On the Shores of Ithaka
Quo Vadis Lyrics


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In our
Minds eye
Certainty
All powerful
Beyond blindness and fear
Confident
Fused with vanity,
Arrogant
Propelled by scorn.

Foresight
Relegated
To beg in the streets with despair,
Caution
Forever
Lagging behind [the horizon]
As we sail from Day
Into nights web
Thick
With deceit of a tender embrace

And a knife through the heart!

Blurry eyed we strain,
Seeing a different reality
Each vision
At odds with the Truth
Never again in reach,
So obvious to the ones
Less Myopic

Each vision
As our minds
Blind to
The impending doom
Guided by
Our misguided ways

We plow on
Sight hollowed out,
Vision blunted by
Web of deceit

Thick with contempt
The most vocal burn blessed with scorn
Others hope it goes away
And

Let it happen
Words collide, worlds shatter,
Opinions are cheap
Fed by ignorance

And here is the paradox

How do we reach utopia,
Our shores of Ithaka.

How do we reach utopia,
Our shores of Ithaka.

How do we reach utopia,
Our shores of Ithaka.

If we move
In the opposite direction
While trying.





On The Shores of Ithaka

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Quo Vadis's song "On the Shores of Ithaka" explore the theme of human vanity and our misguided ways. The opening lines suggest that we are certain of our power and ability, and that we are overconfident and arrogant. However, we are also blinded by our own vision, which is clouded by deceit and a lack of foresight. The chorus poses a question about how we can reach utopia, or our shores of Ithaka, when we seem to be moving in the opposite direction.


The verses continue to examine the idea of our misguided ways, with caution always lagging behind and our vision blurred by a web of deceit. The most vocal members of society burn blessed with scorn while others ignore the impending doom. The lyrics suggest that we are blind to the truth and that our opinions are fed by ignorance. The paradox comes in when we try to reach utopia while moving in the opposite direction. It seems that we are unable to escape our own blindness and vanity, and the song leaves the listener with a sense of hopelessness.


Line by Line Meaning

In our
In our minds


Minds eye
The way we see things


Certainty
A sense of absolute truth


All powerful
A feeling of invincibility


Beyond blindness and fear
Unaffected by doubt or anxiety


Confident
Self-assured


Fused with vanity,
Egotistical


Arrogant
Overly proud


Propelled by scorn.
Motivated by contempt or ridicule


Foresight
The ability to see the future


Relegated
Pushed aside


To beg in the streets with despair,
Desperate and hopeless


Caution
Carefulness


Forever
Always


Lagging behind [the horizon]
Falling behind


As we sail from Day
As time moves on


Into nights web
Into a trap or deception


Thick
Substantial


With deceit of a tender embrace
With false intentions of love or kindness


And a knife through the heart!
Betrayal or emotional pain


Blurry eyed we strain,
Struggling to see


Seeing a different reality
Perceiving things differently


Each vision
Individual perspective


At odds with the Truth
Conflicting with reality


Never again in reach,
Impossible to achieve


So obvious to the ones
Easily recognizable by some


Less Myopic
Less narrow-minded


Blind to
Unaware of


The impending doom
The future disaster


Guided by
Led by


Our misguided ways
Our incorrect actions


We plow on
We continue forward


Sight hollowed out,
Sight weakened or absent


Vision blunted by
Perception dulled by


Web of deceit
Trap of lies


Thick with contempt
Full of scorn or disdain


The most vocal burn blessed with scorn
The loudest and most critical receive praise


Others hope it goes away
Others wish the problem will disappear


And
But


Let it happen
Allow it to occur


Words collide, worlds shatter,
Disaster strikes


Opinions are cheap
Personal beliefs have little value


Fed by ignorance
Nourished by lack of knowledge


And here is the paradox
Yet there is a contradiction


How do we reach utopia,
How can we achieve a perfect world


Our shores of Ithaka.
Our ideal destination


If we move
Despite our efforts


In the opposite direction
Away from our goal


While trying.
Despite our best efforts




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Gordon Zola

Le Québec est terre de Metal par excellence !
Merci pour cette qualité qui apporte énormément à la culture musical.

Phil Cooper

This song is incredible. It may be one of the best metal songs I've ever heard before.

Rocky Giroux

Belakor

Kevin Caron

@There Is No Heaventhis song is WAY better

Dominic Ross

Ulver is up there as well.

Jim Beam

One of the greatest death metal songs ever made

FabiFlies

Love this piece. Discovered it recently, can't get enough of it. It just flows so incredibly smooth. And the solo is a true crown jewel

WereLust

Best melodic death metal song ever...PERIOD.

Jeswin Thomas

Some of the best outros I have heard in recent years. Steve is just oozing fretless

NG49

been listening to these guys about 10 years now. great band

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