The members of the band began to come together in the late 1960s, as a band called Soft White Underbelly, in the vicinity of Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York, at the prompting of critic Sandy Pearlman. Pearlman was very influential for the band, getting them gigs, their first record with Columbia, and using his poetry as the basis of many of their songs, including “Astronomy”. The band changed its name to the Stalk-Forrest Group in 1968. One single was released on Elektra Records under this name in 1969, though over one album of material was recorded. The name changed once more, to Blue Oyster Cult, in 1970. The umlaut was added later that year. They became a successful heavy metal band during the 1970s, and are still active today.
The umlaut on the “O” in their name started the trend for using the “heavy metal umlaut” in band names. It was suggested to Pearlman by rock critic Richard Meltzer. [1] Additionally, some have suggested Pearlman created the term “Heavy Metal” via the use of the band’s logo - an alchemical symbol for lead, one of the heaviest of metals.
BÖC have had a minor resurgence recently with two new albums, Heaven Forbid and Curse of the Hidden Mirror, with sixteen songs written or co-written by cyberpunk/horror novelist John Shirley.
BÖC also have enjoyed a resurgence of another kind, the result of a Saturday Night Live sketch featuring a VH1 “Behind the Music” portrayal of the studio sessions for “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”. The sketch, starring Christopher Walken and various cast members (including Will Ferrell as “Gene Frenkle”), centered around producer Bruce Dickinson (Walken) constantly pleading with the band that he needed “more cowbell”. The sketch became something of an internet phenomenon, and members of the band have acknowledged enjoying a small spike in popularity in the years since its broadcast.
Nosferatu
Blue Ãyster Cult Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lucy clutched her breast in fear
She heard the beat of her lover's heart
For weeks she raved in dreams he appeared
From far Transylvania
Only a woman can break his spell
Pure in heart who will offer herself
This ship pulled in without a sound
The faithful captain long since cold
He kept his log till the bloody end
Last entry read "Rats in the hold.
My crew is dead, I fear the plague"
Only a woman can break his spell
Pure in heart who will offer hefself
To Nosferatu
Mortal terror reigned
Sickness now then horrible death
Only Lucy knew the truth
And at her window
Nosferatu
So chaste so calm, she gave herself
To the pleasure of her dreaded master
He sucked the precious drops of life
Throughout the long and cold dark night
One last goodbye, he was blinded by love
One last goodbye, he was blinded by love
Blinded by love
He screamed with fear, he'd stayed too long in her room
The morning sun had come too soon
The spell was broken with a kiss of doom
He vanished into dust, left her all alone
Only a woman can break his spell
Pure in heart, who will offer herself
To Nosferatu
The Blue Öyster Cult's song "Nosferatu" is a chilling tale of love, death, and the supernatural. The song begins with Lucy, a woman living in Germany, who hears the beat of her lover's heart from Transylvania. For weeks, she sees him in her dreams, until a ship arrives from Transylvania without a sound. The captain's log tells of rats in the hold, and the crew dead from a mysterious plague. Only Lucy understands the truth of what has happened, as Nosferatu, the legendary vampire, has come to Germany.
According to the song, only a woman can break Nosferatu's spell, but she must be pure of heart and offer herself to him. Lucy sacrifices herself to her dreaded master, and he feeds on her throughout the night. He becomes blinded by love and stays too long in her room, and only the morning sun breaks the spell, causing him to vanish into dust. The song ends with the refrain stating that only a woman with a pure heart can break his spell.
The lyrics of "Nosferatu" convey a sense of brooding doom and horror, with a slow and methodical tempo that builds to a crescendo. The song was inspired by the 1922 silent horror film of the same name by F.W. Murnau. In the film, the vampire Count Orlok is a terrifying presence, with long, bony fingers, pointed ears, and sharp teeth. The Blue Öyster Cult's song captures the essence of the film's eerie atmosphere and compelling story, making it a memorable and haunting track.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep in the heart of Germany
The song sets the scene in Germany, a place of gothic horror and mythical creatures.
Lucy clutched her breast in fear
Lucy is afraid, most likely because of a dream, and she is holding her hand to her chest in a gesture of fear and anxiety.
She heard the beat of her lover's heart
Lucy thinks she hears her lover's heartbeat in the distance, and this adds to her fear and confusion.
For weeks she raved in dreams he appeared
Lucy has been having vivid dreams about her lover, and these dreams are making her crazy and paranoid.
From far Transylvania
This is the place where the mythical vampire Nosferatu comes from, which means that this story is about a vampire.
Only a woman can break his spell
The only way to defeat the vampire's curse is through a woman's pure and innocent love.
Pure in heart who will offer herself
The only way to break the vampire's spell is by a pure-hearted woman voluntarily offering herself to him.
This ship pulled in without a sound
A suspicious ship has docked without any noise or fanfare.
The faithful captain long since cold
The captain of the ship has died, and his body is now cold and decaying.
He kept his log till the bloody end
The captain kept record of events on the ship until he died in a bloody and gruesome manner.
Last entry read "Rats in the hold."
The captain's final entry in the ship's logbook was about the presence of rats in the hold of the ship, which is a bad omen.
My crew is dead, I fear the plague"
The captain, in his last entry, talks about his crew being dead, and he fears that they fell victim to a deadly plague.
Mortal terror reigned
There is a sense of intense fear and dread that is felt by everyone involved.
Sickness now then horrible death
The sickness is now spreading, and it will eventually lead to a horrible death.
Only Lucy knew the truth
Lucy is the only one who knows the true identity of the mysterious vampire.
And at her window
The vampire appears at Lucy's window, which is a common trope in vampire fiction.
So chaste so calm, she gave herself
Lucy is pure and calm, and she willingly offers herself to the vampire.
To the pleasure of her dreaded master
Lucy is the vampire's slave, and she takes pleasure in serving him.
He sucked the precious drops of life
The vampire feeds on Lucy's blood, which is the source of his immortality and strength.
Throughout the long and cold dark night
The vampire feeds on Lucy's blood all night long, which is a common theme in vampire lore.
One last goodbye, he was blinded by love
The vampire is so in love with Lucy that he can't bear to leave her, even though he knows that he must.
One last goodbye, he was blinded by love
The vampire is so in love with Lucy that he can't bear to leave her, even though he knows that he must.
He screamed with fear, he'd stayed too long in her room
The vampire realizes that he has stayed too long in Lucy's room and that the sunlight will soon kill him.
The morning sun had come too soon
The sun has risen too early, and the vampire is about to be destroyed by its light and energy.
The spell was broken with a kiss of doom
The spell of the vampire has been broken, and his power is now gone forever.
He vanished into dust, left her all alone
The vampire has been destroyed, and all that is left of him is a pile of dust. Lucy is now alone and free from the vampire's spell.
Only a woman can break his spell
The song repeats its message that only a woman's love can defeat the vampire's spell.
Pure in heart, who will offer herself
The song repeats its message that the only way to defeat the vampire's curse is through a woman's pure and innocent love.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DICKON JAMES HINCHLIFFE, DAVID LEONARD BOULTER, STUART ASHTON STAPLES, NEIL JOSEPH STEVEN FRASER, MARK ANTHONY STEPHEN COLWILL, ALISTAIR MACAULAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tomgorman748
One of my favorites. Haunting and sinister even without the piano.
@JoeBouchardRockStar
The current touring Blue Oyster Cult would never play this song. You're dreaming. It's okay to dream, but the reason Blue Coupe exists is that we make our own set lists and they vary greatly from night to night. Glad you like the old classics, but we've got those, and other things to do. Stay tuned for a new Blue Coupe album in 2012 of all new songs, plus a new Joe Bouchard solo album.
@JoeBouchardRockStar
Thanks for the comments. Much appreciation!
@moparbee1523
Best version ever! I'll take this version sounds over the "Spectres" any time ! Wanna see you guys out here in Sacramento CA ! PLEASE COME!! You guys do more with three guys than bands with six or more!!! Well Done!!!
@jamesshaffer206
What great musicians you and Albert are. I loved your 12 string acoustic version of Astronomy also. You n your brother were definitely the backbone of B.O.C. all was great up to F.o.u.o. Fan forever ,,,, James.
@andyshelton4889
Joe Bouchard , keep up the great work!😀
@stevenwilkinson1265
It's a fantastic live version of a typically great 1970's BOC song .... thanks Joe ...
@kathyjones3940
Incredible version of one of my top 5 BOC songs!
@Cinemagoer_64
Albert is one the greatest drummers of all time. He makes the drums and cymbals breath and speak!
@rob645
Wow from France ! When I was young BOC was my top 1 band ( I'm 62 now ) and the Alice Cooper group with Dennis ( Love it to death , Killer ,etc...) : Wow Too ! Thank's Bouchard Brothers and Dennis . I love you . What a powerful and beautiful version of Nosferatu