Babylon Whores is a death rock and metal band from Finland, founded in 1994… Read Full Bio ↴Babylon Whores is a death rock and metal band from Finland, founded in 1994 by Ike Vil and Ewo Meichem. As of 2006, the band has released two singles, three EPs and three albums. Throughout the years, the band's music has evolved from a raw, punk-ish style to a more massive sound with complex guitar melodies, often compared to such bands as Danzig and Mana Mana. The Whores' lyrics have always been interesting; their themes generally lying in the field of mysticism and occultism.

As of 2006, the band is on hiatus.

Dating With Witchcraft
Babylon Whores Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On the first of May
Toads grow fat on stolen Hosts
In little boxes crucified
Bled and divined

When all the girls
Suckle beasts within their arms
Pact-bound familiars

Spill their guts on secrets spied

On Midsummer's night
All true love is undisguised
In philtres foul by lasses cowled
Brewed and derived

Some fat of an unbaptized babe
A finger of a corpse
Dug up from the grave

Dating with witchraft

And come the Fall
When the fires light the night
Summer's love grown old and sad
Will die away

On Samhain's eve
Blood of swine will wash them clean
From the memories good and bad
The spells of May

And for those still in dream
Summer's green eternally
Stolen away by the Sidhe
No one knows they've ever been

A tongue of a snake
The head of a dog
Ground mummy's powder
Piss and snot

Dating with witchcraft

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Babylon Whores's song Dating With Witchcraft are deeply rooted in pagan and occult imagery. The first verse describes the ritual of stealing hosts (communion wafers) and crucifying them in boxes to bleed and divine, which is an act of sacrilege that is both blasphemous and magical. The toads growing fat on these stolen hosts is a metaphor for the power that is gained through the desecration of holy objects. The second verse alludes to the practice of forming a bond between a witch and her familiar, usually an animal that serves as a conduit for her power. The pact-bound familiars spill their guts on secrets spied, which suggests that these animals are not mere companions, but also servitors that gather information for their owners.

The third verse refers to the tradition of using love potions, or philtres, which are brewed from foul ingredients by cowled lasses. The use of these potions is often associated with the casting of spells and the binding of affections. The fourth verse references the use of taboo ingredients in the creation of magical ointments, such as the fat of an unbaptized babe and a finger of a corpse. These ingredients symbolize the crossing of boundaries between life and death, and the transgression of societal norms. The chorus that repeats throughout the song, "Dating with witchcraft," hints at the seductive power of these practices and the allure of engaging with forbidden knowledge and the supernatural.

Line by Line Meaning

On the first of May
At the start of May

Toads grow fat on stolen Hosts
Toads eat the Hosts they have stolen

In little boxes crucified
The Hosts are in small boxes and nailed shut

Bled and divined
The Hosts are used for divination and bloodletting

When all the girls
At the same time, all the girls

Suckle beasts within their arms
They are nursing animals

Pact-bound familiars
These are their familiar spirits with whom they have a pact

Spill their guts on secrets spied
They reveal secrets they have seen

On Midsummer's night
On the night of Midsummer

All true love is undisguised
Real love is not hidden

In philtres foul by lasses cowled
Women wearing cowls are brewing love potions