Abney Park began around 1997, but their popularity exploded with the onset of internet music, with much success through MP3.com in the early 2000’s. The band was a regular chart topper, often holding the number 1 – 5 positions in Goth and Darkwave, and Industrial Dance music charts. In 2005 the band morphed from a more Darkwave/Industrial inspired act to a Steampunk inspired act.
Abney Park's music has been featured on a number of movie soundtracks, including "Insomnis Amour", "Goth", and "Lord of the Vampires". The band's music has also been featured in many compilation CD’s, including Cleopatra Records “The Unquiet Grave” vol. III, "Annihilation and Seduction", "Eighteen" and many more.
Abney Park has performed all over the North America, appearing in Portland, Chicago, Las Vegas, Reno, Hollywood, and countless shows in their home base of Seattle. Their fans form a near-cult following, and have been known to travel from as far as New Zealand and Mexico City just to see them perform.
Abney Park
Abney Park Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alone he'd never achieve his lofty goals
Peasants and beggars he found to aid his plans
Train them and give them the strength to share his lands
Welcome to the Park
Step inside my home
It's crowded and it's dark
An island, lost and alone, he forged for them
Away from the city where they did fend
Beauty he gave to the place: green trees, white sand
The souls in creation had held no hand
Welcome to the Park
Step inside my home
It's crowded and it's dark
Yet here I stand alone
Naked he stood as the people did wage their war
This island was the treasure that they fought for
Love and honor was fought with no valor
The dead were lying slain at every door
Welcome to the Park
Step inside my home
It's crowded and it's dark
Yet here I stand alone
An island of my own
Like old Prospero built
For my life I atone
And I'm armed to the hilt
Darkness, the streets of London he searched for souls
Alone he'd never achieve his lofty goals
Peasants and beggars he found to aid his plans
Train them & give them the strength to share his lands
Welcome to the Park
Step inside my home
It's crowded and it's dark
Yet here I stand alone
An island of my own
Like old Prospero built
For my life I atone
And I'm armed to the hilt
WELCOME TO THE PARK!
The lyrics of Abney Park's song "Abney Park" depict the story of a man who wanders through the dark streets of London in search of souls to help him achieve his lofty goals. He finds peasants and beggars who he trains and gives strength to share his lands, and together they forge an island away from the city where they can live and fend for themselves. The man takes great pride in his creation, filling it with beauty such as green trees and white sand, but as the people wage their war for the island, love and honor are fought with no valor and the dead are left lying at every door.
The man sees himself as a modern-day Prospero, the character from Shakespeare's "The Tempest" who uses magic to protect his island from outsiders. He stands alone in his creation, armed to the hilt, and takes on the role of protector for those who he has trained and given strength to.
The lyrics of "Abney Park" suggest themes of loneliness, power, and sacrifice. The man has a lofty goal and is willing to use peasants and beggars to achieve it, but he is ultimately alone in his creation. He has built an island for himself, atoning for his life, and is willing to fight to the death to protect it.
Line by Line Meaning
Darkness, the streets of London he searched for souls
He searched through the dark, empty streets of London for lost souls.
Alone he'd never achieve his lofty goals
He knew that he couldn't achieve his ambitions alone.
Peasants and beggars he found to aid his plans
He found people in need and gave them direction and purpose to help him with his plans.
Train them and give them the strength to share his lands
He taught and empowered them, preparing them to share in his vision and conquer new territories.
Welcome to the Park
Come and see what he has created for you.
Step inside my home
Come inside the place he has built for himself and his followers.
It's crowded and it's dark
The place is full of people, but it is also a dark and uncertain environment.
Yet here I stand alone
Despite all the people around him, he is still the leader and the one in control.
An island, lost and alone, he forged for them
He created a place for people who were lost and without direction.
Away from the city where they did fend
He took them away from the city where they had struggled to survive.
Beauty he gave to the place: green trees, white sand
He added beauty to the place in the form of nature and natural materials.
The souls in creation had held no hand
He created the place himself without any outside help.
Naked he stood as the people did wage their war
He was exposed and vulnerable as people fought over the place he had created.
This island was the treasure that they fought for
People were fighting over the land he had built as if it were a valuable treasure.
Love and honor was fought with no valor
The fighting was not done with any honor or bravery.
The dead were lying slain at every door
People died in the battle that took place over the place he had created.
An island of my own
He created a place that was his and his alone.
Like old Prospero built
He built a place like the character of Prospero in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest.'
For my life I atone
He created this place as a way of making up for something in his past.
And I'm armed to the hilt
He is ready to protect and defend the place he has created and the people who inhabit it.
WELCOME TO THE PARK!
Come and join his community in the unique and complex world he has created.
Contributed by Nathaniel G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cat Baril
OMG this is so hard to find because of the title...Thank you!
Liam Collinson
Yeah I agree I literally had to search up they discography just to find it
Gabriel B.
This makes no sense... It's only showing my views