Brompton Oratory
Mark Lanegan Lyrics


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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, 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

Overall Meaning

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.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@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



All comments from YouTube:

@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.

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