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Miserere
The Cat Empire Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Do you ever look around
Turn your ear to the ground
Show your face to the sky
On a night when the skies echo sounds
From inside of your mind
On the stage that you shone
Where the sun did become you
And move with your thoughts
Through the sighs and the scenes
Of the worlds you have seen
And the sights that have been
Your reflection in shadows and dreams
Your reflection in shadows and dreams?

Did you ever see a man
Who did walk down the street
White robe with no shoes on his feet
And on top of his head place a box with two slits?
And the sign from his neck said
"I do not exist"
Or a woman who could not remember her name
Did stutter and stutter
Again and again
And saw you and called you her son?
Her eyes said
"My being is gone"
"But still I'm not dead"

Oh, miserere, miserere
Miserere, miserere
Miserere me

Have you ever seen a sound?
Have you listened to an image?
Have you ever touched a thought?
Have you ever tasted nothing?
Have you ever told a lie
That was true more than truth
Because truth it had lied
All its life when it spoke to you?

And what did it say?
It is that, it is this
This goes here, here is there
It is not, yes it is
It was dulling your senses
Your eyes they were bound
Have you ever, my friends
Been looking around?

And the other replies
With a wave of a hand
I am already here
In this promised land
But not by a God and not by a king
And not by a spirit
Deep from within
I am here
Because a miracle's a whim
It's a flash of glory
It's an empty tin
And maybe might lets you in
Not to save you
But to keep on looking

Oh, miserere, miserere
Miserere, miserere
Miserere me

Oh, miserere, miserere
Oh, miserere, miserere

Have you ever
Been so happy that you're sad?
That the lights turn to stars
And the stars become eyes
And hellos are goodbyes
And the laughs are the sighs
And the show disappears with the note
"Until next time"

Long live living
If living can be this

Long live living
If living can be this

Long live living
If living can be this

Long live living
If living can be this

Do you ever look around
And find what is yet to be found?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Cat Empire's song Miserere are beautifully cryptic, leaving much to the interpretation of the listener. The verses are a series of questions that explore the nature of reality and how we perceive it. The first paragraph paints the image of looking up at the sky, with the sounds in the background reflecting the thoughts in the mind. The singer is contemplating how we can make sense of our own reflection and the complex dreams we have.


The second paragraph takes us on a journey of interactions with strangers, where one person has a sign that says "I do not exist," and another woman calls the singer her son even though she does not remember her own name. These moments call into question the fluidity and malleability of identity and how people perceive themselves and those around them. The chorus repeats the cry for mercy, which could be interpreted as a plea for understanding or a call for help in navigating the complexities of life.


The last section of the song encourages the listener to embrace the present and appreciate the beauty and happiness that can be found in life, even though it may be fleeting. The lyrics end on an optimistic note, with a final question that invites the listener to continue exploring the many mysteries of life.


Line by Line Meaning

Do you ever look around
Have you ever taken a moment to observe the world?


Turn your ear to the ground
Listen carefully to the sounds of nature


Show your face to the sky
Take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the sky


On a night when the skies echo sounds
During a moment when you can hear the world around you


From inside of your mind
From within your own thoughts and perceptions


On the stage that you shone
During a moment when you shined and felt alive


Where the sun did become you
Where you felt like you were one with the world


And move with your thoughts
To experience the world through your own thoughts and perceptions


Through the sighs and the scenes
Through the ups and downs of life


Of the worlds you have seen
Of the experiences you've had


And the sights that have been
And the things that you've seen


Your reflection in shadows and dreams
Your perception of yourself and your own thoughts


Did you ever see a man
Have you ever witnessed someone doing something unusual?


Who did walk down the street
Who was simply walking around


White robe with no shoes on his feet
Wearing simple clothing and being barefoot


And on top of his head place a box with two slits?
Wearing an unusual object on their head


And the sign from his neck said
The message written on a sign around their neck read


"I do not exist"
The message read that they do not believe they truly exist


Or a woman who could not remember her name
Or have you seen someone who is lost and confused?


Did stutter and stutter
Having trouble communicating their thoughts


Again and again
Continuously repeating their thoughts


And saw you and called you her son?
Mistaking your identity


Her eyes said
Through her expression


"My being is gone"
The person indicated that they do not feel present


"But still I'm not dead"
But despite that, they are still alive


Have you ever seen a sound?
Have you ever experienced synesthesia?


Have you listened to an image?
Have you ever associated an image with sound?


Have you ever touched a thought?
Have you ever had such an intense thought that it seemed tangible?


Have you ever tasted nothing?
Have you ever experienced absolute nothingness?


Have you ever told a lie
Have you ever been deceptive?


That was true more than truth
The lie was truer than the truth


Because truth it had lied
Because the truth it originally spoke was not quite accurate


All its life when it spoke to you?
It seemed that the truth had been misleading in your experiences


And what did it say?
What was said in this instance?


It is that, it is this
This is what was said


This goes here, here is there
Clarification of placement or direction


It is not, yes it is
Contradiction


It was dulling your senses
It was making you feel numb or unresponsive


Your eyes they were bound
Your vision was limited or obscured


Have you ever, my friends
Have you all ever experienced this?


Been looking around?
Have you taken a moment to observe your surroundings?


And the other replies
The other person in this conversation responds


With a wave of a hand
They make a dismissive gesture


I am already here
They are already present and aware


In this promised land
In this place where they feel fulfilled and at peace


But not by a God and not by a king
They did not come to this place due to a deity or ruler


And not by a spirit
Nor because of a ghost or supernatural entity


Deep from within
They found this fulfillment within themselves


I am here
I found what I was looking for


Because a miracle's a whim
Because a miracle is something that happens randomly and unpredictably


It's a flash of glory
It's a sudden, glorious moment


It's an empty tin
It's only an illusion or a temporary fix


And maybe might lets you in
It's possible that luck allowed them to reach this point


Not to save you
Not for the sake of saving anyone


But to keep on looking
But to continue searching for their own fulfillment


Have you ever
Have you ever felt this way as well?


Been so happy that you're sad?
Have you ever been overcome with emotion to the point where it was bittersweet?


That the lights turn to stars
That the environment seems to transform into something incredibly beautiful


And the stars become eyes
And it feels like the world is looking back at you


And hellos are goodbyes
When welcoming someone feels like saying goodbye as well


And the laughs are the sighs
Laughter feels heavy and meaningful, as if it's punctuating something sad


And the show disappears with the note
And the experience ends


"Until next time"
Until the next time this experience can be enjoyed


Long live living
Let us live life to the fullest


If living can be this
If life can be this fulfilling and meaningful


And find what is yet to be found?
Once we've found fulfillment, have we ever considered what else we will look for?




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Felix Riebl

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@factsonhumans1028

Let me tell you a story. I discovered this song after my uncle had passed away, it was a short illness, he had a young daughter and he loved life.

For years I couldnt listen to this song because the lyrics “ long live living if living can be this “ broke my fucking heart knowing the life he had built was gone.. this was in 2010

I am now in a great place, with someone I love, and randomly tonight thought, I’d listen to this song again to see if it still made me cry... yes I welled up a bit but the meaning had changed. I’ve now found my own “ long live living if living can be this” so thank you Cat Empire

Ollie x

@salvie5

Long live living

@natashanagy1117

Beautiful

@sadmanshakib7646

:')

@sadmanshakib7646

This is literally one of the best songs I've ever heard. So underrated :(.

@henrys4338

I litterally spent 50 minutes searching through Cat Empire songs to find this. Seriously worth every second.

Long live living if living can be this!

@skinnysnorlax1876

Especially since it was fifty minutes of cat empire

@henrys4338

@@skinnysnorlax1876 most defiantly mate

@johnpalma5507

A beautiful song showing an appreciation for all things.

@briannahriordan9948

I don't know how this song hasn't had millions of views, It's been my favourite song for 12 years and I don't think anything could replace this pure masterpiece.

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