While Damageplan was promoting the album at a concert at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio on December 8, 2004, a former U.S. marine named Nathan Gale climbed on stage and murdered Darrell, two members of the band's crew, and a local concert goer. Although no motive was found, some witnesses claimed Gale blamed the brothers for Pantera's breakup and believed that they had stolen his lyrics, though other reports say that Gale was schizophrenic and believed that the band was "reading his thoughts and laughing at him". Gale was killed by police officer James Niggemeyer, who was found to have acted accordingly by the Franklin County prosecutor's office. The band's manager confirmed there are unreleased Damageplan recordings, although they have not surfaced, and the band has not performed since the incident. Vinnie Paul and Bob Zilla joined the band Hellyeah, and Lachman joined The Mercy Clinic.
Ashes
Damageplan Lyrics
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Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Everytime you trample across my peaceful mind
Flailing freely, want me to let it slide
How you hurt her went so far beyond wrong
I burn you down to cinders, ashes now you're gone, yeah
Slowly fade away with time
Ashes of what used to be
Now they tore you onto me
Begging mercy, shifting, playing on both sides
Cut your own throat open and ask me how you died
What was once respect has slowly headed south
Memory forces echoes better in my mouth, yeah
And the scars you left behind
Slowly fade away with time
Ashes of what used to be
Now they tore you onto me
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Well I have no respect left for what you're about
And sympathy won't come from me
Erase everything that you once could have been
Destruction of your dignity
I scatter your ashes into the wind
Regret is too short, now you're free
Leave here in shame doomed to fulfill
Your pathetic destiny
And the scars you left behind
Slowly fade away with time
Ashes of what used to be
Now they tore you onto me
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
It's history
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
It's history
The song "Ashes" by Damageplan is a powerful and angry response to betrayal and hurt caused by someone close to the singer. The repeated phrase, "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," is a traditional phrase used in Christian funeral services, symbolizing the return of the body to the earth. The use of this phrase in the song highlights the idea of the complete and final destruction of the person who has caused pain to the singer.
Throughout the song, the lyrics express a desire for revenge and a burning anger towards the person who has caused harm. The singer refuses to forgive or forget and instead chooses to "burn [them] down to cinders" and scatter their ashes into the wind. The scars left behind by the betrayal will fade with time, but the ashes remain, a constant reminder of the pain that was inflicted.
In the final lines, the singer declares that the betrayer's destiny is "pathetic," and that they will leave in shame. The repeated refrain, "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," emphasizes the finality and inevitability of this outcome. The song is a powerful statement of strength and resistance in the face of betrayal and harm.
Line by Line Meaning
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
The cycle of life and death.
Everytime you trample across my peaceful mind
The pain and hurt inflicted by someone who constantly disturbs the singer's peace of mind.
Flailing freely, want me to let it slide
The person hurting the singer is acting without control and wants to be forgiven.
How you hurt her went so far beyond wrong
The person who hurt the artist's loved one acted in an extremely unethical and immoral way.
I burn you down to cinders, ashes now you're gone, yeah
The artist wants to destroy the person who caused them harm and leave nothing behind.
And the scars you left behind
Slowly fade away with time
Ashes of what used to be
Now they tore you onto me
The emotional and psychological trauma left behind by the person who hurt them is slowly becoming a memory that the singer will carry with them.
Begging mercy, shifting, playing on both sides
The person who caused harm is trying to manipulate the singer's emotions by playing both sides and asking for forgiveness.
Cut your own throat open and ask me how you died
The artist is expressing anger and frustration about the person who caused harm not taking responsibility for their actions.
What was once respect has slowly headed south
The person who caused harm has lost the artist's respect over time.
Memory forces echoes better in my mouth, yeah
The artist is haunted by the memories of the person who caused harm and it is affecting their ability to speak about it.
Well I have no respect left for what you're about
And sympathy won't come from me
The singer has no respect or sympathy for the person who caused harm.
Erase everything that you once could have been
Destruction of your dignity
The artist wants to erase any good qualities the person who caused harm may have had and strip them of their dignity.
I scatter your ashes into the wind
Regret is too short, now you're free
Leave here in shame doomed to fulfill
Your pathetic destiny
The singer wants to let go of the pain and hurt caused by the person who harmed them and to let them live with the consequences of their actions.
It's history
The past is in the past and the singer is ready to move on.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Cantrell, Patrick a. Lachman, Vincent Paul Abbott, Darrell Lance Abbott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind