Erblast is solo project of Oswald Henke, founded in 1996, that become somet… Read Full Bio ↴Erblast is solo project of Oswald Henke, founded in 1996, that become something more when joined by his friends Juliane Ihl and Tim Hoffmann. Unfortunally, the band doesn't exist anymore.

Music and lyrics of Erblast were very similar to another famous project of Henke - Goethes Erben, but Erblast was for the artist an opportunity for trying singing e.g. English language.

Ismael
Erblast Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ismael sleeps three days
as a meal in a whale in a stomach
nobody wakes him up
Ismael travels three days
as a man in an whale in a stomach
but he is not alone - not alone
he is not alone
Ismael...

he is not at home... he is not alone...
not at home... at home ?

Ismael dreams three days
as an angel in a whale in a stomach
but he hasn't any wings
Ismael...

He hasn't any wings
so he can't fly... he can't fly...
he is not at home he dreams :
the whale talks to him :
after three days you will return to life
but three days you will be a part of me
he is not at home

Ismael travels three days
as a man in a whale in a stomach
close to the heart
the beat of the heart feels like
time
he is not at home
time?

he can't fly... he is not at home...
he can't fly... ...he is not at home

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ismael by Erblast tell the story of a man named Ismael who is swallowed whole by a whale and spends three days living inside it. In the first two lines, he is referred to as a meal, highlighting the inhumanity of his situation. Despite the fact that he is trapped, Ismael is not alone, as he journeys through the whale's stomach as a person, then as an angel. While inside the whale, he dreams that the whale speaks to him and reassures him that he will return to life but has to spend three days as a part of it.

The song is about isolation and feeling like you don't belong. The lyrics refer to Ismael as not being at home, symbolizing how he feels lost and disconnected from the world. The line, "he hasn't any wings," suggests that he is unable to escape on his own, which can be seen as a metaphor for feeling trapped in life. Overall, the song is about the struggle of being stuck in a situation you can't control and feeling helpless.

Line by Line Meaning

Ismael sleeps three days as a meal in a whale in a stomach
Ismael is unconscious for three days while trapped inside the belly of a whale, reduced to nothing more than sustenance.

nobody wakes him up
There is no rescuer coming to rouse Ismael from his entrapped slumber.

Ismael travels three days as a man in an whale in a stomach but he is not alone - not alone he is not alone Ismael...
Ismael traverses the interior of the whale as a sentient being, not as sustenance. Although he is physically alone, he is not truly alone, as he remains conscious of his surroundings and thoughts.

he is not at home... he is not alone... not at home... at home ?
Ismael reflects on the meaning of home - whether it can be a physical place or a state of mind. He is neither in a familiar place nor completely alone in his thoughts.

Ismael dreams three days as an angel in a whale in a stomach but he hasn't any wings Ismael...
Ismael experiences a metaphysical experience as an angel, allowing him to see beyond his physical surroundings. However, his inability to fly with his non-existent wings underscores his powerlessness in this situation.

He hasn't any wings so he can't fly... he can't fly... he is not at home he dreams : the whale talks to him : after three days you will return to life but three days you will be a part of me he is not at home
Ismael is resigned to his current state of helplessness, unable to escape the confines of the whale. He hallucinates that the whale has the power to grant him a new lease on life after three days, but also that he will remain inextricably linked to the whale, unable to entirely shed its influence upon his life.

Ismael travels three days as a man in a whale in a stomach close to the heart the beat of the heart feels like time he is not at home time? he can't fly... he is not at home... he can't fly... ...he is not at home
As Ismael continues his physical journey, he becomes more aware of the passage of time by sensing the whale's heartbeat. However, his lack of control over his situation is underscored again, driving home his feelings of being lost and unable to fly away.

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

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