After two demo tapes in 1990 and 1991, the band were picked up by French label Adipocere Records, which made possible the band's first two commercial releases, 1993's Up Through the Linear Shades 7" and 1994's Longing For Scarlet Days EP. In 1995, Beyond Dawn released their critically acclaimed full length debut Pity Love on Candlelight Records. Soon after, the band began work on an album intended to be a departure from the doom metal music they were becoming known for, but their record label was less than pleased with the band's drastic change in sound and they were soon in search of a new label. They eventually signed with Misanthropy Records and released Revelry in 1998 to more critical praise. Beyond Dawn eventually resumed work on the would-be 1996 album and, after adding additional material and overdubs, released In Reverie in 1999 on Eibon Records, which would also be reissued in 2005 with two bonus tracks included. During the latter half of 1999, they released Electric Sulking Machine on the Peaceville label, which soon became a favorite amongst fans and remains sought after due to its limited pressing.
Due in part to the limited commercial success of Frysh, the band went on hiatus in 2003 to focus on other projects. Some time later, several tracks from Frysh were remixed by various electronic and EBM artists and released in the form of the double LP We're Down With Species of Any Kind in 2005. The band remains on an indefinite hiatus.
Severed Survival
Beyond Dawn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No food to be found
Point of desperation
Shocking decision on how to survive
Now it's time to break out the knife
First inscion the cut is complete
First source of food is one of your feet
Incredible pain as you cauterize the wound
Amputation for your rations
Legs are gone, start new gashes
Half of your fingers are now cut away
To live through another agonizing day
Feasting on the rest of your arm
Next the slice goes across your throat
The lyrics of Beyond Dawn’s “Severed Survival” tell the gruesome story of a person who is stranded on a barren island with no food or means of escape. The person is gradually driven to a point of desperation, and as a result, makes a shocking decision on how to survive. The lyrics suggest that in order to stay alive, the person decides to amputate their own legs and fingers, using them as a source of food.
The first verse sets the stage for the events that unfold. The person is completely alone on a barren island and cannot find any food. The first line of the verse - “stranded alone on a barren island” - sets the mood of isolation and hopelessness that pervades the entire song. The second line, “no food to be found”, makes it clear that the person’s situation is dire. As they get more desperate, they make a shocking decision to amputate their own limbs and eat them. The lyrics use vivid language to describe the grisly process of self-amputation, from “first incision” to “incredible pain” to “preparing yourself for a horrible doom”. The lyrics then describe how the person feasts on their amputated limbs in order to stay alive.
Overall, the lyrics of “Severed Survival” paint a frightening picture of the extremes that a person will go to in order to survive. The song is a dark and disturbing portrayal of the human instinct for self-preservation, and the desperation that people can feel when confronted with impossible circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Stranded alone on a barren island
Without company, you are on an isolated place with no vegetation, habitation or shelter.
No food to be found
There is nothing available to eat around your location.
Point of desperation
You are now at a stage of losing hope or recklessness in decision making due to the circumstances.
Shocking decision on how to survive
You have taken an unexpected course of action on how to keep yourself alive.
Now it's time to break out the knife
You are about to use a sharp object to carry out an operation on your body.
First inscion the cut is complete
The first incision has been made and the wound is open.
First source of food is one of your feet
One of your feet is your first meal to satiate your hunger.
Incredible pain as you cauterize the wound
You experience an intense level of discomfort as you stop the bleeding by burning the flesh near the wound.
Preparing yourself for a horrible doom
You are mentally and physically getting ready for an extremely unpleasant fate.
Amputation for your rations
You have to remove body parts for food to continue living.
Legs are gone, start new gashes
Your lower limbs have been cut off, and you are starting fresh by making more incisions.
Half of your fingers are now cut away
Some of your fingers are now mutilated beyond use.
To live through another agonizing day
You must endure another day of excruciating pain and survive.
Feasting on the rest of your arm
You're consuming what's left of one of your limbs.
Next, the slice goes across your throat
The final cut is across your neck, which would lead to death.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER REIFERT, ERIC CUTLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind