I absolutely love this song, both musically and lyrically. The music is simple, but very beautiful and emotional. The guitar solo is definitely very David Gilmour-y but fits this very well and is a great nod to Pink Floyd which has one of Edlund's biggest musical influences.
I love how the lyrics mix in the archaic and old english words both to flavor and obscure some of the meaning. It indeed makes it seem very poetic. Since they are so ridiculous I will try to go more or less line by line to show you my thoughts on what it all might mean.
"This dole crowner gallows me"
It is our fate (dole) to one day die. The author is afraid (to gallow is to be afraid). Crowner can either refer to a coroner/undertaker or perhaps the act of dying/being subject to the fate of death. I'm not sure.
"As this mere welkin hallowed be"
Referring to the purity (mere) and holiness (hallowed) of heaven (welkin: vault in the sky) perhaps as somewhere he'd like to reach.
"Whereupon I trick and train and tire"
I think this is just referring to the toils of life, maybe struggling to reach heaven or just to live day to day.
"To limn my umbered love in fire"
Illuminate my shadowed love. Showing your love (perhaps to someone in particular.. lover is mentioned later) or being a better person? It might be urging people to not hide their feelings for others prior to death.
"Before this noble mare bewrays
As I clearly see it all decays"
One of my favorite lines. I believe he is symbolizing his body as the mare (horse). That is, it is a vessel for his soul/life. Before his noble body betrays or fails him (bewray), i.e. physical death. He knows his body will fail eventually as death is unavoidable. This might refer back to the previous line of showing your love before you die.
"In debile coil of smoke suspires"
Referring to life going out like a puff of smoke or a weakly exhaled breath.
"May our last orison quickens as we
are drumbling near this poise of free"
Drumbling is the act of doing something in a fashion or manner that makes it obvious the person does not know what he or she is doing. The poise of free I think is referring to freedom in death. Free of the weight/burdens of life. As we approach death, may we say a prayer (orison).
"Quell me maculate slowly dyer"
Maculate has to do with staining or can also refer to impurities. Perhaps sin, maybe blood. I don't know. Dyer also has to do with coloring something. Quelling this may have something to do with washing away his impurities, forgiveness, etc.
"Case my remains with sharpened brier"
Placed in a casket with thorns or plants growing around it? Burial?
"Atone me to my throes curtail"
Death throes meaning the agony of death or dying. He knows it is inevitable, but please make it quick (curtail) and painless.
"To dim and dire fields I vail"
Vail has to do with submitting (to death), also sinking (put into the ground), and also giving a hat's off to something (acceptance and respect for death and the dead). Interestingly all three of these definitions work. He is submitting to death and his fate underground.
"And my eale's but a slumbering lier."
Eale is ale. I guess this could have to do with how people drink to get over sad events, or to forget about the woes of life completely. It puts your mind to sleep.
"Then so lingered here but none
To buckle back what had begun"
It supposes that death is not the end.
"In molten aeons caged desire
Dared Phantasma, us much higher."
Molten can mean molten or it could also mean overcome with sadness. Aeons could mean ages or it could refer to Angels or spirits of God (this definition is particular to the Gnostic religion). Perhaps the spirits overcome with sorrow lift the dead into heaven?
"Ceased to milch the clover flower"
The clover sometimes refers to the holy trinity. Not sure what other significance it might have here.
"Neither raindrops nor my lover
Shall restore what has been done
When we're all keeled in freezing sun"
No matter what happens after death, there is no coming back from it. You can cry for your lost love, but it won't save them, and won't save you. Keeled in freezing sun makes me think of having the life sucked out of you, or being lifeless in a coffin or something.
"Ceased to milch the clover flower"
The clover sometimes refers to the holy trinity. Not sure what other significance it might have here.
"Ceased to milch the clover flower"
The clover sometimes refers to the holy trinity. Not sure what other significance it might have here.
this line is quite clear for me :) clover flower is a symbol of luck... act of milking is known - gaining milk (from a cow)...
so for me it is a symbolic expression: "I used up all my luck..." - I might be wrong here but it would fit the concept..
this line is quite clear for me :) clover flower is a symbol of luck... act of milking is known - gaining milk (from a cow)...
so for me it is a symbolic expression: "I used up all my luck..." - I might be wrong here but it would fit the concept..
