Serenity Painted Death Lyrics
Voices fell like marble
No longer by my side
Gone all that would linger
Melinda reflected in shafts
Red line round her neck
Met the earth in silence
This serenity painted death
With a halo of bitter disease
Black paragon in lingering breath
This serenity painted death
With a halo of bitter disease
Black paragon in lingering breath
Clenched fist from the beautiful pain
Tearing within the reeling haze
Took control, claiming my flesh
Piercing rage, perfect tantrum
Each and every one would die at my hand
Choking in warm ponds of blood
At last, weak and torn, I went down
Drained from strength, flickering breath
The wayward in concious state
Flanked and barred in destiny's end
Underneath with hope in laches
Swathed in filth, any would betoken
Starlit shadows on the wall
Finally there to collect me
From the bowels of sin
This is chapter 6 in the "Still Life" story. Still Life is a concept album that tells a story. The previous chapters told of how this man was banished from his hometown because of his lack of faith. He won't ever forgive the people that abandoned him, but he has returned to confront the one girl he loves, Melinda. In the previous "chapter", "The Face of Melinda", he confronts her. However, he learns that she has become married.
"Endlessly gazing in nocturnal prime She spoke of her vices and broke the rhyme But baffled herself with the final line My promise is made but my heart is thine"
In this passage at the end of "The Face of Melinda", Melinda states that she is married but her heart belongs to the man who has returned. And this passage from "Serenity Painted Death"-
"Returned from a hibernal dream Voices fell like marble No longer by my side Gone all that would linger
Ripped from my embrace Melinda reflected in shafts Red line round her neck Met the earth in silence"
I believe that Melinda has just commited suicide because she is married to someone she doesn't truly love. The narrator then goes into a state of anger and vows to kill all of the people who had banished him. Which leads to chapter 7, "White Cluster"...
Disposition, you're a bit off. Melinda isn't married. She became a nun. In "Face of Melinda" it says "A harlot of God upon the earth" and "I took her by the hand to say All faith forever has been washed away".
Disposition, you're a bit off. Melinda isn't married. She became a nun. In "Face of Melinda" it says "A harlot of God upon the earth" and "I took her by the hand to say All faith forever has been washed away".
In this song, the Council of the Cross (Christian gov't) kills Melinda because she is with a nonbeliever. She didn't commit suicide. And in "White Cluster", the Council hangs him.
In this song, the Council of the Cross (Christian gov't) kills Melinda because she is with a nonbeliever. She didn't commit suicide. And in "White Cluster", the Council hangs him.
To be honest, I'm more to think that Melinda has become a nun. "a harlot of god upon the earth." as said in FOM.
Since she has disgraced her status as a nun to be with the returning protagonist, she has been murdered, our protagonist is captured, and sentenced to death, as in White Cluster.
But different interpretations are always good. :)
Supplanter and Kodos86 are correct.
Also, her throat was slit - she wasn't decapitated.
what does this song mean to me!? Not a hell of a lot in a lyrical sense... But i sure love it, like the rest of Opeth's music. We've had some good times together!
This song would represent the mourning peroid in which death brings upon people. Somebody close: it is suggested 'melinda', had died and the speaker talks about their struggle with the pain of losing a dear one and their hatred for life. (Darkness reared its head , Took control, claiming my flesh) .Most people feel hurt and anger, questioning the very purpose of life. But this feeling is only temporary, just as 'flickering breath'. This song is not, only very well played but the lyrics are also beautiful. Im not sure if thats close to the meaning (if one) but its still an awesome song, probably one of the best i've ever heard. If you havent developed an ear to listen to this quality of music, you are missing out on something great.
"If you havent developed an ear to listen to this quality of music, you are missing out on something great."
So very true.
By the way the "chapters" (songs) of this story are as follows:
1) The Moor 2) Godhead's Lament 3) Benighted 4) Moonlapse Vertigo 5) The Face of Melinda 6) Serenity Painted Death *7) White Cluster
Go to the tracks with the * in order to read my explination of the story.
Another possibility is that while the narrator and Melinda are together, the town comes and kills Melinda. The narrator tries to kill the townspeople, but is eventually overwhelmed and captured.
I think that explanation makes the most sense to me, but I could be wrong.
"Red line round her neck Met the earth in silence"
The townspeople cut her head off.