Meaning of Ghost Reveries

[tappistrt]

Just 'cause he writes about it, tappistrt (by the way, were you trying to write tapestry?), doesn't mean he agrees with it/practises it. Mikael writes narrative lyrics, and although very emotional, not particularly personally inspired lyrics (could be, i suppose, in a very enigmatic kind of way). Anyway, my point is that he wrote about it because it's simply an interesting subject. This does not mean he's going to raid the occult section of Stockholm library and learn how to perform his own 'grand conjuration'. I wrote a concept about the journey into hell, inspired by Dante Alligheri's Infernus, and i suppose moreover by Iced Earth's Dante's Inferno [!], but this does not mean that I believe there is a Hell. I wrote a concept of a vision the moon saw while a dying man was comforted by the preminition of an angelic figure, but this does not mean i believe the face on the moon is real, or believe in the supernatural. What I guess i'm trying to say is, I don't know what I'm trying to say. Time to hang out the washing.

Ah, I understand. That is a good point though ... doesn't necessarily mean that they perform grand conurations. What it seems you were saying about your lyrics seems that you write in a narrative style ... not necessarily your belief, but an interesting subject nonetheless. That could very well be Opeth's stance ... maybe the lyrics about demonic possession were just a way to recognize that it exists (the inside cover does say "An Observation by Opeth"). It would be interesting to hear their viewpoint about it from their own words.

I guess you've all probably surmised that my concern for the lyrics stems from my faith. Right now I feel like I'm at a crossroads, trying to decide if listening to lyrics like this is ok for me as a christian to do or not. Everyone has their own opinion about it, and by no means do I want to start a flame war or anything. I just read the backlogged thread about CDM, and I don't want this thread to turn into another one of those.


Ehh, pretty heavy stuff for my first few posts.

Oh, and about my username. I play Chapman Stick, so that's the "tappist" part. RT stands for Radiologic Technologist (my soon-to-be career). Although your guess about "tappistry" (tapsestry) wasn't too far off. ;-)

 

[Khayman666]

I also like bands who's lyrical content I don't agree with, for example, Sentenced. They're a Christian band and I don't agree with that particular belief system, but that doesn't make me stop listening to their music or put me off from it.

Er, are you saying Sentenced is a christian band then? Cause if so ... hahaha! Might want to lay of the grass for a while.

 

[Jon Snow]

I used to be a Christian but then I started listening to Opeth and they convinced me to start worshipping Satan after I heard The Grand Conjuration.

 

[Reclusive Strike]

Just because on the surface it has a dark theme doesn't mean you can't gather something positive from it. Opeth's lyrics are hardly an issue for me.

 

[Forest-of-October]

hey, try and read the fucking post next time

Hahaha, you my friend, are quite possibly my favorite member on this forum. Keep it up

Don't really care overly much about lyrical content anymore. Actually, I never really did. The music itself is good enough to hold the album up for me. I mainly focus on vocal melodies and how they're used, as opposed to what words he's saying.

On the topic of lyrical content, I would agree with you. While I do like Mike's writing (possibly more then any other songwriter out there) the lyrical content doesn't really matter. Its how it all get puts together.

I'll also add, as Vampyrouss put it, most if not all of Opeth's material is bleak, and also often refers to the occult in a certain way.

 

[:Wreath:]

Well, music is the most important here but the lyrical content of GR fits perfectly. When I close my eyes listening to it I can almost see ghosts, moors, old mansions flooded by spiderweb, dead contorted trees, minions of satan and the like No, but seriously, the atmosphere of GR is pretty dark and creepy at times so why the hell not? Right now I'm focusing to make one story out of all the songs (yeah, I know Mike said it's not a concept but you got to admit, there is a link between all songs)

 

[Disgustipated]

the funny thing about this is.. i reckon (apart from the drumming) mikael has the least respect for lyrics. on lamentations it seems he doesnt particularly give a fuck, he just gets out his thesaurus and write down some random dark sounding shite. does it well though. jävel.

 

[vampyrouss]

Yeah, he'd be the first to admit he is a musican not a poet. But he still writes good lyrics. Plus the words are in English which obviously must be a hindrance, even though he speaks clearer english than I do. Damn being Devonshire...

 

[[KOTNO]Narrot]

Hahaha, you my friend, are quite possibly my favorite member on this forum. Keep it up

he won't!

 

[affinityband]

Ghost reveries lyrics dont match the music they go with. It sounds odd if i concentrate on the lyrics in some parts. It does sound like the lyrics came last in the process of song writing. The lyrics would suit still life alot more.

 

[:Wreath:]

Um... you sir must be joking... Still Life? Yeah, Benighted or Face of Melinda with do absolutely fantastic with an occult theme to them... Still Life's lyrics fit the music perfectly, just as GR's lyrics fit the new one. And so what the lyrics came in last? It was in another thread, but if it was so, it was a wise choice. If you write the lyrics first, they dictate how the arrangement is going to look, giving the lyrics advantage over music... And Opeth are musicians, not poets...

 

[affinityband]

Lol well atonement and hours of wealth suit it much better dont they! i forgot how evvill underwater esque vocals sound.... also, you can at least make the words relevant to the sound of the music. its not impossible.

 

[affinityband]

Oh and not all the parts sound wrong. Just a few of them. and atonement, hours of wealth.

 

[:Wreath:]

yeah, well there's no satan in any of them so I don't see your point man...

 

[affinityband]

The words used in the songs are 'creepy' sort of words. trying to keep the theme,lyrically, of the album. I just feel that Atonement and Hours of wealth are out of place.

 

[:Wreath:]

No, actually in Atonement the guy 'justifies what he has become' (a ghost maybe?) but he's 'no longer aching'... It's like a painkiller after terrible suffering - the music fits perfectly... Hours of Wealth is a very sad song and the lyrics about this guy (a ghost?) who will 'never speak to anyone again' are sad too so they fit too... What's out of place about that?

 

[affinityband]

Because it has an occult them. And i would definaltley not put Atonement to me passing on into a ghost lol! Its all so 'porcupinetree'

 

[affinityband]

Actually wait, i see what you mean now, sorry i misread it. It actually does make sense in a way.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Just because on the surface it has a dark theme doesn't mean you can't gather something positive from it. Opeth's lyrics are hardly an issue for me.

we have a winner.

 

[the_3_toed_sloth]

Funny. I said that the album was about demonic possession, but people refused to hear a word of it...they said that TGC wasn't part of the concept. Well who was right, bitches?