg our clemency (mercy) because they represent Christianity and are now outnumbered by their foe. They seek warmth(acceptance) in inhumanity’s eyes. Inhumanity is the evil darkness.

We who kept the candle by the vault We who kept the handle on the cult

We who kept evil locked away have now released it upon the world!

bloody hell! how long did that take you?!

well fuc*ing done thanks a bunch :]

It's cool. It was a labor of love(or hate). Metal 4ever!

yea. thanx.

WOW, COBHATEBREEDER! That's all I can say. You are absolutely brilliant! You broke down the whole song for all those morons out there who just assumed that this song had no meaning... Congratulations, you've just enlightened a society of idiots... Now they'll think before they ever again suggest that Dani would actually write a song with no meaning!

Thanks mrsdanifilth73. I know what you mean. For a while i asumed it had no meaning but then i didn't think Dani would write something just for the sake of writing it.That guy is a genius.