Orphaned Land is a doom/death band at its core, but they are highly influenced by the folk music and tradition of the Oriental Jews (Mizraḥim), making their sound much more progressive than typical doom/death bands. Their album Sahara (1994) was the first to include a combination of death metal and traditional oriental music. In their second album El Norra Alila (1996), Orphaned Land elaborated the combination of metal and oriental music, including the addition of song with traditional oriental Jewish piyyut and Arab melodies. This album conveyed a message of co-existence between Jews and Muslims. Their third album, Mabool (the Hebrew name for the Deluge, depicted in the Bible and Noah's story), 2004, was worked for seven years and takes the combination of doom/death metal, oriental music and biblical issues to a new level. The album tells the story of the seventh son of God (who was divided into three, each one symbolizing one monotheistic religion) which try to warn humanity from a coming flood (deluge) as punishment for their sins. Musically, the album contains oriental instruments, two choruses, traditional Yemenite chants sung by Shlomit Levi and quotes of Biblical verses from the story of the Deluge, read by Kobi Farhi, Orphaned Land's vocalist and one of its founders. The level of musical competency displayed in the heavy layering and orchestration combined with the more story-driven, conceptual nature of the album's lyrics as a whole lend a very strong progressive feel to the work.
Band Members:
Kobi Farhi − lead vocals, backing vocals, death growls, chants
Shlomit Levi - female vocals
Matan Shmuely - vocals, session drums
Matti Svatizky − rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
Uri Zelcha − bass, fretless bass
Yatziv Caspi − drums, percussion
Idan Amsalem – guitars, bouzouki
Former Band Members:
Eran Asias − drums
Sami Bachar − drums
Avi Diamond − session drums
Itzik Levy − keyboards
Eden Rabin − keyboards, backing vocals
Yatziv Caspi - session drums
Avi Agababa - session drums
Yossi Sa'aron (Sassi) - guitars, oud, saz, bouzouki, chumbush, backing vocals
The Evil Urge
Orphaned Land Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I see an ocean made by your crying
And the ocean that's within...
And I see misery to forget it I must
And all of the memories are lost
And the ocean is here within me
Flows on like a neverending tear
In us all there are two separate sides
That which is evil and that which is good
Some people live by one side and others by the second
Both of them have a little bit of the other
But it must remain clear that the two depend on each other
Remember, evil is a part of the good and not the opposite
There is no sadness without joy and there is no joy without pain
There is no holy without impure and there can be no blasphemy without
holyness,
Thus the two sides must live in harmony
Unbalanced forever the evil urge brought lots of pain
It is so hard to defeat it
The evil urge sometimes arrives with heavy boots
And sometimes in gentle cat's steps
And even through blessed deeds it can drive you into deeds of wrong
A here is the one which concurs his urge
And so we must wonder what shall be the faith of the man who destroys one
and embraces the other...
The storm still rages...
The lyrics of Orphaned Land's song The Evil Urge speak to the duality of human nature and the constant struggle between good and evil within us. The imagery of an ocean made by tears speaks to the depth of emotion that comes with this internal war. The singer recognizes that in order to move on and forget the misery, they must also forget the memories that come with it. But this internal ocean of emotion is ever-present and flows like a never-ending tear within them.
The next verses speak to the idea that within all of us there are two separate sides, good and evil. While some people may lean towards one more than the other, it is important to recognize that the two sides depend on each other and cannot exist without each other. The song argues that evil is a part of the good, and vice versa, and that the two must live in harmony. Without balance, the evil urge can bring a lot of pain and wreak havoc on one's life. It is a constant battle, and one that is difficult to win.
The storm still rages at the end, suggesting that this internal struggle continues on indefinitely. The lyrics of The Evil Urge, while dark, offer a thought-provoking reflection on the complexity of human nature.
Line by Line Meaning
And I see that slowly your tears are drying
I notice that your tears are drying gradually.
And I see an ocean made by your crying
I can see an ocean created by the tears you shed.
And the ocean that's within...
This ocean is a representation of the pain and sadness within you.
And I see misery to forget it I must
I observe the misery and trauma within me that I need to forget.
And all of the memories are lost
As a result, these painful memories have been lost with time.
And the ocean is here within me
However, this ocean of emotions exists within me and keeps flowing.
Flows on like a neverending tear
It flows continuously like a never-ending stream of tears.
In us all there are two separate sides
Every individual has two distinct sides or personalities within themselves.
That which is evil and that which is good
These personalities are either good or evil in nature.
Some people live by one side and others by the second
Some people act according to their good nature, while others may act according to their evil side.
Both of them have a little bit of the other
However, even those who are good have a small amount of evil in them, and vice versa.
But it must remain clear that the two depend on each other
It should be noted that both good and evil personalities co-exist, and one cannot exist without the other.
Remember, evil is a part of the good and not the opposite
Evil is considered a subset of good instead of being the opposite of it.
There is no sadness without joy and there is no joy without pain
One cannot experience happiness without having experienced sadness, and vice versa.
There is no holy without impure and there can be no blasphemy without holiness
Similarly, a concept of purity only exists because there is an impure counterpart, and vice versa.
Thus the two sides must live in harmony
It is imperative that both good and evil sides coexist in harmony.
Unbalanced forever the evil urge brought lots of pain
However, if one side is allowed to dominate, an imbalance occurs which can lead to severe pain.
It is so hard to defeat it
It is challenging to completely suppress the evil urge.
The evil urge sometimes arrives with heavy boots
The evil urges can manifest in more extreme and forceful ways.
And sometimes in gentle cat's steps
On the other hand, these urges can also manifest subtly and softly.
And even through blessed deeds it can drive you into deeds of wrong
Performing good deeds does not necessarily suppress the evil urge, which can lead to corrupt actions.
A here is the one which concurs his urge
The one who can conquer their urge is considered a hero.
And so we must wonder what shall be the faith of the man who destroys one and embraces the other...
One may wonder what happens to individuals who completely suppress either of their personalities and solely embrace one side.
The storm still rages...
The turmoil within oneself continues to persist.
Contributed by Alaina G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.