Dark Lotus made its debut with the single "Echo Side", which was later released on Insane Clown Posse's 1999 album The Amazing Jeckel Brothers. It was later announced that each member "would act as a 'petal' of the lotus," and that there would be six members. After speculation as to who the sixth member would be, including rumors that Esham would join the group, it was announced that Marz would be a member.
Dark Lotus released their first album, Tales from the Lotus Pod, in 2001. Mike E. Clark was brought in to produce the album, but left the project after producing four songs, and Fritz the Cat produced the rest of the album. The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, #6 on the Top Independent Albums chart, and #158 on the Billboard 200. Marz left the group, and was replaced by James Lowery. In 2002, Tales from the Lotus Pod was reissued in a new version removing Marz' vocals. On April 6, 2004, Dark Lotus released their second studio album, Black Rain. It peaked at #3 on the Top Independent Albums chart, and at #71 on the Billboard 200.
Lowery left the group, and a third album, The Opaque Brotherhood, was released without him. It peaked at #4 on the Top Independent Albums chart, #23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, #45 on the Top Internet Albums chart, and #45 on the Billboard 200.[4] Allrovi reviewer Stewart Mason praised the album, writing "Nothing on The Opaque Brotherhood will convince anyone who isn't already a fan, but the tormented lyrics and matter-of-fact delivery remove a layer or two of distance and artifice from the band's familiar themes, and make them that much more disturbing as a result.".
45 Minutes
Dark Lotus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He hung there alive
For 45 minutes
And then he died
The preacher gave his sermon
Told folks to kill that vermin
Trap door dropped open, the rope snapped tight
Alive, hangin' in the heat
Hear him gaspin', kick his feet
Mortified people screamin' in fright
But the little kids think it's sweet
Hey yo, the executioner, send em to Lucifer
Appear with the cross, call me the crucifer
Trip the damn door, body parts kickin'
And dangles, the strand around the neck as he, he strangles
The crowd grows, anticipation soars
Thirsty for death and they wanna see more
Cheers to their throne, time lingers on
Sadistically watchin', kickin' dirt till he's gone
Sweet Lord Jesus, please take his life
(15 minutes)
This endless torture
(He's swingin' and swingin')
Dark clouds above us (Blue is the sky)
(30 minutes)
I know you see us
(He's swingin' and swingin')
When will this end? (This horror show)
(45 minutes)
His feet are kickin', he's swingin'
Sun beats on his hood
The knot is tightened good
His arms are tied up behind his back
Shit, kill him, someone should
His neck is strechin' longer
The rope is that much stronger
His body sways in a gentle breeze
The sight is somethin' somber
His feet dangle and his throat gets tangled
With a rope that strangles every bit of breath that's left
Outta his body until nothing's left
And I gotta be honest, I feel it in my chest
I'mma witness with a sickness
Who love's to watch em hang from a distance
Victim swingin' until they're all witless
45 minutes, at least someone end this
What kept him alive?
(15 minutes)
For all those growing minutes
(He's swingin' and swingin')
The people did nothin' but stare
(Blue is the sky) (30 minutes)
Fixated on his torture
(He's swingin' and swingin')
(When will this end?)
They had all the time in the world
(45 minutes)
To wait for him to die
(He's swingin')
Turnin' green like fix me
Lookin' hella trippy
15, less than a full whole 60 minutes of life
With silence of sight
Will 2 wrongs combine together in an effort to make things right?
Why are there signs of crime soaked in violence
Everyone stands still like a bunch of stone giants
Lookin' down on him as he swings and sway
He will not die until the motherfuckers all go away
He swings, jerks, a vulture nearby lurks
As he spins up on that rope, we wonder if it hurts
Hear him gasp for breath, his soul is fighting death
If he gives up and let's go, show's over, nothing's left
Sweet Lord Jesus, please take his life
(15 minutes)
This endless torture
(He's swingin' and swingin')
Dark clouds above us (Blue is the sky)
(30 minutes)
I know you see us
(He's swingin' and swingin')
When will this end? (This horror show)
(45 minutes)
His feet are kickin', he's swingin'
The lyrics of Dark Lotus's "45 Minutes" describe a horrifying scene of a man being hung until dead as an execution. The song explores the emotions of the crowd witnessing the execution, from children finding it entertaining to others feeling sickened by it. The tone of the song is dark, disturbing, and violent, and it highlights the inhumanity of such executions.
