R.I.P
Sacred Rite Lyrics

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In the space of time before me
Lies the passage of the dead
I met a man, he tried to warn me
'Close your eyes', is all he said
Following the man, I see the torture
A thousand victims lie in pain
Now I hear the voice of judgement
'Throw them all into the flame! '

Who are you to murder the faithless?
Who are you to damn them all to Hell?
Do you know where they go when they leave you?
You'll pay the price for the souls that you sell

Are you the tyrant who cast them to the sea?
One day you'll be among the dead
And when they bury you beneath your enemy
Oh! Rest in peace

In the dark, they hide and tremble
Crying eyes that shake with fear
Fighting time, alone and frightened
And all at once, they disappear
Just a breath of life before them
Stands the Man, the Mind, the Way
And with him go the chosen children
To their home so far away

One day you're a beggar, and the next day you're a King
But you'll never know the joy to hear your subjects when they sing
For you persecute and damn them 'till they curl up, there, and die
They call you Lucifer and you wonder why?

Total disintegration - Famine and disease
Ruthless domination - Bring them to their knees
Power to your people - Freedom to your slaves
Your torment and your evil have sent you to your grave

We find you guilty

What have you to say?
Take him away!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sacred Rite’s ‘R.I.P.’ are heavy with themes of death, judgement, and condemnation. The singer recounts encountering a man who warns him to close his eyes, before leading him to witness a harrowing scene of torture and judgement. The voice of judgement declares that the victims be thrown into the flame, and the singer questions the authority of those who sentence others to eternal damnation. They wonder if those who condemn others truly know where the condemned souls end up, and warns them that they too will pay for the souls they sell. The song ends with a powerful rebuke of those who persecute and dominate, as they are found guilty and taken away.

The lyrics of ‘R.I.P.’ reflect the time period in which they were written, with the 1980s being a time of tension between the US and USSR, and a growing sense of unease about nuclear war. The song also draws on biblical imagery, particularly of judgement and condemnation, creating a sense of foreboding and unease. The line ‘just a breath of life before them, stands the Man, the Mind, the Way, and with him go the chosen children to their home so far away’ suggests a kind of divine judgement, where only those who have followed the correct path will be ushered into eternity. The song is both a warning and a rebuke, cautioning against the persecution and condemnation of others and advocating for a more enlightened and compassionate approach.

Line by Line Meaning

In the space of time before me
The time period I'm in at the moment

Lies the passage of the dead
The place where the dead go after dying

I met a man, he tried to warn me
Met someone who offered a caution

'Close your eyes', is all he said
The words the man said to warn me

Following the man, I see the torture
Following the man exposed me to torture sights

A thousand victims lie in pain
So many people hurt and suffering

Now I hear the voice of judgement
I hear a voice making a negative ruling

'Throw them all into the flame! '
Throwing all the tortured people into the fire

Who are you to murder the faithless?
What right do you have to kill people without faith?

Who are you to damn them all to Hell?
What right and authority do you have to condemn them to eternal suffering?

Do you know where they go when they leave you?
Do you have an idea of where these dead people go after leaving here?

You'll pay the price for the souls that you sell
You will face a penalty in exchange for selling souls

Are you the tyrant who cast them to the sea?
Are you the oppressive ruler who dumped these victims at sea

One day you'll be among the dead
One day you'll die and be joining their ranks

And when they bury you beneath your enemy
Buried and laid at rest alongside your opponent

Oh! Rest in peace
Wishing eternal tranquility

In the dark, they hide and tremble
Frightened people shivering and hiding in the darkness

Crying eyes that shake with fear
Wet eyes that tremble with anxiety

Fighting time, alone and frightened
Struggling with time, isolated and scared

And all at once, they disappear
Suddenly all these scared people vanish

Just a breath of life before them
A tiny moment of existence in front of them

Stands the Man, the Mind, the Way
Stands the person of intellect, philosophy, and method

And with him go the chosen children
The chosen ones depart with him

To their home so far away
To their far-off, desired realms

One day you're a beggar, and the next day you're a King
Within a moment, you move from being poor to being powerful

But you'll never know the joy to hear your subjects when they sing
However, you will never experience the bliss of having your people happily sing for you

For you persecute and damn them 'till they curl up, there, and die
Because you maltreat and adequately reprimand them until they crumple up, fall and expire.

They call you Lucifer and you wonder why?
You are called Lucifer, and you are asking why this is so?

Total disintegration - Famine and disease
Complete crumbling, lack of order and structure - Starvation and illness

Ruthless domination - Bring them to their knees
Merciless sovereignty - Reducing them to subjection

Power to your people - Freedom to your slaves
To free the slaves and empower the people

Your torment and your evil have sent you to your grave
Your suffering and nefarious deeds have led to your death

We find you guilty
You have been convicted

What have you to say?
What can you say in response?

Take him away!
Take him from here to his punishment

Contributed by Kayla M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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