Dead Man Ray is a Belgian rock band. Among its members are Daan Stuyven, Ru… Read Full Bio ↴Dead Man Ray is a Belgian rock band. Among its members are Daan Stuyven, Rudy Trouvé, Elko Blijweert, Wouter Van Belle and Herman Houbrechts, who was later replaced by drummer Karel De Backer. The band was best known for their experimental way of making rock music: cutting & pasting song fragments next to eachother to produce one song. This methodology was used throughout the first two cd's (Berchem and Trap). For their third LP Dead Man Ray chose to 'renew' their sound and play a song in its entirety without experimenting with it. Their biggest 'hits' were Chemical, Woods and Landslide.

Their last album (Cago) dates from 2002. This album was recorded in Chicago and produced by Steve Albini.

According to their site, they are holding an introspective break and will restart creativity throughout 2006.

Stain
Dead Man Ray Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Flowing down the mountain
Many broken streams
Hand full of twisted thoughts
Bottle full of needs
Follow the sun down
Till I can't see your face
There was more to this
Than making holes in my life

There was more to this
Than making holes in my eyes
Always in the back of my mind
Always taking something
She was a lying mother
I couldn't make her see
That all of this ain't nothing
It's just a part of me
Follow the sun down
Till I can't see this place
There was more to this
Than making holes in my life
There was more to this
Than making holes in my eyes
I was pulling through
I was changing skin
The deeper the life you fool
The deeper the stain within
Always in the back of my mind
Always taking something
Always Always Always
There was more to this
Than making holes in my life
There was more to this
Than making holes in my eyes
I was pulling through
I was changing skin
The deeper the life you fool

The deeper the stain within
Always in the back of my mind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Stain" by Dead Man Ray are captivating and tell a story of struggle and self-discovery. The opening lines "Flowing down the mountain, many broken streams" are a metaphor for life and the various obstacles one must navigate through. The line "Hand full of twisted thoughts, bottle full of needs" suggests that the singer of the song is perhaps battling with addiction or a mental health issue.

The chorus "There was more to this than making holes in my life, there was more to this than making holes in my eyes" suggests that there is a deeper meaning to the singer's struggles and that they feel like they are not being understood by others. The reference to "she was a lying mother" suggests that the singer may have had a difficult relationship with their mother and felt let down by her.

The lines "I was pulling through, I was changing skin, the deeper the life you fool, the deeper the stain within" suggest that the singer is trying their best to overcome their struggles and make positive changes in their life. They recognize that their past experiences have left a mark on them, but they are determined to move forward and create a new life for themselves. Overall, the lyrics of "Stain" are powerful and relatable, touching on universal themes of perseverance and self-discovery.

Line by Line Meaning

Flowing down the mountain
An analogy of living life, which is constantly flowing downhill with an inevitable attribute of chaos

Many broken streams
Life is composed of several elements, experiences, failures, and successes that are mixed together, never coherent, never whole

Hand full of twisted thoughts
The mind is a complex state with roundabout ways of processing various ideas, notions, emotions, and impulses

Bottle full of needs
A metaphor of consuming things for solace or escape from the harsh reality of life that can often be overwhelming

Follow the sun down, Till I can't see your face
A sense of escapism or running away from someone or something that is either causing trouble or simply exhausts the person

There was more to this Than making holes in my life
A recognition that there exists more to life than merely inflicting pain or suffering on oneself

There was more to this Than making holes in my eyes
A realization that there is more in the world than just seeing only the negative, bleak, or depressing part of life

Always in the back of my mind, Always taking something
A constant presence of that emptiness or a desire to fill a void that haunts the mind, always consuming something, whether it be tangible or intangible

She was a lying mother, I couldn't make her see
A portrayal of someone who doesn't understand the sufferings of others or adds to their troubles, either knowingly or unknowingly

That all of this ain't nothing, It's just a part of me
A realization that pain and suffering are part of human experience and growth, and that acknowledging one's flawed parts can make them stronger

I was pulling through, I was changing skin
A portrayal of a survivor who is trying to improve themselves and let go the negative past; changing the old pattern of thought

The deeper the life you fool, The deeper the stain within
The more life experiences one has, the more emotional and psychological scars they accumulate, making the 'stain' of their past even deeper.

Writer(s): daan stuyven, rudy trouvé, elko blijweert, herman houbrechts, dead man ray

Contributed by Alexander R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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