The first paragraph describes the actions taken by the executioner to kill the man, but he hangs there alive for 45 minutes before death finally takes him. The second paragraph describes the atmosphere of the execution, with people screaming and cheering the whole time as the man hangs there. The final paragraph describes the man's agony as he swings in the air and slowly dies.
Overall, the lyrics are a powerful condemnation of the practice of execution, showing it as cruel, inhumane, and inexcusable.
Line by Line Meaning
45 minutes
The duration of time that the man hung from the rope
He hung there alive
The man survived the initial hanging
For 45 minutes
The amount of time the man hung from the rope before dying
And then he died
The man eventually died from hanging
The preacher gave his sermon
The person in charge of the execution gave a speech before it occurred
Told folks to kill that vermin
The person encouraged the crowd to carry out the execution
Trap door dropped open, the rope snapped tight
The method of hanging used was via a trap door and rope
But still he up there squirmin'
The man was still alive and struggling while hanging
Alive, hangin' in the heat
The man was alive while hanging and in hot temperatures
Hear him gaspin', kick his feet
The man was wheezing and moving his legs while hanging
Mortified people screamin' in fright
The crowd was horrified and screaming during the execution
But the little kids think it's sweet
Children were present and found the execution entertaining
Hey yo, the executioner, send em to Lucifer
The rapper is calling out the executioner and expressing a desire for them to go to hell
Appear with the cross, call me the crucifer
The rapper is referencing their association with a religious symbol
Trip the damn door, body parts kickin'
The executioner triggered the trap door and the man's body was thrashing
And dangles, the strand around the neck as he, he strangles
The man was hanging by a rope around his neck and was struggling to breathe
The crowd grows, anticipation soars
The crowd was excited and anticipating the execution
Thirsty for death and they wanna see more
The crowd was eager to see more of the execution
Cheers to their throne, time lingers on
The crowd was cheering and time seemed to slow down
Sadistically watchin', kickin' dirt till he's gone
The crowd was enjoying the execution and kicking dirt around while waiting for the man to die
Sweet Lord Jesus, please take his life
A prayer to Jesus to end the man's suffering
(15 minutes)
The amount of time the man was still alive while hanging
This endless torture
The man's hanging was a form of torture
(He's swingin' and swingin')
Describing the physical movement of the man still hanging
Dark clouds above us (Blue is the sky)
Describing the weather during the execution
(30 minutes)
The time frame during the man's hanging
I know you see us
Addressing a higher power who can witness the execution
When will this end? (This horror show)
Expressing a desire for the man's suffering to end
(45 minutes)
Describing the full duration of the man's hanging before dying
His feet are kickin', he's swingin'
Describing the man's physical movement while hanging
Sun beats on his hood
Describing the heat of the sun while the man is still alive while hanging
The knot is tightened good
Describing the tightness of the knot used for the hanging
His arms are tied up behind his back
Describing how the man was restrained during the execution
Shit, kill him, someone should
Expressing a desire for someone to end the man's suffering by killing him
His neck is strechin' longer
Describing the physical changes to the man's body while hanging
The rope is that much stronger
Describing the durability of the rope used for the hanging
His body sways in a gentle breeze
Describing the movement of the man's body while hanging
The sight is somethin' somber
Describing the solemnity and sadness of the execution
He swings, jerks, a vulture nearby lurks
Describing the movements of the man's body while hanging and the presence of a nearby bird
As he spins up on that rope, we wonder if it hurts
Speculating on the man's physical pain while hanging
Hear him gasp for breath, his soul is fighting death
Describing the man's physical struggle to breathe and his body's fight to stay alive
If he gives up and let's go, show's over, nothing's left
The man's death will end the execution and his life will be over
Will 2 wrongs combine together in an effort to make things right?
Questioning whether carrying out the execution is the right thing to do
Why are there signs of crime soaked in violence
Questioning the nature of the execution and its morality
Everyone stands still like a bunch of stone giants
Describing the stillness of the crowd during the execution
Lookin' down on him as he swings and sway
Describing how the crowd is watching the man while he's being executed
He will not die until the motherfuckers all go away
The man will remain alive while people are watching him
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind