August
American Murder Song Lyrics


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Who stole the sun from the sky, O Lord?
Pale and unforgiven
Who stole the sun from the skhy, O Lord?
′Round and 'round again

He tempted my wife from Thy Grace, O Lord
Pale and unforgiven
He tempted my wife from Thy Grace, O Lord
′Round and 'round again

She sucked the fruit from Thy tree, O Lord
Pale and unforgiven
She sucked the fruit from Thy tree, O Lord
'Round and ′round again

Naked in shame hung our flesh, O Lord
Pale and unforgiven
Naked in shame hung our flesh, O Lord
′Round and 'round again

Pangs from her belly, they grew, O Lord
Pale and unforgiven
Pangs from her belly, they grew, O Lord
′Round and 'round again

She gave her baseborn a reed, O Lord
Pale and unforgiven
She gave her baseborn a reed, O Lord
′Round and 'round again

He led our Thomas afield, O Lord
Pale and unforgiven
He led our Thomas afield, O Lord
′Round and 'round again

Red fell the stone from his hand, O Lord
Pale and unforgiven
Red fell the stone from his hand, O Lord
'Round and ′round again

Blood! Cried the soil where he fell, O Lord
Pale and unforgiven
Blood! Cried the soil where he fell, O Lord
′Round and 'round again

Was he my brother to keep, he asked?
Pale and unforgiven
Was he my brother to keep, he asked?
′Round and 'round again

Who stole the sun from the sky, O Lord?
Pale and unforgiven




Who stole the sun from the sky, O Lord?
′Round and 'round again

Overall Meaning

The song "August" by American Murder Song is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that explores the story of the original sin committed by Adam and Eve. The lyrics describe a sense of loss, regret, and sorrow as the singer questions the actions of the characters in the biblical story. The first verse has the singer asking the Lord who stole the sun from the sky, a metaphor for the heartache and darkness caused by the events that followed the initial sin.


The following verses describe the tragedy and turmoil that ensued after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. The singer accuses Eve of being tempted by someone other than God, which led to their expulsion from the garden of Eden. The lyrics speak of their shame, as they realize the nakedness and fragility of their humanity. The song then turns to the story of Cain and Abel, where Cain murders his brother Abel and is then exiled from his family.


Line by Line Meaning

Who stole the sun from the sky, O Lord?
The singer questions who took away the happiness and warmth from their life.


Pale and unforgiven
They feel pale and unforgiven as a result of this loss.


′Round and 'round again
This cycle of pain and loss repeats.


He tempted my wife from Thy Grace, O Lord
The artist blames someone for leading their wife away from God.


She sucked the fruit from Thy tree, O Lord
They accuse their wife of sinning by eating from the forbidden tree.


Naked in shame hung our flesh, O Lord
The singer expresses their vulnerability and humiliation.


Pangs from her belly, they grew, O Lord
They describe the pain of childbirth after this sin.


She gave her baseborn a reed, O Lord
The artist accuses their wife of favoring their illegitimate child over their legitimate child.


He led our Thomas afield, O Lord
Someone is blamed for leading their son Thomas away from home.


Red fell the stone from his hand, O Lord
Thomas is described dropping a red stone which could symbolize blood.


Blood! Cried the soil where he fell, O Lord
The ground is depicted as reacting to Thomas' death.


Was he my brother to keep, he asked?
Someone is questioning if they had a duty to protect Thomas as a family member.




Writer(s): Terrance Zdunich, Saar Hendelman

Contributed by Bentley F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@TheaterRaven

What I love so much about Terrance, both as a composer and a singer, is he perfectly captures whatever emotions the songs call for, and this is no exception. You can hear the despair and sorrow in his voice and it's absolutely heartbreaking, but beautiful as well.

@averyvolk3022

It makes me wonder if he was drawing on some sort of real experience he had that caused him deep pain and suffering, because you can hear it so clearly in his voice here. I bet he was. <3

@spooky42424

I really like the repetition of “round and round again”, giving a nod to the theme that the cycle of Adam, Eve, Cain, and Able is part of the human condition and has continued throughout the years

@noahjohnson5603

So I gather this is about the cycle of sin, from Adam and Eve to Cain and Able, just based on the lyrics.

@purpleshadow11

God damn Terrance's voice is so fucking beautiful

@livefortoday2127

Damn right🎩😍

@AnaxErik4ever

Goes to show you that even on a new project, Paradise Lost, Songs of Innocence/Experience, and the Divine Comedy still has a hold on him. When I heard the thing about the fruit, naked, and "brother's keeper", I immediately thought of Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel.

@rauldoukenholzlokschin7536

There is another projoect of they?

@nerdtastic2014

Love this song so much! I might actually use this in my literature class when I teach Milton's Paradise Lost.

@AnaxErik4ever

Do it when I was learning about Paradise lost in college I know I would've benefited from listening to a song like this

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