From the Dark Past
Mayhem Lyrics

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A face in stone decayed by age
A man who has returned to tell of his damnation
Fears so deep, the mouth open wide
The scream died away before dawn of this time
The eyes stares so empty
The mouth screams so silent
Tell me what did you see there?
In the darkness of the past

Ancient times legends stories so dark
Blackened his sight, now
Not even the memories are left
Back after such a long time
The stone is cold as death

But what formed it's true fears
Only the wind is able to tell

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mayhem's song From The Dark Past are rife with mystery and darkness. The opening line, "A face in stone decayed by age," sets the tone for the rest of the song, describing a decaying face carved into stone. The next line, "A man who has returned to tell of his damnation," implies that this man has some connection to the face, and has returned to tell a dark tale of his own suffering.

The fears described in the song are so deep that the man's mouth is open wide, but no sound comes out, suggesting that they are too terrible to put into words. The imagery of empty eyes and a silent scream only add to the sense of horror and despair. The chorus asks, "Tell me what did you see there?/In the darkness of the past" but the answer is unknown, lost to time.

The references to ancient legends and dark stories further add to the eerie atmosphere of the song. The line "Blackened his sight, now/Not even the memories are left" suggests that whatever horrors the man witnessed have left him traumatized, unable to even remember what he saw. The final lines, "Back after such a long time/The stone is cold as death/But what formed it's true fears/Only the wind is able to tell," leave the listener with a sense of foreboding, as if the darkness of the past is still present and waiting to be uncovered.

Line by Line Meaning

A face in stone decayed by age
An old stone with a face on it that has deteriorated over time

A man who has returned to tell of his damnation
A man who has come back to reveal the misfortune and punishment he experienced

Fears so deep, the mouth open wide
Terrifying experiences that cause someone's mouth to stay open in shock and horror

The scream died away before dawn of this time
A scream that faded away long before current times

The eyes stares so empty
Eyes that lack emotion and life

The mouth screams so silent
A mouth that opens to scream but no sound comes out

Tell me what did you see there?
Asking someone to describe what they witnessed

In the darkness of the past
A time long gone that was filled with darkness and unknown things

Ancient times legends stories so dark
Old stories and myths from ancient times that are ominous and unsettling

Blackened his sight, now
Something that has tainted and obscured his vision

Not even the memories are left
The past is so far gone that there are no memories left to remember it by