Isobel Campbell is the former cellist and backing vocalist for Belle & Seba… Read Full Bio ↴Isobel Campbell is the former cellist and backing vocalist for Belle & Sebastian, as well as leader of The Gentle Waves. Mark Lanegan (1964 - 2022) used to be the frontman of the Seattle grunge band The Screaming Trees and subsequently played with Queens of the Stone Age, and formed (together with Greg Dulli) The Gutter Twins. Lanegan also released solo albums.

Together, Campbell and Lanegan formed a unique combination of gruff vocals and dulcet voices. They released a series of albums: Ballad of the Broken Seas, which received a nomination in the 2006 Mercury Awards, Sunday at Devil Dirt, which was released in May 2008. The album received US release in Fall 2008. Their third album Hawk was released in August 2010. The same year the live album "Live At The Barbican London 2010 " was released.

The Flame That Burns
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The flame that burns
Flame that burns
The flame that burns
Flame that burns

The flame that burns
Flame that burns
The flame that burns

Flame that burns

Takes you through the years
Takes you through the pain
Can't stop the tears when they fall like rain
For the flame that burns
Flame that burns

Beware my child
Beware
To take care my friend
Got to take care

You don't know who to love
Don't know who to trust
When it hurts so bad blood flows where it must
For the flame that burns
Flame that burns

Unto eternity
One day we shall
We shall be free
When stars rain down like dust
Have heart my child
Oh but you must

Don't you hang your head
Don't you feel no shame
If I were with you now
I would do the same

For the flame that burns
Flame that burns

Overall Meaning

The song, The Flame That Burns, sung by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, talks about the pain, the tears, the suffering, the love, and the trust that we experience in our lives. The opening lines of the chorus, "The flame that burns, takes you through the years, takes you through the pain," indicate the burning feeling of longing, passion, love, and hurt that we go through. The repetition of the phrase "flame that burns" might represent a passion or desire that keeps burning, despite the difficulties that we face. As we go through life, we don't always know who to love or trust, and we often feel hurt and lost. The line "When it hurts so bad blood flows where it must" signifies that the pain we feel can be all-consuming.

The song also tries to give a message of hope. The lines "Unto eternity, one day we shall, we shall be free" suggest that despite the hardships, we will one day find freedom and peace. The phrase "When stars rain down like dust" might represent a symbolic moment of transcendence or redemption where everything falls into place. The lines "Don't you hang your head, don't you feel no shame" feel like an encouragement to stay strong and have faith in oneself. The song seems to evoke feelings of loneliness, pain, and lost opportunities, but also hope that someday, things will turn out right.

Line by Line Meaning

The flame that burns
The passion that persists

Flame that burns
Persistent passion

The flame that burns
Indomitable passion

Flame that burns
Indomitable passion

The flame that burns
Relentless desire

Flame that burns
Relentless desire

The flame that burns
Drive that endures

Flame that burns
Drive that endures

Takes you through the years
Endures the passage of time

Takes you through the pain
Guides you through the hardships

Can't stop the tears when they fall like rain
Feelings overwhelm despite efforts to suppress