A beautiful corpse sits waiting.
So lost and silently begging.
Murder in it's heart... squirms for air and light.
It is a knife, handle deep in your neck.
Tearing flesh from bone... flesh from bone.
Falling through lust and love,
Skin on skin.
You never win.
One last time,
Kiss these broken lips goodbye.
Sweeter than honey and lies.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mouth of the Architect's song A Beautiful Corpse paint a vivid picture of death and longing. The opening lines describe a corpse that is both eerie and pitiful - a stark reminder of the fragility of life. The following line - "Murder in its heart... squirms for air and light" - suggests that death can be both violent and suffocating. The corpse, it seems, is searching for release and salvation.

The next few lines of the song suggest that the act of dying can be a brutal, even sexual experience. The image of a knife "tearing flesh from bone" is shocking and visceral. The lines "Falling through lust and love, skin on skin. You never win" suggest that there is an intimacy in death that one cannot escape. The final lines, "One last time, kiss these broken lips goodbye. Sweeter than honey and lies" suggest a final, bittersweet moment of recognition before the corpse finally slips away.

Overall, the lyrics to A Beautiful Corpse are haunting and evocative. They explore the darker side of life and death, and offer a stark reminder of the fleeting nature of existence.

Line by Line Meaning

A beautiful corpse sits waiting.
A lifeless and attractive body is positioned with anticipation.

So lost and silently begging.
The body seems isolated and pleading without words.

Murder in it's heart... squirms for air and light.
Although dead, the heart inside is wriggling in distress in search of breath and exposure.

It is a knife, handle deep in your neck.
The corpse is symbolic of a sharp weapon lodged inside your throat.

Tearing flesh from bone... flesh from bone.
The imaginary weapon removing bits of flesh and bone from the neck is described as violent and destructive.

Falling through lust and love, Skin on skin.
Memories of intimate encounters with the deceased resurface.

You never win.
The implication is that engaging with the corpse only leads to loss and struggle.

One last time, Kiss these broken lips goodbye.
This line is encouraging one last farewell with the dead body.

Sweeter than honey and lies.
The parting kiss is bittersweet and reminiscent of something faux or deceptive.

Contributed by Kaylee A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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