Song meanings and their meaning to you

[TheFourthHorseman]

I recall the first (and almost the only) thread I made on this board was 'Song meanings'. It kind of flopped, or at least didn't make it past page one. What an atrocity.

So, I'm making one again, but at least with something to maybe make it more interesting and reply-worthy.
I'm still interested in hearing you guys and girls' interpretation of any Dark Tranquillity lyric (well, preferrably a whole song) that interests you or has made you wonder what the hell the writer meant. I know I still, like before, don't have much of a clue what Zodijackyl Light is exactly about, even if I can kind of shape the outlines, but they might be the wrong ones too. I haven't bore too deep into some of the lyrics on The Gallery either.

Another thing that I thought would be interesting is reading why that specific lyric is your favourite, as in what gives the words so much power that they do (well, if they do). Something that you relate to in real life, something you imagine in your head or maybe something else? For example, I recall LaRocque is pretty big on My Negation. Don't know if it's because of the lyrics, but if it is, why?

As for myself, I'm thinking too much today so it's kind of hard to find a strictly ideological favourite lyric (which is what I usually go for), but Derivation TNB is something that touches me in a quite everyday sort of way. Normally lately life's been a daily grind with all the same stuff and nothing particularly interesting happening, but now it's time for the annual football tournament again and it just so happened to be that between the tournament days there was the Opeth concert. So I was beat up from football, took a train right away to Helsinki, saw Opeth (which was awesome, though my expectations could've never been fulfilled), spent the night at the railway station and got home in the morning with not a lot of sleep and right to a game that was exciting and fulfilling even though we lost in the end. Of course this might seem to some, maybe most, boring or not worth a whole lot, but it's great having things out of the ordinary happening.
So this of course relates to the Derivation TNB lyrics especially through the "Victims not witnesses, An accomplice, not a bystander" part, and also as I said I've also been quite lost inside as the song suggests that we are.
And it's just awesome lyrics otherwise too, very uplifting for me, for now.

Maybe this was more of a rant than an attempt at a succesful thread.

 

[Cuthalion]

i wanted to start a similar tread but since i'm relatively new on this forum i wasn't sure if this topic hasn't been discussed in the past.
I have my interpretation for most of the song lyrics but i have always wondered if it's even close to the real meaning.
I like Derivation TNB very very much but since i don't have The Lost to Apathy ep i don't know the lyrics and don't know if they can be found on the net.

I think that the lyrics of Haven are the most straightforward and are the easiest for me to understand unlike the Mind's eye or Damage done lyrics. Sometimes i'm not sure if they vere ever meant to be understood and if there is some general meaning behind them but maybe my english is not that good

i mostly interested in how people understand ThereIn and the To a bitter halt
and every other song...

 

[TheFourthHorseman]

I like Derivation TNB very very much but since i don't have The Lost to Apathy ep i don't know the lyrics and don't know if they can be found on the net.

Derivation TNB

"To each a blind eye
To all the filter of self-control
To none a sense
That we are lost inside
Victims not witnesses
An accomplice, not a bystander
In a time when words collide

For us a safe denial
Not to push beyond our goals
For us a shattered image
Of what our sanity allows

You're an island of tranquillity in a sea of chaos"

This was concluded by some posters in a thread around the time when the single came out.
I'm not sure if the lyrics are in the single slip or whatever you should call it.

 

[Cuthalion]

hey thanks a lot

 

[Taliesin]

I dont think I approach lyrics the way most people on here do, but still "The Poison Well" strikes a certain chord.

Unless another wall is breaking
Nothing can come of this
Elusive
Against our better judgement
Allow our image to stand ground

Even though I try to be very confident about my future and all, I still have many fears and doubts about the outcome of my plans. Most of which involve myself, so the wall in the song stands for the obstacles I create myself, or the fears that block my way.

Break the path and let's get going
To the place where nobody ever goes

Im not sure if it's meant to be interpreted that way, but with the fear-thing and all.. it sort of speaks for itself

With ideals as infestations
Hinder the radical mind
Retune our aim
Now is time for hiding
For it stabs fear in you
So coward

Are there positive infestations? There seem to be
Anyway, to me the first 3 lines seem to inspire hope inside the person, in the next 3, despair already seems to reign again.

