Darkangel

to me, this song is about a person who is aware that he doesn't fit in with society. he is aware of a different purpose for his life. i dated a dark angel for 4 years. he came into my life like the wind and fixed the darkness inside of me. because of him, i am a much stronger woman today.

"Powerless I watched from faces I'd assumed."

the faces he assumed are the roles he took on to fit in, but he yearns to find his place in the universe and be at peace. he feels that his purpose is to help others and "right the wrongs that [they] have suffered." and he feels this healing role is his purpose in which he can find peace.

"In your dream you see me clear I have no restraint, no fear"

your conscious mind may not understand me, but your subconscious understands the truth about me. i am not a set label or defined role. i am my own person and i live without regard to limitations that most people live by.

"among my own i was alone through my own doing....it seems i came to leave"

he knows that he is not meant to commit to anyone but is destined to be in people's lives for short periods as a tool to help them grow mentally and spiritually. in short, he is a healer.

"Doubting angels fall to walk among the living."

angels that do not realize their purpose will not fulfill their destiny and won't live to their potential.

"Give me time I will be clear. Given time you'll understand What possesses me to right what you have suffered. I'm in this mood because of scorn. I'm in a mood for total war. To the darkened skies once more and ever onward. "

you may not understand me now, but eventually you will realize my purpose. i am angry at how the world is and i am fighting to right the wrongs of others. my life's purpose will never end and i will always follow this path.

(please remember, song lyrics mean different things to different people; if there is a 'truth' to them, it is for the artist to say)

for me, these lyrics bring to mind the role of a dark angel (I can empathize with the role, as I am of the same mind as AT). he is an outcast, a sort of recluse ("among my own I was alone through my own doing"). but this is not to say that he is a thing of evil (i.e. 'cast out') but, his actions are, of necessity, not wholly good. he may be a vindicator ("what possesses me to right what you have suffered"). he may be a defender ("...those I served"). both roles, however, mean that sometimes you get the proverbial blood on your hands. but, overall, he is a knower of the truth of the world ("there is no faith in which to hide/ even truth is filled with lies"); a fact that fills him with a mixture of sadness, anger, and angst.

(but, that's just my interpretation. I can scarcely explore my feelings on the subject in a short paragraph)

What I love about this song is that contains enough ambiguity to the point where it can spark imagination, yet if one pays enough attention to the overall theme of empires as whole can clearly understand what personal issue Ronan is addressing. For most people, it is clear empires clearly represents a very pivtol stage in Ronan's development as a writer and a thinker, a state most of us go through, where one begins to highly question their conceptions ideas and ideology. Questions that are often asked, is this truly what I believe? Has this been imposed on me? Does this make sense if you really think it out? To me, Dark angel represents perhaps one of the most critical areas of thought during this stage of questioning, the battle for the authentic self. The narrator is Ronan's authentic self. Pretty every part of the song makes perfect sense with this conception.

I feel the song is talking about righting those whom are wronged. From the large to small matters in life. A person is born into this world to simply exist they don't seek out pain, stress, or worries. I feel that the lyrics are speaking about the injustices another person can commit towards another person.

"What possesses me to right what you have suffered. I'm in this mood because of scorn. I'm in a mood for total war. To the darkened skies once more and ever onward. There is no faith in which to hide. Even truth is filled with lies. Doubting angels fall to walk among the living"

That there are parties out there that want to right what is wrong. As were here to exist, and live peacefully and those that cause others pain are disrupting a careful balance. It's written as a sort of angry avenging or rather dark angel whom is twisted but only because they seek out retribution for the wronged. We all feel this way sometimes. A burning righteousness that said dark angel would feel. ♥ Would love to hear other opinions. And, can't believe that this song turned into a big snub war.. Interesting but ill place to do it. Best of luck! and more meanings please!

wow said_corpse.... you've read entirely too much into this song. It seems that it's simply a story of someone who has made mistakes in his past who wants to do what he can to make sure others don't mimick his folly.

if, to be a "dark angel" you must be cast out, than everybody who walks this lousy planet is a Dark Angel. everybody has been an outcast, is an outcast, or will be outcast sooner or later.

but to consider one's self a "dark angel" is pitifully trite and hopelessly pretentious.

all you self-assumed Dark Angels need to get over yourselves and find where you belong.

Being a dark angel does not necessarily mean you've been cast out for some wrongdoing or anything like that. In fact, you may walk freely among others, just expect that all the attention they'll pay you is adverse, seeing as by your position you attain a reputation for being a troublemaker and circumventing the 'rules'.

In my interpretation, for an angel [although I don't believe in angels - this is all based on my roleplay universe] to become a dark angel, -he- is the one that changes; it is not a decision made by anyone else. The very essence of the angel's soul becomes so consumed by the smog of thought - that piece of imperfect being - ["Doubting angels fall to walk among the living."] that they lose some of their foothold in heaven and are often removed to the corporeal world [NOT, however, as one of the Fallen], not necessarily as a measure of exile, but for their own protection would their ex-brethren see them as threatening.

It's like... Les Miserables. Because when an angel loses heaven's light, he can never regain it, or perhaps even when he does, that which made him dark in the first place remains. ["They fall again." "I'd only come here seeking peace. I'd only come here seeking me. It seems I came to leave.]

Seems to me that this song may just be a first-person narrative - a story, if you will - about a divine being cast from Heaven (or wherever). It seems there may be a problem or conspiracy (talk about trite, but I don't know how else to word it) going on among the Powers that Be, which would explain the pain and suffering that go on in the world. The narrator wants to right the wrongs that have taken place, but is not prepared (or able) to reveal exactly what is happening. He is scornful of those who cast him down, and wants to wage a war against them.

Hey, it fits. In any case, however, this is a beautiful song as are most of VNV Nation's works.

Nice song! Good lyrics! They definitly have musical talent. I really like the way they program there music too. It's very dancable, and energetic.

This song is uberleet. I love it insanely. I think of it as almost (but not quite) the musical part to The Count of Monte Cristo -- an awesome book. It has more or less the same general themes.