I absolutely love this song, both musically and lyrically. The music is simple, but very beautiful and emotional. The guitar solo is definitely very David Gilmour-y but fits this very well and is a great nod to Pink Floyd which has one of Edlund's biggest musical influences.
I love how the lyrics mix in the archaic and old english words both to flavor and obscure some of the meaning. It indeed makes it seem very poetic. Since they are so ridiculous I will try to go more or less line by line to show you my thoughts on what it all might mean.
"This dole crowner gallows me"
It is our fate (dole) to one day die. The author is afraid (to gallow is to be afraid). Crowner can either refer to a coroner/undertaker or perhaps the act of dying/being subject to the fate of death. I'm not sure.
"As this mere welkin hallowed be"
Referring to the purity (mere) and holiness (hallowed) of heaven (welkin: vault in the sky) perhaps as somewhere he'd like to reach.
"Whereupon I trick and train and tire" I think this is just referring to the toils of life, maybe struggling to reach heaven or just to live day to day.
"To limn my umbered love in fire" Illuminate my shadowed love. Showing your love (perhaps to someone in particular.. lover is mentioned later) or being a better person? It might be urging people to not hide their feelings for others prior to death.
"Before this noble mare bewrays As I clearly see it all decays" One of my favorite lines. I believe he is symbolizing his body as the mare (horse). That is, it is a vessel for his soul/life. Before his noble body betrays or fails him (bewray), i.e. physical death. He knows his body will fail eventually as death is unavoidable. This might refer back to the previous line of showing your love before you die.
"In debile coil of smoke suspires" Referring to life going out like a puff of smoke or a weakly exhaled breath.
"May our last orison quickens as we are drumbling near this poise of free" Drumbling is the act of doing something in a fashion or manner that makes it obvious the person does not know what he or she is doing. The poise of free I think is referring to freedom in death. Free of the weight/burdens of life. As we approach death, may we say a prayer (orison).
"Quell me maculate slowly dyer" Maculate has to do with staining or can also refer to impurities. Perhaps sin, maybe blood. I don't know. Dyer also has to do with coloring something. Quelling this may have something to do with washing away his impurities, forgiveness, etc.
"Case my remains with sharpened brier" Placed in a casket with thorns or plants growing around it? Burial?
"Atone me to my throes curtail" Death throes meaning the agony of death or dying. He knows it is inevitable, but please make it quick (curtail) and painless.
"To dim and dire fields I vail" Vail has to do with submitting (to death), also sinking (put into the ground), and also giving a hat's off to something (acceptance and respect for death and the dead). Interestingly all three of these definitions work. He is submitting to death and his fate underground.
"And my eale's but a slumbering lier." Eale is ale. I guess this could have to do with how people drink to get over sad events, or to forget about the woes of life completely. It puts your mind to sleep.
"Then so lingered here but none To buckle back what had begun" It supposes that death is not the end.
"In molten aeons caged desire Dared Phantasma, us much higher." Molten can mean molten or it could also mean overcome with sadness. Aeons could mean ages or it could refer to Angels or spirits of God (this definition is particular to the Gnostic religion). Perhaps the spirits overcome with sorrow lift the dead into heaven?
"Ceased to milch the clover flower" The clover sometimes refers to the holy trinity. Not sure what other significance it might have here.
"Neither raindrops nor my lover Shall restore what has been done When we're all keeled in freezing sun" No matter what happens after death, there is no coming back from it. You can cry for your lost love, but it won't save them, and won't save you. Keeled in freezing sun makes me think of having the life sucked out of you, or being lifeless in a coffin or something.
"Ceased to milch the clover flower" The clover sometimes refers to the holy trinity. Not sure what other significance it might have here.
"Ceased to milch the clover flower" The clover sometimes refers to the holy trinity. Not sure what other significance it might have here.
this line is quite clear for me :) clover flower is a symbol of luck... act of milking is known - gaining milk (from a cow)... so for me it is a symbolic expression: "I used up all my luck..." - I might be wrong here but it would fit the concept..
this line is quite clear for me :) clover flower is a symbol of luck... act of milking is known - gaining milk (from a cow)... so for me it is a symbolic expression: "I used up all my luck..." - I might be wrong here but it would fit the concept..