Brompton Oratory
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hail this joyful day's return
Into its great shadowed vault I go
Hail the Pentecostal morn
The reading is from Luke 24
Where Christ returns to his loved ones
I look at the stone apostles
And I wish that I was made of stone
So that I would not have to see
A beauty impossible to define
A beauty impossible to believe
A beauty impossible to endure
The blood imparted in little sips
The smell of you still on my hands
As I bring the cup up to my lips
No God up in the sky
No devil beneath the sea
Could do the job that you did, baby
Of bringing me to my knees
Outside I sit on the stone steps
With nothing much to do
Forlorn and exhausted, baby
By the absence of you
The song 'Brompton Oratory' by Mark Lanegan is about the struggle of a person who is trying to come to terms with their lost love. The opening lines of the song signify the beginning of a journey where the person is trying to move forward from the shadowy past towards redemption. The reading from Luke 24, which is about the return of Christ to his loved ones, portrays a sense of hope and rebirth. However, the singer is still struggling to find comfort in this renewal.
The singer then shifts to imagining that he is made of stone. Being made of stone, he would not have to see the beauty that he believes is impossible to define and endure. The next few lines suggest that the beauty that he talks about could be his lost love. The blood suggested in the little sips and the smell of her on his hands indicate that perhaps he has done something cruel to his lover that has led to the break-up.
The last line of the verse, "As I bring the cup up to my lips," is a symbolic reference to the pain of the lost love that he is trying to endure. The last two verses of the song suggest that the person finds it difficult to move on from the absence of his lover. The song ends on a note of resignation, with the person sitting outside, forlorn and exhausted, with nothing much to do.
Line by Line Meaning
Up those stone steps I climb
I ascend the steps made of solid rocks
Hail this joyful day's return
I welcome the happy arrival of this day
Into its great shadowed vault I go
I enter a large, shaded chamber
Hail the Pentecostal morn
I greet the holy day of Pentecost
The reading is from Luke 24
The scripture being read is from Chapter 24 of the Gospel of Luke
Where Christ returns to his loved ones
Describing the biblical account of Christ's return to his followers
I look at the stone apostles
I observe the sculptures of the apostles made of stone
Think that it's alright for some
I reflect on how fortunate some people are
And I wish that I was made of stone
I desire to be made of stone
So that I would not have to see
In order to avoid having to witness
A beauty impossible to define
An indescribable form of beauty
A beauty impossible to believe
A type of beauty that is difficult to accept as real
A beauty impossible to endure
A type of beauty that I cannot bear to experience
The blood imparted in little sips
Drinking small sips of wine, symbolizing the blood of Christ
The smell of you still on my hands
I can still smell your scent on my hands
As I bring the cup up to my lips
While lifting the cup to my mouth
No God up in the sky
There is no deity in the heavens
No devil beneath the sea
There is no demonic entity beneath the ocean
Could do the job that you did, baby
No divine or satanic force could accomplish what you have, my beloved
Of bringing me to my knees
Of reducing me to a state of submission or worship
Outside I sit on the stone steps
I rest on the steps made of stone outside
With nothing much to do
With no particular activity or task to attend to
Forlorn and exhausted, baby
Feeling sad and drained, my dear
By the absence of you
Due to your lack of presence
Writer(s): Nicholas Edward Cave Copyright: Embassy Music Corp. O/B/o Mute Song
Contributed by Kayla G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@AlvaroManterola
Up those stone steps I climb
Hail this joyful day’s return
Into its great shadowed vault I go
Hail the Pentecostal morn
The reading is from Luke 24
Where Christ returns to his loved ones
I look at the stone apostles
Think that it’s alright for some
And I wish that I was made of stone
So that I would not have to see
A beauty impossible to define
A beauty impossible to believe
A beauty impossible to endure
The blood imparted in little sips
The smell of you still on my hands
As I bring the cup up to my lips
No God up in the sky
No devil beneath the sea
Could do the job that you did
Of bringing me to my knees
Outside I sit on the stone steps
With nothing much to do
Forlorn and exhausted, baby
By the absence of you
@stopbunsen
Had no idea this existed. Thanks Nick for letting us know. It's beautiful
@njits789
Read it in his book, too? 😉
@Blackink3
I don’t know how he does it but the song has a floating beauty countered by an immense gravity.
@napoleonwilson6499
It was just in him...
@zacharyhouchin8593
Came here from Nick Cave's words from Marks obituary. This is beautiful.
@lorishu48103
Your voice trembles like someone opening cathedral doors bringing the breeze to flicker the red luminaries
@liambrammall1764
amen
@paullambe9471
Beautifully wrote Juro.
@scottbarksdale3850
Rest in Peace, brother.
@paullambe9471
This is a great song from a absolutely brilliant album by Mark.