Rotting Misery
Paradise Lost Lyrics


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Unleashed upon man
Their poisoning brains
An empty grasp - a threat to all those sane.
The daggers poised

For shallow minds
Unheard laughs...
Disrupting all mankind

This rotting misery

(Chorus)
The beggars are all gathered
No others rule supreme...
Rotting misery

Clouded realities
Brought before us
Their pointless lives
As all their faith is lost

Morbid existence
Of these poor souls
Now must die to exist no more





(Chorus)

Overall Meaning

In the song "Rotting Misery," Paradise Lost portrays the world as being full of people with poisoned brains who threaten the sanity of everyone who isn't similarly poisoned. The daggers are poised for those with shallow minds, as unheard laughter disrupts mankind. The chorus describes a group of beggars who have gathered, ruling supreme in their rotting misery. The beggars represent those with morbid existences, whose pointless lives have caused them to lose their faith. The only solution for them is to die off so that they no longer exist.


The lyrics are a commentary on the state of the world, and the dangers of giving in to despair and hopelessness. The imagery of the poisoned minds and the daggers poised illustrates the power of negativity and how it can spread like a contagion. The chorus, with its repetitive "rotting misery" refrain, drives home the message that there is no escape from the despair and decay that seeps into every corner of our existence.


Line by Line Meaning

Unleashed upon man
The destructive force is released onto humanity


Their poisoning brains
Their minds are corrupted and poisonous


An empty grasp - a threat to all those sane.
Their lack of understanding poses a danger to the rational minds


The daggers poised
They are ready to attack


For shallow minds
Their actions are driven by superficial thinking


Unheard laughs...
Their joy is not shared by others and goes unheard


Disrupting all mankind
Their actions are harmful to all of humanity


This rotting misery
The decay and suffering caused by their actions


The beggars are all gathered
The outcasts and impoverished are united


No others rule supreme...
The social hierarchy is broken down


Rotting misery
The decay and suffering caused by societal downfall


Clouded realities
Their perception of reality is distorted


Brought before us
Their existence is presented to us


Their pointless lives
Their lives have no purpose


As all their faith is lost
They have lost hope and trust


Morbid existence
Their lives are characterized by death and decay


Of these poor souls
They are pitiful and unfortunate


Now must die to exist no more
Their only salvation is death, an end to their suffering




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:

@vottaktakvot1542

Unleashed upon man
Their poisoning brains
An empty grasp - a threat to all those sane.
The daggers poised
For shallow minds
Unheard laughs...
Disrupting all mankind
This rotting misery
The beggars are all gathered
No others rule supreme...
Rotting misery
Clouded realities
Brought before us
Their pointless lives
As all their faith is lost
Morbid existence
Of these poor souls
Now must die to exist no more
The beggars are all gathered
No others rule supreme...
Rotting misery



All comments from YouTube:

@BRC9857

My favourite Paradise Lost album. The atmosphere is pure doom.

@user-pf7qg9lc6p

Mayhem Peruttu not mine, shades of god is my favorite album and goth stuff, draconian times

@alejandrorodriguez-do7rj

this first album is scarier than a sleepover at a haunted graveyard

@whitedruidmusic3222

You're scared of this? snowflake

@peterrevens8454

Fuch yeah, this was dark shit. Still love it 👍

@yapet3182

One of the rare times when metal feels authentic and heart wrenching, as if they really meant something. This is why it is creepy: it's real.

@berserk201177

this is fucking creepy....it leaves me with an endless feeling of misery wich i twistedly enjoy even with tears in my eyes.. for me this is one of the creepiest and gloomiest albums

@jannekauppi3859

Endless misery. I know what u mean. Well said, mate!

@peterrevens8454

A fucking masterpiece 💪

@Nihil76

@Peter Revens hell yeah🤘🏼

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