Song for Dead Time
Swans Lyrics
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And the sun is an emptiness, that burns through the sky
And this ground it will slide down, down into the sea
And when this body dies, no man will ever breath one word
Of ignorance, for me
So bury your trust beneath the ground with me
And lay your loneliness down for the sun to consume
Now the earth bleeds cold water, in my open hands
But their bodies bleed poison, and they swallow the sand
And we'll walk to the river, where we will die of a thirst
And my fate, it's no question: every fool he is broken
Beneath the same holy curse
So bury your trust beneath the ground with me
And lay your loneliness down for the sun to burn, to sand
The lyrics of Swans' Song For Dead Time are cryptic and dark, with a heavy emphasis on mortality and the impermanence of existence. The opening lines, "Now the past is untrue, and this breath is a lie, and the sun is an emptiness that burns through the sky," suggest a sense of disorientation and disillusionment with traditional markers of truth and stability. The following lines, "And this ground it will slide down, down into the sea, and when this body dies, no man will ever breath one word of ignorance for me," underscore the inevitability of death and the futility of relying on others to make sense of our lives.
The chorus, "So bury your trust beneath the ground with me, and lay your loneliness down for the sun to consume/burn to sand," seems to address the listener directly, urging them to embrace their own mortality and find solace in the natural decay of the world around us. The final verse, "And we'll walk to the river, where we will die of thirst, and my fate, it's no question: every fool he is broken, beneath the same holy curse," further reinforces this sense of fatalism and resignation.
Overall, Song For Dead Time is a haunting meditation on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. Its imagery is visceral and evocative, and its themes are universal and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
Now the past is untrue, and this breath is a lie
Everything that has happened before does not matter anymore, and every breath taken is meaningless.
And the sun is an emptiness, that burns through the sky
The sun is an empty entity that shines with no real purpose.
And this ground it will slide down, down into the sea
The ground will eventually fall into the abyss that is the sea.
And when this body dies, no man will ever breath one word
Of ignorance, for me
Once dead, nobody will speak ignorantly of the artist's life.
So bury your trust beneath the ground with me
Together, let us abandon our faith and trust.
And lay your loneliness down for the sun to consume
Let us relinquish our loneliness to the emptiness of the sun.
Now the earth bleeds cold water, in my open hands
The earth is cold and lifeless, with no offering to give.
But their bodies bleed poison, and they swallow the sand
Other beings are not better off - they are poisoned and consumed by their surroundings.
And we'll walk to the river, where we will die of a thirst
Like in a desert, it is a futile journey towards a supposed salvation.
And my fate, it's no question: every fool he is broken
Beneath the same holy curse
The artist's fate is clear, and echoes the same tragic end that every other fool has faced.
So bury your trust beneath the ground with me
And lay your loneliness down for the sun to burn, to sand
Let us abandon all hope and trust, and give our loneliness to the emptiness of the universe.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL ROLFE GIRA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thakurmishra969
Now the past is untrue, and this breath is a lie
And the sun is an emptiness that burns through the sky
And this ground - it will slide down, down into the sea
And when this body dies, no man will ever breathe one word of ignorance for me
So bury your trust beneath the ground with me
And lay your loneliness down for the sun to consume
Now the earth bleeds cold water in my open hands
But their bodies bleed poison and they swallow the sand
And we'll walk to the river, where we will die of a thirst
And my fate, it's no question
Every fool, he is broken beneath the same holy curse
So bury your trust beneath the ground with me
And lay your loneliness down for the sun to burn to sand
@urschei1127
both versions are great but this one was my first listen
@puppetmaster3911
I like Jarboe and Michaels singing in this song. Both versions are great.
@stefaniacontessa
Indeed!!! Like 2 sides of a perfect coin!!!❤❤❤❤
@jgrodriguez7108
Jarboe's version is a garden, and Michael's is a swamp.
@crazzzysean800
Damb U guys are exceptional, so deep, first heard U in about 1990, this cool goth friend gave me a cassette, i Loved U then n i Love U even more now... Thank U Thank U Thank U<3
@Maurobrit
I love this song and Swans
@aldry2829
This goes really well with a cigarette and a post break-up.
@thakurmishra969
Now the past is untrue, and this breath is a lie
And the sun is an emptiness that burns through the sky
And this ground - it will slide down, down into the sea
And when this body dies, no man will ever breathe one word of ignorance for me
So bury your trust beneath the ground with me
And lay your loneliness down for the sun to consume
Now the earth bleeds cold water in my open hands
But their bodies bleed poison and they swallow the sand
And we'll walk to the river, where we will die of a thirst
And my fate, it's no question
Every fool, he is broken beneath the same holy curse
So bury your trust beneath the ground with me
And lay your loneliness down for the sun to burn to sand
@tomschult133
I cannot stress how thankful I am to people like you who take the time to put the lyrics down. Thank you so very much.
@thakurmishra969
Hey i feel the same way, i just started doing it. Im always extremely greatful for all those people who donit way more than i do. Im just returning the favor back, thank you for your encouragement.