The Mountain
P.F.M. Lyrics
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Convulsing my frame and cracking my bones.
Hell's dragons of steel who roar in their chains
Crawl into my caves to suck out my veins.
I've split the sky ten million years
And I've been called a hunderd different names.
I know the stories of the wind,
I've argued with the thunder and the rain ...
Revealing how my mother's
Face was horribly changed
By the apes ...
Where once shepherds dined the diamond
Worm screams.
The ash of my pine is choking my strams
"O-Yam-Tsu-Mi"* I invoke your name.
But "O-Yam-Tsu-Mi" lay broken and ill
By the plight and the pain of his mountains
And hills
By his waterfall weeps
Once again ...
* Ancient Japanese God of Mountains
The lyrics of P.F.M.'s song "The Mountain" are a powerful and complex meditation on the power of nature and the enduring spirit of the earth. The song opens with the image of "Red Bellows of flame" that have "blackened my stones," suggesting a volcanic eruption or some other cataclysmic event that has happened in the past. The mountain speaks of the dragons of steel "who roar in their chains," which can be interpreted as a reference to the mining and industrial activities that have damaged the environment and depleted the earth's resources. The mountain has been split by forces beyond its control, and yet it endures, even as it faces new threats and challenges.
The mountain speaks of its long history and the many names it has been called. It claims to know "the stories of the wind," and to have "argued with the thunder and the rain," indicating an intimate and ongoing relationship with the forces of nature. The mountain then tells a peculiar story of how eagles flying from Urizen have revealed how its mother's face was "horribly changed / By the apes." This metaphorical allusion suggests that perhaps humans are responsible for some of the damage inflicted upon the environment and the natural world.
The song's refrain features the invocation of the ancient Japanese god of mountains, "O-Yam-Tsu-Mi," beseeching him to come to the aid of the mountain. The final verse of the song reveals that even this mighty god is "broken and ill" due to "the plight and the pain of his mountains and hills." The song ends on a mournful note, with the mountain invoking the god's name once more as if in a final plea for help.
Line by Line Meaning
Red Bellows of flame have blackened my stones
My stones have been darkened by flames spewed forth with great force.
Convulsing my frame and cracking my bones.
My body has been violently shaken causing my bones to fracture.
Hell's dragons of steel who roar in their chains
Steel machines that sound like raging dragons are locked up in my rocky depths.
Crawl into my caves to suck out my veins.
These machines enter my caverns to extract my valuable resources.
I've split the sky ten million years
I have stood here against the elements for an unimaginable amount of time.
And I've been called a hunderd different names.
People have referred to me by countless titles and monikers throughout history.
I know the stories of the wind,
I have experienced the tales that the wind carries across my peaks.
I've argued with the thunder and the rain ...
I have challenged the boisterous noises of thunder and rain that echo over my domain.
Till eagles flew from Urizen
The dispute went on until eagles emerged, indicating it was time to stop.
Revealing how my mother's
Face was horribly changed
By the apes ...
The eagles revealed how the anthropoids altered my mother's visage beyond recognition.
Where once shepherds dined the diamond
Worm screams.
The land frequented by shepherds now echoes with the eerie cries of creatures called diamond worms.
The ash of my pine is choking my strams
My streams are being smothered by ash originating from my pine forests.
"O-Yam-Tsu-Mi"* I invoke your name.
I summon the deity of mountains O-Yam-Tsu-Mi.
But "O-Yam-Tsu-Mi" lay broken and ill
By the plight and the pain of his mountains
And hills
By his waterfall weeps
Once again ...
The god himself is sickened by the way his mountains and hills are being mistreated and is once again moved to tears by the wasted waters of his waterfalls.
* Ancient Japanese God of Mountains
O-Yam-Tsu-Mi is an ancient Japanese god responsible for the mountains.
Contributed by Ruby S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TONE11111
LYRICS:
Red Bellows of flame have blackened my stones Convulsing my frame and cracking my bones.
Hell's dragons of steel who roar in their chains Crawl into my caves to suck out my veins.
I've split the sky ten million years And I've been called a hundred different names.
I know the stories of the wind, I've argued with the thunder and the rain ...
Till eagles flew from Urizen
Revealing how my mother's face was horribly changed
By the apes ...
Where once shepherds dined the diamond worm screams.
The ash of my pine is choking my streams "O-Yam-Tsu-Mi"* I invoke your name.
But "O-Yam-Tsu-Mi" lay broken and ill By the plight and the pain of his mountains and hills
By his waterfall weeps Once again ...
* Ancient Japanese God of Mountains
@sarasota75
The most amazing thing.......... they came to my country Guatemala 6 years ago and was epic.
@mauromontobbio8522
A goose bumping closing lead guitar part.... a guitar very close to the sound of other two prog guitar monsters like Robert Fripp and Steve Hackett. Super Franco Mussida!
@hexenhuisje
Glad my dad had this lp when I was a kid....difficult to find this little gem...
@heavy6161
No puedo creer que solo haya 182 👍 con el mío! Está fue una banda legendaria
@aghoeing
That closing guitar section blows me away playing on only four chords.
@TadmorsTube
What a great song. One of their best.
@sarasota75
omg!!!!!!!!! love it ♥
@jeffreygorey5540
When that bass guitar kicks in, ohh man.
@francoisbenoit5335
jeffrey gorey that bass guitar with that bass drum ... ohh ya together synchronized.
@MikeFlood-oe3tu
e-x-a-c-t-l-y