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Blackest Bile
Giles Corey Lyrics
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in the air hangs a wreath
of blackest bile, and smoke
that I can see
I open up my heart
and let it all in
and it kills all my love
and hope for everyone
and it hasn't been easy on you,
I know that more than most.
I am born to be alone,
I am just some lonely ghost
all around us
hangs an air of darkest doom,
and it flows out my lungs
and slowly fills the room
I open up my heart
and stick my fingers in,
but you will never want
what I have to give
The lyrics of Giles Corey's song Blackest Bile paint a haunting picture of loneliness and despair. The first verse describes the air around the singer as filled with black bile and smoke. The use of the word "wreath" suggests a kind of deathly atmosphere, and the visual of being able to see the smoke adds to the sense of suffocation.
The second verse is even more bleak, as the singer admits that opening up their heart to this sickly atmosphere kills all their love and hope for everyone. There is a sense of resignation in the line "I am born to be alone", as if the singer has accepted their fate of being perpetually isolated. The use of the word "ghost" further implies a feeling of detachment from life and the living.
The third verse broadens the scope of the song, as the singer asserts that the sense of darkness and doom is not just confined to them, but surrounds everyone. The line "it flows out my lungs and slowly fills the room" has a literal meaning (as if the singer's breath is poisonous) but also works as a metaphor for the way negativity and despair can be contagious. The final lines suggest that the singer has tried to offer love and support to someone, but they have rejected it.
Overall, the song creates a powerful atmosphere of hopelessness and despair, and the repetition of opening up the heart only to be met with rejection or destruction gives a sense of futility to trying to connect with others.
Line by Line Meaning
all around me
I am surrounded by something.
in the air hangs a wreath
What is surrounding me is like a wreath, hanging in the air.
of blackest bile, and smoke
The thing surrounding me is made of a very dark substance and smoke.
that I can see
I am able to see clearly what is around me.
I open up my heart
I allow myself to be vulnerable emotionally.
and let it all in
I accept what is around me wholeheartedly.
and it kills all my love
This thing I have let in destroys my ability to feel love.
and hope for everyone
It also destroys my hope for anyone else.
and it hasn't been easy on you,
I understand that this has also been difficult for you.
I know that more than most.
I am very aware of how hard this has been for you.
I am born to be alone,
I am destined to be by myself.
I am just some lonely ghost
I feel like a ghost, haunting others with my loneliness.
all around us
Both of us are surrounded by something.
hangs an air of darkest doom,
The thing surrounding us is ominous and foreboding.
and it flows out my lungs
I am breathing in this dark substance and it is affecting me physically.
and slowly fills the room
The substance is slowly filling up the space we are in.
I open up my heart
Again, I allow myself to be emotionally vulnerable.
and stick my fingers in,
But you are not receptive to what I have to offer.
but you will never want
You have made it clear that you don't desire what I have to give.
what I have to give
My love and companionship are not wanted by you.
Contributed by Emma H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.