Ostia
Coil feat. Красная Плесень Lyrics
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And the contours of the body
A sluggish golden river
A sickly golden trickle
A golden, sticky trickle
You can hear the bones humming
You can hear the bones humming
The body in the basin
In the shallow sea-plane basin
And the car reverses over
And his body rolls over
Crushed from the shoulder
You can hear the bones humming
Singing like a puncture
Singing like a puncture
Killed to keep the world turning
Killed to keep the world turning
Killed to keep the world turning
Throw his bones over
The white cliffs of Dover
And into the sea, the sea of Rome
And the bloodstained coast of Ostia
Leon like a lion
Sleeping in the sunshine
Lion lies down
Lion lies down
Out of the strong came forth sweetness
Out of the strong came forth sweetness
Throw his bones over
The white cliffs of Dover
And murder me in Ostia
And murder me in Ostia
The sea of Rome
And the bloodstained coast
And the car reverses over
The white cliffs of Dover
And into the sea, the sea of Rome
You can hear the bones humming
You can hear the bones humming
You can hear the bones humming
Throw his bones over
The white cliffs of Dover
And into the sea, the sea of Rome
And murder me in Ostia
The song "Ostia" by Coil feat. Красная Плесень is a haunting lyrical masterpiece that is layered with different meanings and interpretations. At first glance, the lyrics seem to describe a gruesome scene of a body being crushed by a car and thrown into the sea. However, on a closer look, the lyrics seem to portray themes of sacrifice, death, and rebirth.
In the opening lines, the lyrics describe the beauty and allure of the human body, with references to honey in the hollows and the contours of the body. This is juxtaposed with the sickly golden trickle, which could represent the lifeblood draining out of the body. The reference to the bones humming adds an eerie tone to the lyrics and suggests that the body is resonating with some kind of energy.
The chorus, "Killed to keep the world turning," is a powerful statement about the nature of sacrifice and how individuals are often sacrificed for the greater good of society. The repetition of "throw his bones over the white cliffs of Dover and into the sea" seems to suggest a desire for rebirth or renewal, as if the body is being returned to the earth to start anew.
Overall, "Ostia" is a complex and thought-provoking song that invites listeners to delve deeper into its lyrical meaning and symbolism.
Line by Line Meaning
There's honey in the hollows
Within the crevices of the body lies an alluring sweetness
And the contours of the body
The curves and lines of the physical form
A sluggish golden river
A slow-moving stream of a precious substance
A sickly golden trickle
A feeble flow of the valuable substance
A golden, sticky trickle
A tacky and sticky juice of gold
You can hear the bones humming
The sounds of bones resonating
And the car reverses over
The automobile moves backwards over
The body in the basin
The corpse in the shallow vessel
In the shallow sea-plane basin
Located in a basin designed for seaplanes
And his body rolls over
His corpse is pushed over by the vehicle
Crushed from the shoulder
Squashed from the upper arm area
Singing like a puncture
Producing a sound like a hole being made
Killed to keep the world turning
Murdered in order to sustain the operations of society
Throw his bones over
Cast his remains over
The white cliffs of Dover
The chalk cliffs located in Dover, England
And into the sea, the sea of Rome
And release them into the waters surrounding Rome
And the bloodstained coast of Ostia
And onto the shore that has been tainted with blood in Ostia
Leon like a lion
A man named Leon, strong like a lion
Sleeping in the sunshine
Resting under the sun
Lion lies down
The lion-figure becomes passive
Out of the strong came forth sweetness
Great strength leads to something fruitful, sweet, and positive
And murder me in Ostia
Kill me violently on the shores of Ostia
The sea of Rome
The sea located near Rome
And the car reverses over
And the vehicle moves backwards upon
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ZimUnknown
There's honey in the hollows
And the contours of the body
A sluggish golden river
A sickly golden trickle
A golden, sticky trickle
You can hear the bones humming
You can hear the bones humming
And the car reverses over
The body in the basin
In the shallow sea-plane basin
And the car reverses over
And his body rolls over
Crushed from the shoulder
You can hear the bones humming
Singing like a puncture
Singing like a puncture
Killed to keep the world turning
Killed to keep the world turning
Killed to keep the world turning
Throw his bones over
The white cliffs of Dover
And into the sea, the sea of Rome
And the bloodstained coast of Ostia
Mio fratello è figlio unico
I live in Ostia, Rome, and this song brings to my mind the sea where I live near to, the apartments and the wind that blows in a cold November night. Incredible piece, so strong for me, Ostia is a neighborhood with a lot of problems, mafia and bad administration, but otherwise is my home, full of kind people and I will never leave this place.
David
Love your comment. This song reminds me of 'Via franciscana' the pilgrims path from Dover to Rome. This song is one of my favourites.
Michał Michał
Whenever I hear Ostia, I see an ancient port of the Roman Empire, I don't even think it's a place where people live. When I read your comment, I realized how silly it is.
barf simpson
Very touching comment. Adds another layer of context to an already incredibly atmospheric song.
TheProbewizard
Non era un comune sciolto per mafia?
Mio fratello è figlio unico
@TheProbewizard si esatto, inoltre è gestito amministrativamente come uno dei tanti quartieri di Roma, nonostante il grande numero di residenti.
Eschaton Immanentizer
Nobody can mix sinister with beauty together as well as COIL does.
Maria Dvinskaya
Trueeeeeeee
Eschaton Immanentizer
@Maria Dvinskaya I wonder what I was doing six years ago?
Tunguska Lumberjack
COIL is my all time favorite band, since I first heard them in 1989. It was this album, actually, and I found it with a friend of mine at a small record store in NYC- neither of us had heard of them, but we were looking for something new and different, and upon seeing that it contained a song called The Anal Staircase, we knew that we were in for a treat. Years later, after having most of their available discography in my collection, a different friend gifted me a copy of Horse Rotorvator on clear yellow vinyl, and it was my most prized possession. Unfortunately years later, I had to sell it when desperate for money, and I’ve been kicking myself ever since. Honestly, not a day goes by that I don’t regret that decision. I listen to this song every night around 2AM, as the kickoff to my evening’s reading in bed until I fall asleep, and have done the same every night for about the last year. It’s such a richly and beautifully layered piece of work, by turns gorgeous and disturbing, and since I don’t have the big expensive stereo to listen to it on anymore (and it would be too loud for everyone else at this hour anyway), I listen to it at just above half volume on a really good pair of headphones in order to catch every sound. Well- Sorry to have left such a long comment- I just really love this song, and thought that someone might enjoy reading that. Thanks for sticking it out to the end, and double thanks for posting this and making it so easy for me to access. Have a great night!🖤