Usher Pt. 1
Ghost Quartet Lyrics
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I am a slave to terror
I have a morbid acuteness of the senses
I only eat the most insipid foods,
Only wear garments of certain textures
The odours of flowers are oppressive to me
My eyes are tortured by faint light
And there are only certain, peculiar sounds,
Instruments, that do not inspire me with horror
I dread the future
My little girl is dying
On a cold, dark and soundless day, in the autumn of 1873
My wife and I sat at the bed of our only daughter Roxie
The bleak walls, the decaying trees
The utter depression of the soul
The bitter ghost of everyday life
The icy sinking of the heart
For seventeen years, our Roxie had danced
Danced on the edge of a star (so beautiful)
But following the loss of her own child
A sickness has taken over
Her child was stolen
And she blames herself
She is wasting away
Her liquid eyes, her thin lips, her pale skin
Her spiderweb hair
Floating in front of her face
Little girl, little girl, where′s my little girl?
Where's my starchild?
Her father was long gone, an astronomer of some renown
Why did you leave me, why did you disappear?
I bury my face in my hands
Astonishment and dread in the house of Usher
The lyrics of Ghost Quartet's song Usher Pt. 1 are a melancholic narrative that revolves around the suffering of a character plagued by an ancestral evil and despairing over his dying daughter. The opening lines introduce the singer's peculiar condition, where he is bound to his family's curse that leads to terror. His heightened senses, dislike towards specific textures and odors, and sensitivity to light and sound paint a haunting portrait of his existence. The lyrics delve deep into the character's apprehensions about the future and his anguish over his daughter's failing health.
The second verse moves the focus to the character's daughter, Roxie, and her torment with the loss of her child. Seventeen years of a beautiful life on the edge of a star has come crumbling down, and Roxie is now wasting away. Her father, an astronomer, is absent, and she blames herself for her child's disappearance. The lyrics describe her physical deterioration in heart-wrenching detail, her pale skin, thin lips, and spiderweb hair floating in front of her face. The song's final lines express the overall sense of dread and astonishment in the house of Usher, where the characters are dealing with their personal demons.
Line by Line Meaning
I suffer from a family evil
I am plagued by the curse of my ancestors.
I am a slave to terror
I am controlled by fear and anxiety.
I have a morbid acuteness of the senses
My senses are heightened to the point of causing me distress.
I only eat the most insipid foods,
I limit my diet to bland and tasteless foods.
Only wear garments of certain textures
I choose my clothing based on their specific textures.
The odours of flowers are oppressive to me
I am overwhelmed and disturbed by the smell of flowers.
My eyes are tortured by faint light
Even weak sources of light cause me discomfort or pain in my eyes.
And there are only certain, peculiar sounds,
I have an aversion to specific and strange sounds.
Like those from stringed Instruments, that do not inspire me with horror
I am not afraid of music from stringed instruments, unlike other sounds.
I dread the future
I am terrified of what lies ahead.
My little girl is dying
My daughter is passing away, and I am powerless against it.
On a cold, dark and soundless day, in the autumn of 1873
It was a gloomy day in the year 1873 when this happened.
My wife and I sat at the bed of our only daughter Roxie
My wife and I were beside our daughter Roxie's bed.
The bleak walls, the decaying trees
The surroundings were grim, with the walls and trees in disrepair.
The utter depression of the soul
There was immense sadness weighing down our spirits.
The bitter ghost of everyday life
The hardships of everyday life left a resentful residue.
The icy sinking of the heart
Our hearts felt cold and heavy with despair.
For seventeen years, our Roxie had danced
Roxie had lived a joyful life for seventeen years.
Danced on the edge of a star (so beautiful)
She was a precious and beautiful child.
But following the loss of her own child
After Roxie lost her own child,
A sickness has taken over
She fell ill with an unknown illness.
Her child was stolen
Her child was taken away from her.
And she blames herself
Roxie feels guilty for her child's disappearance.
She is wasting away
Roxie's health is declining rapidly.
Her liquid eyes, her thin lips, her pale skin
Her eyes looked watery, her lips thin, and her skin pale.
Her spiderweb hair
Her hair looked thin and wispy like a spider's web.
Floating in front of her face
Her hair was drifting around her face.
Little girl, little girl, where′s my little girl?
Oh, where is my beloved child?
Where's my starchild?
Where is my precious, otherworldly child?
Her father was long gone, an astronomer of some renown
Roxie's father was an astronomer and had passed away long ago.
Why did you leave me, why did you disappear?
Why did you have to leave me and never come back?
I bury my face in my hands
I am overwhelmed with grief and hide my face.
Astonishment and dread in the house of Usher
The Usher family was filled with shock and horror.
Writer(s): Dave Malloy
Contributed by Colin N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.