Ritual
Sacred Rite Lyrics


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Far beyond the edge of sight, in a deep and distant land
Lies the dark and misty road that takes the shadow of a man
He stumbles on a band of savage sinners, pagan fools!
Worshipping the carcasses and carrion left by you

Have you seen their eyes?
Have you heard their cry?
Have you seen the pain
That brings them down again?

With pig's blood and with poison, they prepare the evil Rite
With dignity, they march their sacrifice into the night
A maid, no more than twelve years old, will soon be with the Man
Free the virgin chained to stone, and you will win her hand

Born within the young, and then it spread throughout the old
A demon wrecked their bodies, stole their minds, possessed their souls




Writhing, bleeding madman, spitting screaming, bloody fright!
One by one they fell and disappeared into the night

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sacred Rite's "Ritual" tell the story of a man who stumbles upon a group of pagan worshippers in a distant land. The sinners are preparing for an evil rite, using pig's blood and poison as they march their sacrifice, a young maid, into the night. The man is faced with a choice: free the virgin chained to a stone and win her hand or bear witness to the savage ritual.


The lyrics go on to describe the consequences of the sinners' actions. They become possessed by a demon and are driven to madness, writhing in pain and disappearing one by one into the night. The lyrics ask if the listener has seen their pain, heard their cry, and seen them brought down again by their wicked deeds.


The lyrics to "Ritual" are evocative and tell a dark and haunting story. They touch on themes of sin, sacrifice, and possession, exploring the consequences of choices made and actions taken. The song is a cautionary tale, warning against the dangers of giving in to temptation and giving in to the darker impulses of human nature.


Line by Line Meaning

Far beyond the edge of sight, in a deep and distant land
There is a place far away that is hidden from view


Lies the dark and misty road that takes the shadow of a man
There is a dark road where even shadows can be seen


He stumbles on a band of savage sinners, pagan fools!
He encounters a group of barbaric people who follow a non-Christian religion


Worshipping the carcasses and carrion left by you
They worship the remains of dead animals that were left behind


Have you seen their eyes?
Have you observed the expression in their eyes?


Have you heard their cry?
Have you listened to their cries?


Have you seen the pain
Have you witnessed the agony


That brings them down again?
That causes them to suffer once more?


With pig's blood and with poison, they prepare the evil Rite
They mix pig's blood and poison to make a harmful ritual


With dignity, they march their sacrifice into the night
They proudly carry their offering into the darkness


A maid, no more than twelve years old, will soon be with the Man
They will sacrifice a young girl to their god


Free the virgin chained to stone, and you will win her hand
If someone saves the girl from her fate, they will receive her as a reward


Born within the young, and then it spread throughout the old
The evil spirit entered young people first, and then affected the older ones


A demon wrecked their bodies, stole their minds, possessed their souls
An evil demon destroyed their bodies, controlled their thoughts, and took over their spirits


Writhing, bleeding madman, spitting screaming, bloody fright!
They acted like insane, uncontrollable people, screaming and bleeding in terror


One by one they fell and disappeared into the night
They died one by one and vanished in the darkness




Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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@reptilianmetal9214

Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Formed in: 1983
Genre: Heavy Metal
http://sacredrite.com/

Complete discography
Name Type Year
Sacred Rite Full-length 1984
The Ritual Full-length 1985
Is Nothing Sacred Full-length 1986
Rites of Passage Vol. 1 Compilation 2002
Rites of Passage Vol. 2 Compilation 2002
SR-IV Full-length 2003
Rendezvous Leftovers Compilation 2003
Live Live album 2005
Resurrection Full-length 2007

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