The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Haunted nights for halcyon days
Can't sleep to the scraping of his voice
Nature's way struck grief in me
And I became a ghost in sickness
Willingly guided into heresy
Beneath the surface, stark emptiness
And you'd pity my conviction
Whereas I thought of myself as a leader
You'd cling to your pleasant hope
It is twisted fascination
While I'd ruin the obstacles into despair
And I'm praising death
Lost love of the heart
In a holocaust scene memory
Decrepit body wearing transparent skin
Inside, the smoke of failure
Wept for solace and submit to faith
In his shadow I am choking
Yet flourishing
Master
A delusion made me stronger
Yet I'm draped in pale, withering flesh
I sacrificed more than I had
And left my woes beneath the mire
Can't sleep to the scraping of his voice
Nature's way struck grief in me
And I became a ghost in sickness
Willingly guided into heresy
Beneath the surface, stark emptiness
And you'd pity my conviction
Whereas I thought of myself as a leader
You'd cling to your pleasant hope
It is twisted fascination
While I'd ruin the obstacles into despair
And I'm praising death
Lost love of the heart
In a holocaust scene memory
Decrepit body wearing transparent skin
Inside, the smoke of failure
Wept for solace and submit to faith
In his shadow I am choking
Yet flourishing
Master
A delusion made me stronger
Yet I'm draped in pale, withering flesh
I sacrificed more than I had
And left my woes beneath the mire
Lyrics submitted by pan_ziebys(:
Beneath the Mire Lyrics as written by Per Wiberg Mikael Lars Akerfeldt
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Overplayed?
'Haunted nights for haleyon days Can't sleep to the scraping of his voice"
The Son has accepted Satan, which now haunts him.
"Willingly guided into heresy Beneath the surface, stark emptiness And you'd pity my conviction Whereas I thought of myself as a leader"
After turning to Satan he realizes there is no good in it, and as others saw him and pitied him, he thought he was doing what was right, hence being a leader.
"You'd cling to your pleasant hope It is twisted fascination While I'd ruin the obstacles into despair And I'm praising death"
Here he is saying how others would lead their life, typically, while he was obsessed with death and destruction.
"Decrepit body wearing transparent skin Inside, the smoke of failure"
His dealing with Satan has ruined him, and he has nothing to show for it but failure.
'Wept for solace and submit to faith In his shadow I'm choking Yet flourishing"
While with Satan he is losing sanity, yet is growing stronger.
Mike said this song is about "the character thinking everyone else in the story was possesed, but in reality its him"
I think its the turning point, where he begins to accept what he is, although is cleary un happy with it.
I cant find a link lyrically, but the underwater sounds at the end make me think he trys to end his life....which leads me to...atonement
THIS SONG'S LYRICS ARE SOME OF THE BEST THEY'VE EVER WRITTEN, EVEN BETTER THAN MOONLAPSE VERTIGO OR THE FOREST OF OCTOBER!!!
why doesn't this track have more comments? its fucking sick.
Opeth's most underrated song, with "Demon of the Fall."
Excellent track. Overplayed though.
CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL
EVEN WITH CRUISE CONTROL, YOU STILL HAVE TO STEER