Helena
Misfits Lyrics
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Would you still love me anyway?
If you're bound and you're gagged, draped and displayed
Would you still love me anyway?
Why don't you love me anyway?
Cutting with the knife, blood is spilling everywhere
She will be my wife
Incisions must be accurate
I know just what to do
My hands are trembling
I can't spare to slip up with this knife
Her beauty so illogical
The beast come gliding in
Hideous chameleon stripped down to her skin
Dance to the burning flame
Pleasure exhumes the pain
The night bursts into flame
Dance Helena... Dance
If I cut off your arms and cut off your legs
Would you still love me anyway?
There's a spot on the floor where your limbs used to be
And I close the door on my fantasies
Why don't you love me anyway
The lyrics to Misfits’ song “Helena” are disturbing, dark, and twisted, embodying the macabre and surreal world that the band is known for. The song’s opening lines, “If I cut off your arms and cut off your legs, Would you still love me anyway?” is a chilling invitation to the listener to enter into the singer’s deranged mind. The song is about a mad and murderous protagonist who has cut off the arms and legs of his lover and kept her bound and gagged, all in the name of love. Even as the victim is mutilated and reduced to a secondary spine, the singer - who refers to himself as a “beast” - sees her as beautiful and illogical.
The song is filled with violent and graphic imagery, with blood spilling everywhere, and the singer’s hands trembling as he wields the knife. The lyrics are sung in a haunting and dispassionate tone that only adds to the sense of unease and terror that the song evokes. The chorus, “Why don't you love me anyway?” is a twisted refrain that sums up the horrifying and obsessive nature of the singer’s love.
Line by Line Meaning
If I cut off your arms and cut off your legs
Asking how committed their love is, questioning whether they love them for who they are as a person or for their physical attributes
Would you still love me anyway?
Asking if their love is unconditional and goes beyond just physical attachment
If you're bound and you're gagged, draped and displayed
Asking if their love is strong enough to endure even in the darkest of situations
Would you still love me anyway?
Reiterating the previous question and how important it is to really know whether their love is genuine or not
Why don't you love me anyway?
Expressing frustration and confusion regarding the other person's feelings towards them
Cutting with the knife, blood is spilling everywhere
Describing the violent act of cutting off someone's limbs, highlighting the gruesome and painful nature of it
She will be my wife
Revealing their twisted desire and obsession towards the other person
Secondary spine
A metaphor for the other person being a crucial component in their life
Incisions must be accurate
Highlighting their meticulous planning and attention to detail
I know just what to do
Indicating their confidence in their plan and their ability to carry it out
My hands are trembling
Potentially revealing a sense of nervousness or fear
I can't spare to slip up with this knife
Emphasizing how important it is for them to be successful in their plan and highlighting the danger involved
Her beauty so illogical
Describing their strong admiration for the other person, but also indicating how their obsession is irrational and illogical
The beast come gliding in
Describing their twisted and dark desires that contradict societal norms and expectations
Hideous chameleon stripped down to her skin
Describing the other person's physical appearance as deceiving, highlighting how it is not necessarily an accurate representation of their true self
Dance to the burning flame
Telling the other person to submit to their desires and embrace the danger involved
Pleasure exhumes the pain
Describing how even though their desires involve causing harm, they also bring a sense of pleasure and satisfaction
The night bursts into flame
Describing the heightened emotions and intensity of the situation
Dance Helena... Dance
Repeating the previous command, indicating how they want the other person to fully embrace their twisted desires
There's a spot on the floor where your limbs used to be
Describing the aftermath of their violent actions and the physical evidence that remains
And I close the door on my fantasies
Potentially revealing a sense of remorse or guilt for their actions, or perhaps indicating that their twisted desires are no longer necessary since they have achieved their goal
Why don't you love me anyway
Reiterating the same question from earlier, reflecting their desire for validation and questioning the other person's feelings
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MICHAEL C. EMANUEL, PAUL CAIAFA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind