Black Black Heart

Wow...I don't claim to know what this song is about, but some of you guys are way out there with your "theories".

I see it as a song about sex and love, certainly. That much is obvious. I think the scene for the song is the protaganist actually having sex. It seems to me, after reading through the lyrics several times, that he is claiming that he is falling in love, giving in to this person, I assume a woman (unfurl his flag, a nation helpless). He seems to be bemoaning, however, that this woman with which he is falling in love, while terrific at sex, is really just playing a game with him, and indeed, doesn't at all reciprocate his feelings. I find proof for this in the "black, black heart" lines, as well as the references to the playing card suits, which invoke an image of games.

I see it as a love song, where, despite, or perhaps because of, this amazing, mind-blowing sex between this man and woman, the man is falling in love, and the woman, while seemingly happy to continue a sexual relationship, is not at all interested in a more emotionally involved relationship.

I'd be happy to discuss the lyrics of this, or any other song in more detail, just email me, hippiasrex@gmail.com

Well, I'm only on my 1st glass of wine but what the heck.....I think Hippias has the right idea on the song's meaning.

"Something ugly this way comes, From my fingers, sliding inside All these blessings All these words God lives underneath your covers Search for pleasure, Search for pain In this world, now I am undying"

-- our hero is searching for some kind of feeling through his sexual relationship with our heroine and despite the dichotomy of pleasure vs. pain and ugliness vs. god he has finally succumbed to the feeling that he is really alive.

"Black, black heart Why would you offer more Why would you make it easier on me To satisfy I'm on fire... I'm rotting to the core I'm eating all your kings and queens, All your sex and your diamonds."

-- To Hippias' point, our heroine is using the poor sod for her own personal sexual gratification - the tramp - as evidenced by her eating (interpreted as 'consuming') his Kings & Queens (most valuable cards in a game) and Sex & Diamonds (his essence and sense of self-worth). Basically she's chewing him up and spitting him out (who's to say he's not enjoying it though?)

The reference to Black Black Heart suggests that in her mind he is emotionally dead and hence the reason why he is letting her use him in this way.

The reference to "from the flame, a nation helpless..." represents our hero giving himself over to her, unable to resist the physical attraction.

....pause for glass of wine # 2

"As i begin to lose my grip of these realities you're sending taste your mind and taste your sex i'm naked underneath your cover covers lie and we will blend and borrow with the coming sign the tide will take the sea will rise time will rape"

-- Under the covers our hero isn`t being very hero-like as he loses control - a major no-no according to the prime reference manual on this subject: "Sex for Dummies".

"the tide will take the sea will rise time will rape" is a lyrical way of saying that the world continues outside while he and his amour do the nasty (sorry ladies!)

So there you have it one and all. God help us if they make this part of English lit in high-school the way they did with Simon & GarfunklesSounds of Silence`.

Regardless, ain't it cool that 5 years after the song was released we're still commenting on it? Ya gotta love the internet.

P.S. Interpretations aside, this is a haunting lyric and tune. Two thumbs up.

For me, this song is about sin- namely greed and lust. I will not overanalyze the lyrics but there is definitely a passionate, consuming feeling to this song. It is haunting and eerie and compelling

In my opinion, this is a song about a relationship where the narrator is overly possessive and dominating of their partner and that their sexual desires are corrupting them giving them a "black black heart". "I'm eating all your kings and queens" is saying that the narrator is replacing everyone important to their partner. "All your sex and your diamonds" Is then that they're making themselves everything they value and desire.

"I'm godless underneath your cover" reflects how their morals and ability to think clearly is breaking down because of their desires, "Search for pleasure search for pain" shows how all they're looking for now is stimulation. It's a two sided consuming desperation though; "why would you offer more?" and "On these realities your sending" showing how their partner is fuelling their need.

Overall I think it's a song about how all-consuming and powerful sexual desires and relationships can be and how lust can turn us into entirely selfish, blinded beings.

I found this song to be very rich in meaning. I think it is about someone who watches the world become more and more obsessed with earthly values such as sex and diamonds. They begin to realize that the world is falling apart under the effect of these shallow obsessions. And they come to realize that they must surrender to our reality…they realize that society is helpless and that we are doomed…“I unfurl my flag my nation helpless”. They discover that society is “something ugly” that we are “rotting to the core”, and they realize that they themselves are “godless”, as they too have fallen under the effects of society. It makes you wonder whether or not there is any true universal morality, and makes you question whether or not true art and true freedom can exist in the society that we have created, and the society that we insist on upholding.

i love this song can only say its about sex but its cool esp adding the opera bit in the beginning

Personally, I believe it is talking about a corrupt Kingdom or smt (the reference to "Kings and Queens"). Maybe this kingdom -nation helpless, it says - is in fact the artist's soul and "etat psychologique". I have no idea what the black heart is though... Maybe it's the artist's own heart.

The way he sings and its rhythm just creep me out, I don't know why. There's melancholy, disappointment and all bad feelings underlying in the song... but that's how I like it.

When he performs this song live.....the music just seeps in and takes over your entire soul..........it is amazing

The references to "Kings and Queens" and the "diamonds" are all vague metaphors dealing with playing cards.

The "Black, Black Heart" referred to goes along with these vague metaphors, as most hearts on cards are red. The heart here is the opposite though. They've become black, the color of clubs and spades.

Don't ask me what all these card metaphors mean though, I haven't the slightest.