Why i (used to) think “Lethe” is about love:
Give me to drink of the fluid
That disintegrates
And lend me the sweet balm and blessing
Of forgetfulness, empty and strong
Okay, this
could sound like alcoholism... but to me the meaning is (was) hidden deeper inside. To me, the fluid that disintegrates [pain, memories, etc] and the sweet balm and blessing of forgetfulness (again, disintegrating memory) is love. Love is empty (it is nothing more than a need to feel that there’s someone out there who cares for us, nothing more than an illusion, for we are alone), and love is strong.
Lethe!!
Oh, Lethe!!
In greek mythology, Lethe was a river in Hades which made those who drank its waters forget about the time when they were alive. Again, this is disintegrating memory. I believe love momentarily takes away our memories of life, it makes us forget that life sucks and is very depressing, it makes us feel happy for once.
Hold me near, unravel the stars
As i speed through the heavens, speed through the night
For you are my blade and my rope
He’s asking her to hold him near and protect him and at the same time show him a wonderful world (“unravel the stars”
. When you’re in love, you feel powerful and invincible (thus “speed through the heavens” / “through the night”
. She is his strength (blade) and his security (rope, a rope that would keep him from falling).
You are my--
You are my Lethe
You are my own!
She is his own. What else can i say?
In currents of cobalt you storm through my heart
To severe, to puncture the memories that burn
Let sweep through the arteries in sharp stabs of pain
Your talonlike fingers to kill me again
Love is a raging and passionate thing. It “storms” through one’s heart (actually, it’s all in the mind, of course, but traditionally feelings come from the heart). Again, it destroys the “burning” memories of real life by creating an illusion in which everything is perfect. But love is also painful (thus “in sharp stabs of pain / your talonlike fingers to kill me again”.. and here begins the dark twisted side of this love song).
And again, and again and again and again
Steal me, invade me, and charge me again
And again, and again and again and again
For i burn and i shudder
Burn with each moment of hate
You know how cliché poets might use the phrases “steal me” and “invade me” to tell a love to “steal their heart” and “invade their thoughts”? Well, he’s asking her to do just that. And he burns and shudders with each moment of hate (remember the “burning” memories? Well, he hates those memories, he hates real life.. and he shudders when he remembers).
So, cleansed through a floodlight
I appear, renewed and reforged
Again, cliché poetry (love being a light among the darkness and all). The light “cleanses” him (rids him of everything unpleasant), and he is renewed (feels like a new man).
Caressed by the sweet balm and blessing
Of forgetfulness, empty and strong
Lethe!!
Already discussed this. =P
Hold me near, my one friend and guide
As i drown through your fingers, drown through your love
Need i explain these two extremely explicit verses?
For you are the life that i hate
You are my--
You are my--
Remember the part about love hurting and having its “evil” side? I think (thought) that’s why he hates love.
Drag me down in passionate sighs
With the ocean above me
And flames in my eyes
Again, very explicit. Passionate love.. and you sigh when you’re in love (and i suppose you sigh when you make love too). The ocean above him could mean that he’s “drowning” (hence the ocean) in love/feelings, and the flames in his eyes are clearly the new life and vigor he has thanks to her love.
Grant me a life i can live
Take me away...
Take me away...
...From the life that i hate
The meaning of this is obvious.
But, thanks to you, now every time i listen to this once amazing song i’ll think about horrible alcohol rather than beautiful love.
Why “Lethe” could be about alcoholism:
Give me to drink of the fluid
That disintegrates
And lend me the sweet balm and blessing
Of forgetfulness, empty and strong
Lethe!!
Oh, Lethe!!
Alcohol certainly makes you forget (well, that’s whay they say; i’ve never been drunk and i never plan on getting drunk).
Hold me near, unravel the stars
As i speed through the heavens, speed through the night
The stars could be an illusion, meaning that he’s drunk and sees or imagines things (would be more appropriate of pot, but.. eh...). He speeds through the heavens and through the night in a dream (or, more metaphorically, it could be either the transition from sober to drunk or the very feeling of drunkenness, speeding through the unknown. I wouldn’t know).
For you are my blade and my rope
Maybe alcohol is the blade that later on stabs his heart, arteries and mind and the rope that keeps him hanging in the world of drunkenness...
You are my--
You are my Lethe
You are my own!
The Lethe/forgetfulness analogy once again.
In currents of cobalt you storm through my heart
To severe, to puncture the memories that burn
Let sweep through the arteries in sharp stabs of pain
Your talonlike fingers to kill me again
Cobalt? More like transparent, but liquids (especially water, but i suppose alcohol too) are traditionally painted blue... at any rate, it flows through one’s arteries and veins (“storm through my heart / let sweep through the arteries”
and damages one’s body (“to kill me again”
. I wouldn’t know about the pain (ask someone who’s been there and done that
).
And again, and again and again and again
Steal me, invade me, and charge me again
And again, and again and again and again
“Steal me” would be to take him away from real life, “invade me” would be to drown him in the feeling of drunkenness, and “and charge me again” would be either to fill him with energy (if ‘charge’ is used in the sense of ‘recharge’
or to “attack” (have its effect on) him (if it is used in the sense of ‘rush forward in attack’
.
For i burn and i shudder
I can only imagine burning and shuddering as two aftereffects of alcohol/drunkenness. Someone correct me if i’m wrong.
Burn with each moment of hate
Well, i do know that alcohol slows down neurons, to put it simple, so maybe he’s not thinking clearly and he’s feeling hate (i’ve actually seen someone drunk becoming agressive and hateful).
So, cleansed through a floodlight
I appear, renewed and reforged
I suppose he feels like most of his problems have gone away now that he’s drunk. Does ‘forgetfulness’ ring a bell?
Caressed by the sweet balm and blessing
Of forgetfulness, empty and strong
Lethe!!
...See above.
Hold me near, my one friend and guide
As i drown through your fingers, drown through your love
For you are the life that i hate
You are my--
You are my--
“Guide” could be said in an ironic sense... or it could be what he really thinks, since alcohol “guides” him into an [imaginary] world without troubles nor pain. Of course, his emotions and thoughts are all mixed up, so he “hates” it. (I don’t know, i’m kind of tired and in serious lack of alcohol experience, but i’m doing my best, so bear with me.) He’s “drowning through the fingers” of alcohol. The love part could be a metaphor about alcohol holding him near and taking him into a better world and so on (see why “Lethe” could be about love).
Drag me down in passionate sighs
With the ocean above me
And flames in my eyes
The flames in his eyes could be the effect of drunkenness, again. Reddened, swollen eyes, and eyes full of vigor and energy thanks to the renewal feeling alcohol has given him. The ocean above him could be the cloudy, gloomy haze or confusion of being drunk.
Grant me a life i can live
Take me away...
Take me away...
...From the life that i hate
I believe this is obvious. He drinks to escape from the life that he hates.
Just one question: Why is “Lethe” a sad or depressing song if it’s supposedly about alcohol?
@ the 'glutural' voice - is that supposed to come out of one's ass? 
.
