In darkness let me dwell
John Dowland Lyrics


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In darkness let me dwell; the ground shall sorrow be,
The roof despair, to bar all cheerful light from me;
The walls of marble black, that moist'ned still shall weep;
My music, hellish jarring sounds, to banish friendly sleep.
Thus, wedded to my woes, and bedded in my tomb,
O let me dying live, till death doth come, till death doth come.

In darkness let me dwell




Overall Meaning

is a bleak and melancholic song that evokes a sense of despair and hopelessness. The lyrics suggest a desire to be surrounded by darkness, as if it could provide some sort of solace or escape from the pain and suffering of the world. The imagery of a sorrowful ground, a despairing roof, and black marble walls that weep all add to the pervasive sense of sadness that permeates the song. The singer of the song seeks to banish friendly sleep with hellish jarring sounds, perhaps suggesting that they are more comfortable with their sadness and pain than any kind of happiness or relief.


The last two lines of the song, "Thus, wedded to my woes, and bedded in my tomb, O let me dying live, till death doth come, till death doth come," suggest a willingness to embrace death as a form of release from the suffering and pain of life. The singer seems to be resigned to their fate and to the idea that death is the only true escape from the darkness and despair that surrounds them.


Line by Line Meaning

In darkness let me dwell
I want to reside in darkness


the ground shall sorrow be
The earth beneath me shall also be filled with sadness


The roof despair, to bar all cheerful light from me;
The ceilings will represent hopelessness and prevent any joyful light from entering my space


The walls of marble black, that moist'ned still shall weep;
The black marble walls are constantly damp with tears


My music, hellish jarring sounds, to banish friendly sleep.
My choice of music is harsh and unpleasant in order to keep any peaceful sleep at bay


Thus, wedded to my woes, and bedded in my tomb,
I am bound to my sorrows and trapped in my own grave


O let me dying live, till death doth come, till death doth come.
Allow me to continue suffering until death finally arrives.




Writer(s): Traditional, Gordon Sumner, Edin Karamazov

Contributed by Evelyn M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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caroline

nice

Comments from YouTube:

@acbd199

In darkness let me dwell, the ground shall sorrow be, The roof despair to bar all cheerful light from me, The walls of marble black that moisten'd still shall weep, My music hellish jarring sounds, to banish friendly sleep. Thus wedded to my woes, and bedded to my tomb, O, let me, living, living, die, till death do come.

@bethatlikeness5458

Heard it on the radio for the 1st time today 04/19/23 and immediately screenshot the car screen to look for it later~ very drawing…

@ericdufresne6991

Man, i haven't heard this song in ages.... something like 45 years ago. Brings back some fond memories...

@headphonewarning8263

I'm doing this song for Shakespeare Competition and I have to sing it a capella..........Wish me luck...

@simonidastankovic2627

What were the results of competition ?

@headphonewarning8263

@@simonidastankovic2627 I got 14th of 22....and then I proceeded to almost break my ankle, but it's good, lol

@shehasawakenedneversleeps

@@headphonewarning8263 like at the competition or just later
either way congrats

@headphonewarning8263

@@shehasawakenedneversleeps At comp. Someone said the name of the Scottish Play and that's what we've jokingly been blaming. The guy who said it knows it's a joke, so n ok worries there

@StephMcAlea

Heart rending.

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