South Winds
Ihsahn Lyrics


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Static
Dogmatic
Death cult
Fanatic

Hidden
In the open
Masked
By tradition

Your face, your heart
Fervent to obey
Your face, your heart
You gave it all away

I'd rather live a life in sin
And take the devil's fall
Than let the madmen of belief
Make fools and martyrs of us all

Get up off your knees
Get up off your knees
Your burden is a lie
So, get up off your knees

Lift your head up high
Lift your head up high
Your burden is a lie
So, lift your head up high

Your code
Your line
Your mouth
Your spine

A hammer
To fictitious sins
A cold field
To south winds

What kind of promises
Could justify
The sacrifice you make?
This shame and fear
You force upon this
World for heaven's sake
Life you forsake

Hope ran out
In the desert sand
Cancel all flights
To the promised land

I'd rather live a life in sin
And take the devil's fall
Than let the madmen of belief
Make fools and martyrs of us all

I'd rather live a life in sin
And take the devil's fall
Than let the madmen of belief
Make fools and martyrs of us all

Your code
Your line
Your mouth
Your spine

A hammer
To fictitious sins




A cold field
To south winds

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "South Winds" by Ihsahn are a scathing commentary on the blind faith and fanaticism of organized religion. The verses are full of condemning words like "static," "dogmatic," and "death cult." The song suggests that people blindly follow religious traditions and leaders because they are afraid to confront the truth. The lyrics also imply that religion is used as a tool to manipulate and control the masses. The lines "Hidden in the open, Masked by tradition" suggests how religion is ingrained in society, hiding in plain sight.


The chorus of the song is a powerful message of resistance against the authority of religion. The lines "I'd rather live a life in sin, And take the devil's fall, Than let the madmen of belief, Make fools and martyrs of us all" highlights the importance of freedom of thought and individualism over mindless submission to authority. The repeated phrase "Get up off your knees/Lift your head up high/Your burden is a lie" encourages listeners to rebel against the oppressive forces of religious dogma and reclaim their autonomy.


Line by Line Meaning

Static
Unchanging and devoid of progress


Dogmatic
Held unswervingly to one's beliefs despite evidence to the contrary


Death cult
A group that prioritizes death and dying


Fanatic
One who holds extreme and uncritical attitudes or zealotry


Hidden
Concealed and not easily noticed


In the open
Plainly visible and openly talked about


Masked
Concealed by a disguise or veneer


By tradition
As dictated by customs and long-standing practices


Your face, your heart
The parts of you that are most visible and most deeply felt


Fervent to obey
Enthusiastic about following orders without question


You gave it all away
You surrendered your autonomy to those in authority


I'd rather live a life in sin
I'd rather live according to my own values and beliefs, even if they are seen as sinful by others


And take the devil's fall
I'm willing to face any consequences of my choices, no matter how negative they may appear to others


Than let the madmen of belief
I refuse to be controlled by those who are fanatical about their beliefs


Make fools and martyrs of us all
I won't let others make me look foolish or try to turn me into a martyr for their cause


Get up off your knees
Stop subserviently begging and take a stand


Your burden is a lie
The weight of guilt and responsibility placed on you by dogmatic beliefs is false and unnecessary


Lift your head up high
Be confident and look straight ahead, don't bow down to external authority


Your code
The set of rules and dogmas you follow


Your line
The path you feel obligated to walk, despite doubts or misgivings


Your mouth
The means by which you speak out against or propagate religious beliefs


Your spine
The moral fortitude or conviction to stand up to pressure and adversity


A hammer
A powerful means of destroying false idols of belief


To fictitious sins
To manufactured sins that aren't backed up by reality


A cold field
A barren and inhospitable place


To south winds
To the call of reason and rationality, even when it's uncomfortable or unpopular


What kind of promises
What assurances or rewards could justify the costs of following dogmatic beliefs?


Could justify
What reasons could make it okay to sacrifice your own identity and integrity?


This shame and fear
The guilt and terror that adherence to false beliefs can inflict


You force upon this
The effect these beliefs have on society at large


World for heaven's sake
What does it really mean to sacrifice the here and now for a hypothetical afterlife?


Life you forsake
Why should one give up the one life we know for sure we have?


Hope ran out
The anticipated rewards for obeying dogmatic beliefs never materialize


In the desert sand
In a spiritual and emotional wasteland


Cancel all flights
Stop searching for easy answers and sky-high promises of salvation


To the promised land
To a far-off hypothetical state that may not even exist




Writer(s): Vegard Tveitan

Contributed by Jonathan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Steven Henderson

Been listening to Emperor and Ihsahn for well over a decade now... This is the most profound song he's ever written. Perfectly sums up his diverse Musicality, Religious Creed, and Political Beliefs. I really hope more people find this track and read into it.

leon stephenson

Great video. Sad to say I discovered this album about 6 months ago and it’s been full album repeat since then. Great variety of music and deep thought lyrics.

Marco Distefano

Great video! I recently discovered this song and I'm already loving it!

HeavyReign

Really cool lyric video! This stuff is so fresh, only discovered Ihsahn recently, the clean vocals are REALLY good.

Jareyoujoking

Outstanding lyrics in this song

Emanuel Gómez Cortés

Illustrations here are amazing, great song, thanks for upload

Free Allen Wrench

This really does it for me, you know?

ad-astra

Nice montage!

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