I can relate to that a lot, so there goes my reply

 

[Dafne]

uhm,i don't know if DT lyrics have a meaning, strictly.
i think they give strenght to "the meaning" of their music.
and that's why i like them ssssso much. :Spin:
i mean when you read a lyric with a "clear meaning" (a story,an opinion,a rebellion,a feeling and so on) you can figure it out.
but you can't imagine or explain what's behind a DT lyric IMO.there's just the emotion that both music and words bring.

burning in the sky
beyond the realm of time
sequence of the nucleus, the glowing dust in flight
zodijackyl light
pure emotion.

and what about

grave to cradle, cradle to grave
so infity clash
grave to cradle
cradle to grave
in twofold matter

two forces gone full circle
never shall one of the other grow fond
join me, the time is upon us

he spoke
and in fury
we flew

the way i feel about DT lyrics is the same i feel about Federico Garcia Lorca poetry.one can't explain its meaning but when i read it i feel really a great emotion

 

[Hitori]

my problem with lyrics, especially when they're semi-ambiguous and abstract ones like in DT's case, is that I tend to ignore them up to a certain degree and concentrate instead on what the music and the voice (emotion-wise) makes me feel

a line or two might stand out, and around that I will build the whole meaning of the song... based heavily in what is going on in my life at the time I most listen to it. So sometimes if I listen to a song when I'm sad, I will forever associate it with sadness and assume the lyrics are sad, even when they're not

maybe it's just that usually I don't have the time to sit down and read lyrics while I listen to the music, as I used to, and just listen to music while I drive

but I think that in DT's case the lyrics are pretty abstract / open to interpretation. All lyrics are, of course, but some bands give their lyrics a more direct, literal sense, such as Porcupine Tree (how many ways is it possible to assimilate "Feel so Low"?) or most power metal bands etc.

So... to sum up, I think I would have to really sit down and think about this. Maybe to narrow this thread down, you should mention a DT song lyric that you particularly like or that has special meaning to you, and then see if that matches with what others think?

 

[Cuthalion]

Final Resistance

Disaffected, left to internal struggle
let ring with the cries of disaccord
They told of outposts firm as trees
Whispers laid no basis for
the plunge to the chasm depths
Seen none, nor felt the safety
Perimeter alarm

I see the bearings of disaster

What can you tell me of the inside
Is it as bright as all can see?

To make a chemical stand
a final front to the days ahead
In attempt to tame their mineral estrangement
Smothered by the numeral that
haunts each waking day

Request for countertmeasures
to state claim of this my cavern
None to take and none be given
as the window breaks to black
A process left to solitude
is the action left undone
Answers left to echo
in the silent halls of none

Cast down the hopes and aspirations
Shut the windows tight
Everybody said No
Reset your fears and good intentions
Barred up for life
Everybody said No

This is the final resistance


I have no idea what this is about, i mean some parts are somewhat clear but what can you say about this song? Someone is resisting something...

 

[Cuthalion]

ok this is probably not the right tread buti just found out that
Ex Nihilo has the same meaning as Out of Nothing, i didn't know that I wonder if there is some connection between this two songs other than the name.

 

[rahvin]

ok this is probably not the right tread buti just found out that
Ex Nihilo has the same meaning as Out of Nothing

that's an interesting observation. there's clearly a connection. however, in the lyrics to "out of nothing", the expression is a part of running out [of nothing]. this is not a possible meaning for "ex nihilo", which can only be interpreted in the sense of something coming/moving out of nothing.

 

[emjayhaych]

I think this song is about progression of human civilisation, ambition, power, greed, quest for greatness without realising the consequences

Final Resistance

Disaffected, left to internal struggle
let ring with the cries of disaccord
They told of outposts firm as trees
Whispers laid no basis for
the plunge to the chasm depths
Seen none, nor felt the safety
Perimeter alarm

We imagined great things for our future (outposts firm as trees), but we never expected what would happen (whispers laid no basis) and now we need to do something about it (perimeter alarm)

I see the bearings of disaster

What can you tell me of the inside
Is it as bright as all can see?

Is this future as promising as we're lead to believe?

To make a chemical stand
a final front to the days ahead
In attempt to tame their mineral estrangement
Smothered by the numeral that
haunts each waking day

Heading towards of future of science, abandoning our earthly roots, with an obsession of time, being ruled by the clock (smothered by the numeral that haunts each waking day)

Request for countermeasures
to state claim of this my cavern
None to take and none be given
as the window breaks to black
A process left to solitude
is the action left undone
Answers left to echo
in the silent halls of none

Find a way out of this, to hide away, as the illusion of hope and a bright future is shattered (as the window breaks to black)
Not sure about the 'process left to solitude' bit....
Our discoveries and advancements become realised as being fruitless and pointless (answers left to echo in the silent halls of none)

Cast down the hopes and aspirations
Shut the windows tight
Everybody said No
Reset your fears and good intentions
Barred up for life
Everybody said No

This is the final resistance

Forget these greedy hopes and aspirations of power, block out the tempting visions, and think twice about heading towards that kind of future

That's about the best I can make of that song

 

[Cuthalion]

good job

 

[Cuthalion]

yes Rahvin you are probably right