Happy Birthday
Current 93/Death in June/ Sol Invictus Lyrics
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When red is black
And Christus crawls
From Mary's crack
Wrapped in tatters
And flailing in mud
Child defiled
With tears and blood
Pigface Christus is born
In menstrual night
When red is black
And darkness crawls
Out of the crack
Some were born
In fields of mourning
Some were ripped
In fields of rape
Some bowed down
In echoed splendour
All were torn
In fields of tears
Crushed by church
And raped by father
Bled by mother
Torn and tearing
In scarlet playgrounds
On iron railways
Christ's pale body
Crucified
Time was
Time is
Time shall be no more
Some with tears
And some with laughter
Some in sadness
All in vain
In fields fresh crippled
The glint of sickles
The scars of sunset
The sund of reaping
You and I
On threshing floors
Lost and losing
Parched and preying
All have numbers
None have names
Here open the gates of heaven
Here open the gates of hell
Time was
Time is
Time shall be no more
The song "Happy Birthday" by Current 93/Death in June/ Sol Invictus is a dark and haunting piece that explores themes of religious corruption, sexual abuse, and the cruel fate of humanity through its imagery and lyrics. The first verse describes the birth of a grotesque and defiled "Pigface Christus" from Mary's crack, implying a perversion of the holy birth of Jesus Christ. The use of menstrual blood and darkness further creates a sense of disturbing and macabre imagery, challenging the traditional religious teachings of purity and light.
The following verses go on to describe the suffering of humanity, particularly those who have been born into fields of mourning or fields of rape, and how they are torn and crushed by the church, their own families, and their environment. The repeated lyrics of "time was, time is, time shall be no more" hint at the futility of existence, as all humans are doomed to suffer and die.
The song's overall message seems to be a bleak commentary on humanity's dark nature and the corruption of organized religion. The use of disturbing and uncomfortable imagery adds to the sense of unease and despair, making "Happy Birthday" a powerful and impactful piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
In menstrual night
During a night of a woman's menstrual cycle
When red is black
During a time when the color red is symbolic of blackness and darkness
And Christus crawls
The image of Christ crawling on the ground
From Mary's crack
Emerging from Mary's vagina
Wrapped in tatters
Wearing old and torn clothing
And flailing in mud
Struggling and covered in dirt
Child defiled
A child who has been mistreated and violated
With tears and blood
Crying and bleeding
Pigface Christus is born
The image of a deformed Christ being born
In menstrual night
A repetition of the first line, emphasizing the setting
When red is black
A repetition of the second line, emphasizing the symbolic color
And darkness crawls
A continuation of the third line, emphasizing the darkness
Out of the crack
A continuation of the fourth line, emphasizing the emergence from the vagina
Some were born
Referring to individuals being born
In fields of mourning
The setting of some people's birth being a scene of grief
Some were ripped
Indicating a violent birth
In fields of rape
The setting of some people's birth being a scene of sexual violence
Some bowed down
Referring to some people being submissive
In echoed splendour
The setting of some people being a luxurious space with echoes
All were torn
Everyone experienced some form of tearing or harm
In fields of tears
The setting of harm being a scene of sadness
Crushed by church
Referring to individuals being oppressed by the church
And raped by father
Referring to individuals being sexually violated by their fathers
Bled by mother
Referring to individuals being harmed by their mothers
Torn and tearing
Individuals experiencing harm and causing harm
In scarlet playgrounds
The setting of harm being a place of childhood play and innocence
On iron railways
A setting of harm being a transportation system
Christ's pale body
Depicting Christ as vulnerable and weak
Crucified
Referencing Christ's crucifixion and comparing it to the harm experienced by many people
Time was
Referring to the past
Time is
Referring to the present
Time shall be no more
Predicting the end of time
Some with tears
Referring to individuals crying
And some with laughter
Referring to individuals laughing
Some in sadness
Referring to individuals experiencing sadness
All in vain
Everything is futile or meaningless
In fields fresh crippled
Referring to a setting where individuals have been freshly wounded or harmed
The glint of sickles
A tool for harvesting that also brings harm
The scars of sunset
Scars visible in the light of the setting sun
The sound of reaping
The sound of harvesting or reaping the wounded
You and I
Referring to the listener and the singer
On threshing floors
A location where grain is separated, similar to separating those who have been harmed from those who have not
Lost and losing
A sense of being lost or defeated
Parched and preying
Referring to individuals who are thirsty and seeking something to consume
All have numbers
Referring to individuals being classified and reduced to a number
None have names
A lack of individual recognition or awareness
Here open the gates of heaven
A request or invocation to enter heaven
Here open the gates of hell
A request or invocation to enter hell
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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