Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
Cradle of Filth Lyrics

Hear Me now!
Listen closely to what I am about to say.

All crimes should be treasured if they bring thee pleasure somehow
Crimes should be valued if they bring you pleasure in some way.

Maleficent in dusky rose
A woman with evil intentions, dressed in dark pink.

Gathered satin lapped Her breasts
Satin fabric hugged her breasts.

Like blood upon the snow
Like red blood on white snow.

A tourniquet of Topaz
A band of yellow gemstones around her neck.

Glistened at Her throat
Sparkled around her neck.

Awakening, pulled from the tomb
She was brought back to life.

Her spirit freed eclipsed the moon
Her free spirit was brighter than the moon.

That She outshone as a fallen star
She was more impressive than a shooting star.

A regal ornament from a far flung nebular
Like a beautiful object from a distant galaxy.

Her likeness hung in the black gallery
Her portrait was displayed in a dark room.

Commanding unease
Making people feel uncomfortable.

Demanding of Death to breathe
Challenging death to take her life.

Midst the whirl and daylight fauna
In the midst of a busy and bright world.

Of society at court
At the royal court which governs society.

Elizabeth bedazzled, Her presence sought applause
Elizabeth dazzled people and they applauded her presence.

Though Her torchlit shadow
Even though her shadow was cast by a lit torch.

Thrown upon damp cellar walls
Her shadow was cast on the walls of a wet basement.

Greeted nothing but despair from slaves Her nights enthralled
The slaves that were entranced by her at night felt only despair.

Thirteen Winter solstices had shown
Thirteen winters had passed.

Her path, that the dark
She followed a dark path.

Had marked its dominion
The darkness had taken control.

Spaying the confessor
Castrating the person who confesses to her.

Whose caresses she'd known,
The person who caressed her.

As whipcord in the House of Dog
Like a slave in a doghouse.

Her cold cunt meat on holy bone
Her private parts were cold and the bone that they were on was sacred.

Raped of faith, She now embraced
She lost her faith and accepted.

The narcissistic unrest frozen on the mirror's face
The unhappiness that she saw in the mirror.

(Highborn wanton that She was)
(As a highborn, promiscuous woman)

She sought to keep what age would claim
She tried to preserve her youth despite aging.

Her soul was sold and for this toll
Her soul was sold and this cost her.

Reeking pyres ever smouldered
Foul-smelling fires burned continuously.

On the whims of one so in control
Controlled by one person's whims.

Elizabeth, mysterious
A woman named Elizabeth who was enigmatic.

Cruelty brought thee orchids
She was rewarded with flowers for being cruel.

From the bowels of the abyss
From the depths of hell.

Once upon atrocity when midwitches stifled cries
During a time of terror when witches silenced their victims.

And carved abortive runes in reddened wombs
And marked failed pregnancies with symbols.

Exhumed by crying eyes
Dug up by people who cried.

Madness came upon
Madness took hold of her.

Her like an amorous lover's seed
Like a lover's passionate desire.

Lifeblood splashed upon Her skin
Blood that represents life splashed on her skin.

In gout torture unleashed
In a release of terrible pain.

And to Her dead reflection
And when she looked at her own reflection.

Twas as if Her pallor gleamed
It appeared as though her light skin shone.

Like an angel's warmed by candles
Like a heavenly being glowing from candlelight.

Where erotic stains had cleaved
Where marks from sexual activity remained.

So demons dragged this libertine
Demons pulled this woman who acted without morality or restraint.

Lusts screaming for release
Her intense sexual desire was begging to be released.

Upon the flesh of maidens preened
Onto the bodies of young women who were groomed for her pleasure.

As canvas for caprice
They served as her playthings.

Exacting obeisance
Making sure they showed her respect.

Her gaze held a seance
Her gaze conducted a spiritual communication.

Of spirits too trapped under glass to commune
The spirits were trapped and unable to communicate.

A sleetier mistress than Luna
A more brutal and cold-hearted mistress than the moon (Luna).

Whose threats to consume Her
The threats that the moon made to destroy her.

Met with torments giving vent to Her swoon
Met with intense pain that caused her to faint.

Flat on Her back
Lying on her back.

Pack-prey for the reams
Prepared to be attacked by a large group.

Of verses and curses
Of hateful poetry and insults.

That haunted Her dreams
That she saw in her nightmares.

Mid-nightmare chimed
In the middle of her bad dream, a bell rang.

Thirteen in Her mind
Thirteen was on her mind.

A disciple of scars
A person who followed a path of self-harm.

Branded years hissed behind
Years of experience that left a mark.

Ridden split-thighed
With her legs spread apart.

By the Father of lies
By Satan.

An ovation of wolves
Wolves howled in praise.

Blushed the skies as they writhed
As they writhed, they colored the sky red.

But Heaven is never forever
Nothing good lasts forever.

She came, a spent storm
Her arrival was like an exhausted storm.

From the clouds
From a high place above the earth.

Leaving serpents in office
She left evil people in charge.

Inside every gate
At every entrance.

To lick righteous holes
To corrupt and sabotage good intentions.

Blinding Lords to the fate
Making the powerful ignorant of what will happen.

Of virgins forced naked
Of young women who were made to take off their clothes.

To defile on rent knees
To violate on their knees.

Hacked and racked backwards
Grievously wounded and tortured.

Menses choking their pleas
Silenced by their menstrual blood.

More whore more
Inviting more promiscuous behavior.

Twitching make me wet with thee
The thought of sexual stimulation excites her.

Carcass rub me raw
She wants to have sex with a corpse.