Eternal
Paradise Lost Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Why can't we hear
The time must come for us to leave here
Emotion has withered away
Out burnt out love has decayed

Obsessed to leave the earth
Tragedy has overrun since birth
Now our righteous fathers weep
As we greet eternal sleep
Are we born to pass away

Cry at all that remains
"Chosen words" fail to sustain
The wisdom of powers heard
In dismal thoughts seemingly absurd

Now as hope and glory dies
We'll scream at our demise
Are we lost forever more

(Now our righteous fathers weep




As we greet eternal sleep
Are we born to pass away)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Eternal" by Paradise Lost are a lament about the passage of time and the sense of futility that arises from it. The first stanza sets the stage for the rest of the song, describing the gradual loss of emotion and love that comes from living in a world that is obsessed with leaving. The second stanza speaks directly to the idea of tragedy and how it has overshadowed the world since the beginning of time. The "righteous fathers" referred to are likely the generations that have come before us and laid the foundation for the world we now inhabit.


The third stanza is a cry of despair and a recognition that no matter how much we try, we cannot escape the inevitability of death. The use of the phrase "chosen words" implies that we have attempted to articulate our fears and hopes, but ultimately failed to do so. The fourth stanza speaks of the wisdom that we have heard but not fully understood. The final stanza is a realization that hope and glory have died, and we are left to scream at our own demise.


Line by Line Meaning

Why can't we hear
We are unable to hear what we need to so that we can move on.


The time must come for us to leave here
Our time on Earth is limited, and we must eventually depart.


Emotion has withered away
We can no longer feel as we once did.


Out burnt out love has decayed
Our love has faded, leaving us empty and lifeless.


Obsessed to leave the earth
We are fixated on the idea of leaving this world.


Tragedy has overrun since birth
We have experienced tragedy throughout our lives.


Now our righteous fathers weep
Our ancestors cry for us.


As we greet eternal sleep
We are accepting our impending death.


Are we born to pass away
Is our sole purpose to eventually die?


Cry at all that remains
We mourn for what is left behind.


"Chosen words" fail to sustain
Our words cannot bring us solace.


The wisdom of powers heard
The knowledge we once held is gone.


In dismal thoughts seemingly absurd
We are consumed by negative thinking and irrational ideas.


Now as hope and glory dies
We are losing all that was once good and promising.


We'll scream at our demise
We will cry out as we meet our end.


Are we lost forever more
Will we remain lost and hopeless for eternity?


(Now our righteous fathers weep
Our ancestors cry for us.


As we greet eternal sleep
We are accepting our impending death.


Are we born to pass away)
Is our sole purpose to eventually die?




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GREGORY JOHN MACKINTOSH, NICHOLAS JOHN HOLMES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

rodoxxs

Why can't we hear
The time must come for us to leave here
Emotion has withered away
Our burnt out love has decayed
Obsessed to leave the earth
Tragedy has overrun since birth

Now our righteous father's weep
As we greet eternal sleep
Are we born to pass away

Cry at all that remains
'Chosen words' fail to sustain
The wisdom of powers heard
In dismal thoughts seemingly absurd

Now as hope and glory dies
We'll scream at our demise
Are we lost forever more?

Now our righteous father's weep
As we greet eternal sleep
Are we born to pass away



All comments from YouTube:

Margot M

32 years have passed and I still love this masterpiece. One of the greatest ever.🖤

SoulSick

Fantastic record! A true classic.

rodoxxs

Why can't we hear
The time must come for us to leave here
Emotion has withered away
Our burnt out love has decayed
Obsessed to leave the earth
Tragedy has overrun since birth

Now our righteous father's weep
As we greet eternal sleep
Are we born to pass away

Cry at all that remains
'Chosen words' fail to sustain
The wisdom of powers heard
In dismal thoughts seemingly absurd

Now as hope and glory dies
We'll scream at our demise
Are we lost forever more?

Now our righteous father's weep
As we greet eternal sleep
Are we born to pass away

Doom Darkness

O verdadeiro sentimento obscuro

bloodylust z

classic stuff, forever eternal

alejandro rodriguez

I first heard their 3rd and 4th Albums back in 93. This tune is mighty anthemic and epic among bottomless black darkest 2nd album. Perhaps their best lyrics.

Spirit Chef

You can never listen to this just once...
The early vocal/musical hooks some of the best ever written...no SHIT!

greeninjaize

So much sisters of mercy influence in their early stuff!

Perry Manso

what?

Nagash

Incredible song!!

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