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Descend
Red Descending Lyrics
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Similarities will overwhelm him there
Between reality and despair
And the cage within his eyes
Descend my friend
Cascade with unfeathered wings
The passage you took
Descend my friend
Cascade with unfeathered wings
The passage you took
Is red in the sky
Try and save his mourning face
Lift his chin and save his grace
A task was given against his will
This is why his feet stand still
Speak his tale of adventure
Whisper his tale of despair
For this lost cause once had a chance
A chance which was built on trust
Shades of white lifting him now
Waiting for death, free his captured soul
Shades of white, lifting him now
It's time to leave it's time to die
When he closes his eyes
Waiting for death
Falling down
A silloette of angels
Lifting him now
A new sensation
Falling down
These lyrics are from the song Descend by Red Descending, and they explore the theme of falling from grace. The singer is being cast down to the dungeons, a place where similarities between reality and despair will overwhelm him, and he will be trapped in a cage within his own eyes. The chorus then invites him to descend with unfeathered wings, a symbol of falling without protection or support. The passage he took is frozen in time, reminding him that his fate is inevitable. The second verse talks about an attempt to save him from his mourning face, to lift his chin and save his grace. But despite this, he is standing still, unable to move forwards. His tale of adventure and despair is whispered, a lost cause that was once built on trust.
The repetition of phrases like "waiting for death" and "falling down" create a sense of inevitability, as if the singer cannot escape his fate. He is surrounded by shades of white, which could symbolize purity or innocence, but also death and emptiness. The silhouettes of angels lifting him and the new sensation are both ambiguous and can be interpreted in different ways. It could be seen as a release from his suffering, or it could be seen as a final descent into darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
Cast him down to the dungeons
He has been forcibly thrown into a dark and unpleasant place.
Similarities will overwhelm him there
The conditions in the dungeon will be overwhelming in their sameness and misery.
Between reality and despair
The situation he is in seems to be a blurred line between what is real and what is hopeless.
And the cage within his eyes
His eyes reflect the way that he feels trapped and confined.
Descend my friend
He is encouraged to accept his fate and let himself fall deeper into a negative situation.
Cascade with unfeathered wings
He is expected to fall quickly and without grace or any kind of protection.
The passage you took
The road he chose to go down in life.
Is frozen in time
The things he expected to come to fruition have not, and may never, materialize.
The passage you took
The choices he made that led him to this point.
Is red in the sky
The path he followed was a dangerous one, full of warning signals or sirens that he ignored or didn't see.
Try and save his mourning face
Someone is trying to keep the sadness off his face, to help him keep his composure and dignity.
Lift his chin and save his grace
They are attempting to make him feel better and to give him a sense of dignity and self-worth.
A task was given against his will
He was forced to undertake something he did not want to do.
This is why his feet stand still
He feels immobile, unable to move forward or make progress.
Speak his tale of adventure
Telling the story of his wild journey and escapades in life.
Whisper his tale of despair
Mentioning the sadness and hopelessness he feels now.
For this lost cause once had a chance
There was a possibility that he could have succeeded, but he let it slip by.
A chance which was built on trust
The opportunity arose because others believed that he could succeed and gave him their trust.
Shades of white lifting him now
He is being lifted up into the light, as if by angels.
Waiting for death, free his captured soul
He is ready to die, and have his spirit released from the confines of his body.
Shades of white, lifting him now
The light grows even stronger and more all-encompassing as he gets closer to death
It's time to leave it's time to die
It is time for him to let go of life and what it means to him, passing into whatever comes next.
When he closes his eyes
As he begins to lose consciousness and drift away from practical, earthly concerns.
Falling down
He is no longer able to stay upright or control his movements, and he is falling down fast.
A silhouette of angels
As he falls, he sees shapes and figures in the darkness that resemble winged beings.
Lifting him now
They are reaching out toward him, seemingly to try and take him into their embrace.
A new sensation
As he falls and is lifted, he is beginning to experience new feelings.
Falling down
He continues to fall, but now with a sense of grace and acceptance.
Contributed by Bentley Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.