Still it came passing by
The pieces weaved together rose the sun
And fooled me with another day
The knocking message called for my life

Sealed the spell of my scrawny body
Soil to skin, my next of kin
Damp air grasped, stole the words
And greeted me with a hiss

This is forgiveness, so I know
Once I repent I seal the lid
I slither for you and I´m dying
I find trust in hate

They wear white for me
Seemingly jaded and lost
I forge myself into your dreams
And here I am your life

Hangman, clutching at his tools
I will come for you

The noose is tied
Murmur through the crowd
Plunging into anywhere but here

Cloak-captured sighs of relief
As the primal touch brought me back
And the last sight I did see is still here
Beckoning right behind me


Lyrics submitted by Idan

White Cluster Lyrics as written by Mikael Lars Akerfeldt

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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White Cluster song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    Moments in a man's cell, possibly during his final confession, night passes and he has a dream, until finally, he has hanged in public.

    Blindwishon July 13, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Blindwish has it all right, and to expand on his explanation, this is the final chapter of "Still Life". (Track 7) In case you don't know yet, "Still Life" by Opeth is a concept album that tells a story and each track is a chapter. They are:

    1) The Moor 2) Godhead's Lament 3) Benighted 4) Moonlapse Vertigo 5) The Face of Melinda 6) Serenity Painted Death 7) White Cluster

    Read my explanations on "The Moor" and "Serenity Painted Death" to get an idea of what I am talking about. Anyway, on to the final chapter...

    The narrator has been sentenced to die by the village that hates him, probably due to his revengeful acts hinted at in "Serenity Painted Death". And this song describes his final moments, and then the album ends. It's as simple as that.

    Disposition_987on August 30, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    And also an utterly fantastic song that alone eclipses the rest of the album, despite the brilliance of the other "chapters". How many other bands can sound like Immortal and later Anathema in the same song without sounding ridiculous? Genius. As for the lyrics, well they're pretty literal...except for the final verse...maybe it's hinting that even in the afterlife, the consequences of his rage and actions will be visible to him...

    juvenilecokefiendon September 03, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Maybe being clad in white represents a disrespect for the person in question who is being hanged.

    Beautiful song, topping off what I believe to be the greatest album of the greatest artists in existence. The concept really drags you in until you seem to be in entrapped in the story. It's like after any good book: you seem to just sit there and indulge in awe at the beauty of it all. Hail Opeth.

    demon_of_the_fallon September 30, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    They wear white for me Seemingly jaded and lost I forge myself into your dreams And here I am your life

    Didn't people usally wear black to hangings?

    moonlaspe_vertigoon August 01, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    hes not black gosh people look way into the white thing too much

    if he was a black slave there'd be some mention of slavery or bondage or anything, read my other posts on the album. they think he's a monster, a "godless freak". he was probably born deformed and kicked out.

    returnsandexchangeson March 10, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Or maybe he was in fact of another ethnicity, perhaps a moorish muslim.

    Ddaduttaon June 18, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    .....NOT

    Ddaduttaon July 27, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I believe the song title is a reference to the large amount of people gathered to witness his execution.

    Ddaduttaon July 27, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Heresy is one of the main themes of Still Life. He is banished from the village because he is a "godless ... defiler", and he is despised because he tries to lead Melinda away from her life as a nun. Finally he is hanged.

    Ddaduttaon August 17, 2006   Link

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