Black Rose Immortal
Opeth Lyrics
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I call your name
A lamentation I sigh
Again and again
Spiritual eclipse
The gateways are closed for me to seek
A veil of stars, watching
My shadow is born from light
The light of the eye, in darkness
Over troubled waters memories soar
Endlessly, searching night and day
The moonlight caresses a lonely hill
With the calmness of a whisper
I wear a naked soul
A blank face in the streaming water
It is cold in here
Frost scar my coat with dust
Eyes attach to your mute portrait
We spoke only through thoughts
Together we gazed, awaited
Hours brought thirst and the rising sun
Sun birds leave their dark recesses
Shadows gild the archways
Do not turn your face towards me
Confronting me with my loneliness
You are in a forest unknown
The secret orchard
And your voice is vast and achromatic
But still so precious
Lullaby of the crescent moon took you
Mesmerized, its kaleidoscopic face
Granted you a hollow stare
Another soul within the divine herd
I have kept it
The amaranth symbol
Hidden inside the golden shrine
Until we rejoice in the meadow
Of the end
When we both walk the shadows
It will set ablaze and vanish
Black rose immortal
It is getting dark again
Dusk shuffle across the fields
The evening trees moan as if they knew
At night I always dream of you
The song Black Rose Immortal by Opeth speaks of a sense of desperation and yearning for a lost love. The singer is in a state of spiritual eclipse, feeling trapped and unable to seek a way out, unable to reach the gateways that might lead to their lost love. They feel alone in the night, gazing up at a sky covered in stars, trying to find their way through a dark forest and orchard, searching for the one they love. They wear a naked soul and wander through halls filled with shadows and archways, seeking to find their companion once again.
The lyrics speak of sorrow and a sense of longing that is so intense that it feels like it will never end. Memories soar over troubled waters, causing endless searching through the night and day. The moon casts a calming light upon a lonely hill, but even in the light of the day, the singer feels the coldness of a heart that is not whole.
The singer finally finds the symbol of their lost love, the amaranth hidden inside a golden shrine. But they know that their love cannot return until they both walk the shadows, and when the time comes, the black rose immortal will set ablaze and vanish, leaving them with only their memories. The song comes to an end with the singer acknowledging that they still dream of their love every night, unable to forget the feelings that they once shared.
Line by Line Meaning
In the name of desperation
Beginning with an expression of desperation, the singer states their mood
I call your name
The singer is calling out to someone specific
A lamentation I sigh
The singer is expressing their sadness and concern
Again and again
This feeling of sadness and desperation has been experienced repeatedly
Spiritual eclipse
The current state is one of spiritual darkness
The gateways are closed for me to seek
The singer is unable to find a way out of the darkness they are experiencing
The night
Referring to the darkness surrounding the singer
A veil of stars, watching
The stars are present but are unable to offer any guidance
My shadow is born from light
The artist's shadow is created from the limited light in the darkness
The light of the eye, in darkness
Even in the darkness, the artist's eyes are still able to see some light
Over troubled waters memories soar
The singer's memories bring them more pain during this difficult time
Endlessly, searching night and day
The artist is always searching for a way out of this dark situation, with no relief
The moonlight caresses a lonely hill
The moonlight provides some comfort but the singer still feels lonely
With the calmness of a whisper
The moonlight's comfort is subtle and quiet
I wear a naked soul
The singer's true self is exposed and vulnerable
A blank face in the streaming water
The artist feels like they are drowning and unable to express their true feelings
It is cold in here
The artist's surroundings, both figuratively and literally, bring a feeling of coldness
Frost scar my coat with dust
The singer's environment is harsh and leaves a mark on them
Eyes attach to your mute portrait
The singer is fixated on an image of someone they cannot communicate with
We spoke only through thoughts
The artist and this person were only able to communicate through unspoken means
Together we gazed, awaited
The artist and this person shared a common experience and anticipation
Hours brought thirst and the rising sun
The artist and this person waited together for a long time, eventually becoming thirsty and tired
Sun birds leave their dark recesses
The birds are waking up and starting a new day
Shadows gild the archways
The sun brings light and casts shadows on the surroundings
Do not turn your face towards me
The singer is pleading for someone not to ignore them
Confronting me with my loneliness
The singer feels as though their isolation is being brought to their attention
You are in a forest unknown
The person the singer is addressing is in an unfamiliar place
The secret orchard
This unknown forest has a particular significance
And your voice is vast and achromatic
The person the artist is addressing has a powerful voice that carries far, but is lacking in color
But still so precious
Despite the unremarkable sound of the person's voice, they are still important to the singer
Lullaby of the crescent moon took you
The person the singer was waiting for has gone on to the afterlife (or is otherwise unreachable)
Mesmerized, its kaleidoscopic face
The artist is entranced by the otherworldly nature of the moon
Granted you a hollow stare
The artist is saddened that the person they are addressing is no longer able to truly see them
Another soul within the divine herd
The dead person has joined others in the afterlife
I have kept it
The singer has something important
The amaranth symbol
This object has a particular significance
Hidden inside the golden shrine
The object is concealed in an important place
Until we rejoice in the meadow
The singer is waiting for an important event to occur before revealing the object
Of the end
This important event will mark the close of this difficult period
When we both walk the shadows
The artist and the person they were waiting for will both be gone
It will set ablaze and vanish
The object the artist has will no longer exist
Black rose immortal
The object has a particular symbolic significance
It is getting dark again
The present darkness is returning
Dusk shuffle across the fields
The end of the day is approaching
The evening trees moan as if they knew
The artist feels like the trees are empathizing with them in their sadness
At night I always dream of you
The person the artist was waiting for continues to be on their mind
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MIKAEL LARS AKERFELDT, SVEN PETER MALCOLM LINDGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind