Prone to downtime due to Keenan's other musical commitments, the band has featured a variety of musicians throughout alternating periods of activity and inactivity, and has changed line-ups on each album, leaving Keenan and Howerdel the only constant members. The original incarnation of the band included Paz Lenchantin on bass, Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, and Josh Freese on drums. Primus drummer Tim Alexander had briefly stood in as a drummer prior to Freese in the band's initial live shows; however, this was prior to releasing any material. Band collaborator and producer Danny Lohner and Marilyn Manson bassist Jeordie White were also members for a short period in the early 2000s. The band's current lineup features the Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, bassist Matt McJunkins, and drummer Jeff Friedl, the latter two also being contributors to the related Puscifer and Ashes Divide projects. Despite the varied cast and numerous lineup changes, the stylistic content of A Perfect Circle's songs has remained consistent with Howerdel as music composer, and Keenan writing lyrics and vocal melodies. The band's studio albums have been generally well received critically and commercially, with their first three studio albums selling 4 million copies collectively as of 2005.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Perfect_Circle
Studio albums
Mer de Noms (2000)
Thirteenth Step (2003)
Emotive (2004)
Eat the Elephant (2018)
Magdalena
A Perfect Circle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Moving temple
Overcome by this
Holiest of altars
So pure
So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess
Beyond compelled to throw this dollar down before your
Holiest of altars
I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
One chance
One kiss
One taste of you my Magdalena
I bear witness
To this place, this prayer, so long forgotten
So pure
So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess
That I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
For one chance
One kiss
One taste of you my black Madonna
I'd sell
My soul
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
One taste
One taste
One taste of you my Magdalena
The lyrics of A Perfect Circle's song Magdalena evoke a sense of spiritual transcendence and a surrendering of one's self to a higher power. The opening lines speak of being overwhelmed by a moving temple and the holiest of altars, which represent a sense of divine presence that commands utmost reverence. The holiness of the altar is reinforced by the use of the superlative 'holiest', conveying the idea that the singer is deeply moved and awed by what they are witnessing.
The singer describes the otherworldly quality of the woman they are observing, who is described as an 'earthly goddess'. The use of the word 'goddess' underscores the worshipful attitude of the singer, as does their act of throwing a dollar down before the altar. The sensual undertones of the lyrics are emphasized in the lines 'one chance, one kiss, one taste of you my Magdalena', where the singer expresses a desire to experience the divine in a physical, intimate way.
The references to 'Magdalena' and the 'black Madonna' suggest a connection to Christian iconography and mythology. Mary Magdalene was traditionally depicted as a repentant prostitute who became a disciple of Jesus, and the black Madonna is a revered icon in various traditions, often associated with the divine feminine. The use of these symbols adds to the mystical and spiritual ambiance of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Overcome by your
Feeling overwhelmed by the presence of the subject
Moving temple
The subject's body acts as a place of worship
Overcome by this
Feeling overwhelmed by the experience
Holiest of altars
The subject is highly revered and worshipped
So pure
The subject is morally wholesome
So rare
The subject is unique and uncommon
To witness such an earthly goddess
Awe-inspired by the subject's beauty and divinity
That I've lost my self control
Unable to contain one's emotions and urges
Beyond compelled to throw this dollar down before your
Overwhelming desire to make an offering or gesture of worship to the subject
I'd sell
Willing to sacrifice
My soul
The core of one's being
My self-esteem a dollar at a time
Willing to devalue oneself for the chance to interact with the subject
One chance
One opportunity
One kiss
One moment of intimacy
One taste of you my Magdalena
One experience of the subject's essence
I bear witness
Observing the sacredness of the moment
To this place, this prayer, so long forgotten
Honoring a place of worship that has been neglected
One taste of you my black Madonna
One experience of the subject's divine, mysterious nature
One taste
One experience
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Billy Howerdel, Maynard James Keenan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind