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Lethe
Kayo Dot Lyrics


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He sat with them, but not (in vain)*
He sat among the ones long-dead
A feast, a store, a partner
Love (x4)

Encourage him in all his ways
To help him to forget the time of disengagement
Calling power down upon the hour
Scouring the sea for word and need
The broken healer, wounded lasts
Prays the skies to shut the rain and
Makes them shower
A sign that he's there. A friend
Skilled to these degrees

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kayo Dot's song Lethe are rich with imagery and poetic language. The first two lines evoke a chilling image of a person sitting with the dead, but the following lines suggest that this is not a negative or frightening experience. Instead, it is a feast and a store, and the person is accompanied by their partner or loved one. The repetition of the word "love" at the end of this stanza adds to the sense of warmth and connection.


The second stanza is more mysterious, but there is a sense of urgency and importance in the language. The person is being encouraged to forget something, perhaps something that has caused a disengagement from life or from one's own sense of purpose. There is a sense of power being called down, and the person is searching far and wide for something they need. The image of a broken healer praying for the skies to "shut the rain" but then "makes them shower" suggests that this person has a great deal of agency and control, even in difficult circumstances. The final line suggests that the person is highly skilled and capable.


Overall, the lyrics to Lethe are dreamlike and mystical, but also grounded in human emotion and experience. The image of sitting with the dead could be interpreted in a number of different ways, and the lyrics as a whole are open to interpretation.


Line by Line Meaning

He sat with them, but not (in vain)*
He joined his long-gone peers and there was purpose to his presence.


He sat among the ones long-dead
He was amongst the deceased ones.


A feast, a store, a partner
A gathering where there was plenty of food, goods and camaraderie.


Love (x4)
There was love amongst those present who had passed on.


Encourage him in all his ways
Urge him to follow his path.


To help him to forget the time of disengagement
To assist him to disregard the time he has lost.


Calling power down upon the hour
Summoning strength from above during this moment in time.


Scouring the sea for word and need
Searching for both communication and necessities in the vast ocean.


The broken healer, wounded lasts
The injured healer exists despite the damage done.


Prays the skies to shut the rain and
Hopes for the heavens to stop the downpour of rain.


Makes them shower
Induces them to rain down.


A sign that he's there. A friend
An indication that he is present and a friend.


Skilled to these degrees
Possessing expertise at these levels.




Contributed by Juliana M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Fruitytropic64

Such a wonderful masterpiece.

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