Helium Vola interpret medieval lyrics in Old High German, Middle High German, Latin, Provencal and Middle French language in a modern, electronic scape of sound. Thereby danceable songs like their last single "In Lichter Farbe Steht Der Wald" as well as pieces that are strongly based on samples (e.g. "Funerali" and "Iuvenes" on Helium Vola) are created.
Both albums published by Helium Vola are meant to be concept albums with a general theme. Helium Vola, with a mix of mostly medieval lyrics and news casts focuses on the shipwrecking of Russia nuclear submarine Kursk. The album Liod (Old High German: song) broaches the issue of a medieval woman's biography.
The projects main vocalist is Sabine Lutzenberger, though the project has utilised a number of guest singers and musicians.
The Unquiet Grave
Helium Vola Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And gently drops the rain
I never had but one sweetheart
And in greenwood she lies slain.
I'll do as much for my sweetheart
As any young man may;
I'll sit and mourn all on her grave
And when twelvemonth and one day was past,
The ghost began to speak
"Why sittest here all on my grave
And will not let me sleep?"
"There's one thing that I want, sweetheart,
There's one thing that I crave;
And that is a kiss from your lilly-white lips
Then I'll go from your grave."
"My breast is as cold as clay,
My breath smells earthly strong
And if you kiss my cold clay lips,
Your days they woun't be long
Go fetch me water from the desert
And blood from out of a stone
Go fetch me milk from a fair maid's breast
That a young man never had known"
"O down on yonder grove, sweetheart
Where you and I would walk
The first flower that ever I saw
Is withered to a stalk
The stalk ist wither'd and and dry, sweetheart
And the flower will never return;
And since I lost my own sweetheart
What can I do but mourn?
When shall we meet again, sweetheart
When shall we meet again?"
"When the oaken leaves that fall from the trees
Are green and spring up again
...
The Unquiet Grave is a hauntingly beautiful ballad which speaks of love, longing, and loss. In the song, the singer mourns the loss of his true love, who lies buried in the greenwood. He promises to mourn her for twelvemonths and a day while sitting on her grave, and he keeps his promise until her ghost appears to him. The ghost, which is restless and unquiet, asks for a kiss from her lover's lily-white lips, which he gladly gives her. However, the ghost warns him that his days won't be long once he tastes her cold, clay lips. From this, we can infer that the singer will soon join his beloved in the afterlife. The ghost then asks for water from the desert, blood from out of a stone, and milk from a fair maiden's breast, which a young man never had known. All these things are impossible to acquire, suggesting that the ghost's request cannot be granted, and the singer must accept his fate and remain in mourning.
Line by Line Meaning
Cold blows the wind to my true love
The weather is cold and windy, which reminds the singer of their lover.
And gently drops the rain
It is also raining lightly, adding to the somber mood.
I never had but one sweetheart
The singer only ever loved one person.
And in greenwood she lies slain.
Sadly, the artist's lover was murdered and buried in the forest.
I'll do as much for my sweetheart
The artist is determined to honor their lover's memory and do what they can for them.
As any young man may;
They will grieve for their lover for a year and a day, which is a common practice in some cultures.
I'll sit and mourn all on her grave
The singer will spend much of their time near their lover's grave, grieving for their loss.
And when twelvemonth and one day was past,
After a year and a day, the artist still visits the grave and is confronted by the ghost of their lover.
The ghost began to speak
The ghost of the artist's lover is now speaking to them.
"Why sittest here all on my grave
The ghost asks the artist why they spend so much time at the grave.
And will not let me sleep?"
The ghost cannot rest because the singer is always there, keeping their memory alive.
"There's one thing that I want, sweetheart,
The ghost makes a request of the artist.
There's one thing that I crave;
They want a kiss from the singer's lips.
And that is a kiss from your lilly-white lips
The ghost desires a kiss from the singer's lips, which they describe as white as lilies.
Then I'll go from your grave."
After receiving the kiss, the ghost will finally rest in peace.
"My breast is as cold as clay,
The ghost warns the artist that they are no longer alive.
My breath smells earthly strong
Their body has started to decay and has a strong smell.
And if you kiss my cold clay lips,
The ghost warns that kissing them would be dangerous for the singer.
Your days they woun't be long
The singer's life may be at risk if they kiss the ghost.
Go fetch me water from the desert
The ghost makes some impossible demands of the artist.
And blood from out of a stone
These tasks are symbolic of how impossible they are to accomplish.
Go fetch me milk from a fair maid's breast
The final demand is also impossible, as it requires obtaining milk from a woman before she has ever given birth.
That a young man never had known"
The milk must come from a virgin.
"O down on yonder grove, sweetheart
The ghost begins to reminisce about happier times with the artist.
Where you and I would walk
They remember a place where they used to walk together.
The first flower that ever I saw
The ghost remembers the first flower they saw at that place.
Is withered to a stalk
That flower is now dead and gone, just like the love they shared.
The stalk ist wither'd and and dry, sweetheart
The ghost emphasizes just how dead and gone the flower is.
And the flower will never return;
Their love is just like that flower: gone forever and unable to be revived.
And since I lost my own sweetheart
The ghost's death is linked to the loss of their partner.
What can I do but mourn?
The ghost, like the singer, is still grieving for the loss of their partner.
When shall we meet again, sweetheart
The ghost is seeking reassurance that they will be reunited with their partner at some point.
When shall we meet again?"
They ask when this reunion will be possible.
"When the oaken leaves that fall from the trees
The artist offers a cryptic answer to the ghost's question.
Are green and spring up again
They will meet again when the leaves have fallen, turned brown, and eventually grown back in the spring. This may be meant to suggest that their reunion will not happen in this world, but rather in the afterlife.
Contributed by Leah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TheValhalla1234
I came here from Ween - Cold blows the wind. And I absolutely adore both versions, love the amazing opera-like vocals mixed with mystical electronic music. Amazing!
@Pagokun
"The Unquiet Grave" is an English folk song in which a young man mourns his dead love too hard and prevents her from obtaining peace. It is thought to date from 1400 and was collected in 1868 by Francis James Child, as Child Ballad number 78. One of the more common tunes used for the ballad is the same as that used for the English ballad "Dives and Lazarus" and the Irish pub favorite "Star of the County Down".
wikipedia*
@BethSwe
the most beautiful song i'we ever heard.
(And that's while listening on it on repeat for x 100's of times!)
@olgaradulovic7684
Morbid and beautiful all at the same time. And definitely superior version of this old ballad. I prefer this one to all the rest.
@MrFreeDance
When shall we meet again, sweetheart?
When shall we meet again?
When the oaken leaves that fall from the trees
Are green and spring up again,
Are green and spring up again.
She answer him with so much love...oh my god
@sonjaschulze8758
Und wieder ein zauberhafter Song von Helium Vola
@kybelekordax9354
Truly evocative, haunting-especially with the purity of the soprano and the harp...
@marthiedebeer1667
Enchanting... I get lost in it
@chaimzev
Beautiful. Haunting. Other worldly.
@DrFelixgomez
magnificent piece of art !!!!