Originally, Gregorian was conceived as a more pop-oriented group in the vein of Enigma. Under this concept, they recorded the 1991 album Sadisfaction, with lead vocals provided by The Sisters of Oz: Susana Espelleta (Peterson's wife at the time) and Birgit Freud. However, this was the only album in that style.
In 1998, Peterson and his team Jan-Eric Kohrs, Michael Soltau and Carsten Heusmann re-invented the project to perform popular songs in the Gregorian style. The criteria for song selection were strict; in order to be considered, a song needed to be translatable into the 7-tone scale. For each album, songs were carefully chosen in addition to original songs written by Jan-Eric Kohrs, Amelia Brightman and Carsten Heussman. Twelve vocalists - previously acclaimed session and choir singers - were then hired to record the tracks.
Each Gregorian album is initially digitally tracked at Nemo Studios, Peterson's Hamburg studio. The vocalists then record their parts in a church atmosphere with dimmed lights and candles, in order to escape what Peterson referred to in a 2001 interview as the "cold and technical" studio atmosphere.
The concept proved to be successful, and the group proceeded to record several more Masters of Chant albums in the same style. Their 2004 album, The Dark Side, was a slight departure from the others, featuring a darker repertoire consistent with the title.
In 2005, The Masterpieces, a compilation album with a live DVD, was released. A fifth Masters of Chant album was released on 31 March 2006. In 2006, a festive album was also released, titled Christmas Chants. A sixth Masters of Chant album was released on 28 September 2007. In 2009 a seventh Masters of Chant album followed.
Gregorian in 2009
On 8 September 2010 the next album, titled The Dark Side of Chant, was announced to be published on 15 October 2010.
The members of the Gregorian choir group are Richard Naxton (Naxos), Johnny Clucas (Johnny), Chris Tickner (Chris T.), Richard Collier (Rich), Gerry O'Beirne (Gerry), Lawrence White (Lorro) and Rob Fardell (Rob F.).
Others who contribute to the vocals or sound of Gregorian are Sarah Brightman (under the pseudonyms Hepsibah or Sarah Hellmann), Amelia Brightman (Sarah Brightman's younger sister), Frank Peterson, and staff of Nemo Studio among others.
The Unforgiven
Gregorian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And quickly he's subdued
Through constant pain disgrace
A young boy learns their rules
With time the child draws in
This whipping boy done wrong
Deprived of all his thoughts
A vow unto his own
That never from this day
His will they'll take away
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
They dedicate their lives
To running all of his
He tries to please them all
This bitter man he is
Throughout his life the same
He's battled constantly
This fight he cannot win
A tired man they see no longer cares
The old man then prepares
To die regretfully
That old man here is me
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
You labeled me
I'll label you
So I dub thee unforgiven
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
You labeled me
I'll label you
So I dub thee unforgiven
The Unforgiven by Gregorian is a powerful song that explores the theme of individuality against conformity. The song opens with the arrival of a new life on earth, only to be subjugated and molded by the restrictive social norms. The lyrics talk about how a young boy is subjected to constant pain and disgrace to learn and adhere to the rules set by society. The next verse portrays the helplessness of a young man who strives to retain his individuality while being deprived of his thoughts and forced to conform to society's expectations. The chorus repeats the phrase "What I've felt, what I've known, never shined through in what I've shown" to reflect the conflict between the real self and the façade imposed by society. The song ends with the singer as an old man, regretting his inability to stand up for his individuality throughout his life.
The lyrics of The Unforgiven are relatable to many who have felt like they are restrained by societal norms and are unable to express themselves completely. The song's narrative serves as a call to fight against the pressures to conform to one's true self, even if the path seems difficult. The song's meaning is further emphasized through the harmonious blend of Gregorian chants and contemporary rock music.
Line by Line Meaning
New blood joins this earth
A new person is born into this world
And quickly he's subdued
The person is quickly controlled by those around them
Through constant pain disgrace
The person is treated badly and shamed by those around them
A young boy learns their rules
The person learns the strict and oppressive rules of the society they're in
With time the child draws in
As they grow older, the person withdraws and becomes more introverted
This whipping boy done wrong
The person is blamed and punished for things that are not their fault
Deprived of all his thoughts
The person is not allowed to express themselves or have their own ideas
A young man struggles on and on he's known
As they become an adult, the person continues to face difficulties in life
A vow unto his own
The person makes a promise to themselves
That never from this day
That they will never allow themselves to be controlled again
His will they'll take away
The person will not let anyone take away their willpower
What I've felt
The emotions I've experienced
What I've known
The knowledge I have gained
Never shined through in what I've shown
I have not been able to express my true emotions and thoughts
Never be
I will never get to experience
Never see
I will never get to witness
Won't see what might have been
I will never know what my life could have been like
They dedicate their lives
Those around me commit their lives
To running all of his
To controlling every aspect of my life
He tries to please them all
I try to make those around me happy
This bitter man he is
But I am bitter and unhappy with my life
Throughout his life the same
My life has been a constant struggle
He's battled constantly
I have always been fighting against those who try to control me
This fight he cannot win
But it seems like I can never be truly free
A tired man they see no longer cares
Now I am tired and no longer care about fulfilling others' expectations
The old man then prepares
As I near the end of my life
To die regretfully
I regret how I've lived my life
That old man here is me
I am the old man who is dying with regret
You labeled me
You gave me a negative label
I'll label you
So now I am giving you a negative label in return
So I dub thee unforgiven
I will not forgive you for what you've done to me
Never free
I have never been able to experience true freedom
Never me
I have never been able to express my true self
Contributed by Lily C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DarthRASH
New blood joins this earth
And quickly he's subdued
Through constant pain disgrace
The young boy learns their rules
With time the child draws in
This whipping boy done wrong
Deprived of all his thoughts
The young man struggles on and on he's known
A vow unto his own
That never from this day
His will they'll take away
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
They dedicate their lives
To running all of his
He tries to please them all
This bitter man he is
Throughout his life the same
He's battled constantly
This fight he cannot win
A tired man they see no longer cares
The old man then prepares
To die regretfully
That old man here is me
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
You labeled me
I labeled you
So I dub thee unforgiven
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
You labeled me
I labeled you
So I dub thee unforgiven
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven
Becca di Gregório
É INACREDITÁVEL COMO ESSA MÚSICA FICA INCRIVELMENTE LINDA EM TODAS AS INTERPRETAÇÕES. EU ESTOU SEM PALAVRAS.
HimalayanGuy
I have been listening to this song since 2013 and keep it my list. Bloody love the Gregorians. Their sound is just awesome, heavenly!
libernsalgpz
Gregorian es mi grupo favorito, amo ésta música. ❤❤
Nofirst Orlast
This song is amazing. Chants, metal, it works no matter how you sing/play it. James Hetfield's autobiographical track. You can feel the pain he experienced as a child in this song.
Aegis Eurobeat
When you're a Monk but Metal is life
catie t
Well said!!👍😊
Davis Claypool
@catie t agreed
Tel
Monk is metal
Jacob Wilson
Best comment in 2021
Neda Crvelin
@catie t 5