Phoenix
Satyricon Lyrics


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Into the night
My long suffering friend
We'll be reborn again
Right here where everything ends

Face to the sky
A trail of smoke in the air
Pass into emptiness
New life's awaiting you there

Slave to some wretched old imagination of yesteryear
All that grows in the skulls of the living are flowers of fear

The morning red
A sun god calling you back
Down through a thousand years
White embers whistle and crack

Await the dawn with her kiss of redemption, my firebird!
You were the queen of the souls of men before there was the word

The morning new
The morning red
The fiery promise
Mad swirling smoke
Wheels round her head

Dedication to the queen of souls,
Her lost disciples
And when the fire's work is done
Our time to be reborn

By pagan streams
A wind whips the leaves from the trees
And it is revealed to us
That we are dreams within dreams

Born from some wretched old imagination of yesteryear
Now all that grows in the skulls of the living are flowers of fear

The morning new
The morning red
The fiery promise
Mad swirling smoke
Wheels round her head

Dedication to the queen of souls,
Her lost disciples
And when the fire's work is done
Our time to be reborn

The morning new
The morning red
The fiery promise
Mad swirling smoke
Wheels round her head

Dedication to the queen of souls,
Her lost disciples




And when the fire's work is done
The phoenix now reborn

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Satyricon's song Phoenix evoke the theme of rebirth and renewal, both musically and lyrically. The imagery employed throughout the song plays on these themes and ideas, creating a sense of transcendence and awakening. The opening lines, "Into the night, my long suffering friend / We'll be reborn again / Right here where everything ends," paint a picture of an individual undergoing catharsis and coming out on the other side renewed and transformed. The reference to a "long suffering friend" implies that this transformation has been a long time in the making but is finally coming to fruition.


The following lines, "Face to the sky / A trail of smoke in the air / Pass into emptiness / New life's awaiting you there," suggest that the transformation is not just physical, but spiritual as well. The idea of passing into emptiness to find new life is a common motif in many spiritual traditions and hints at the larger philosophical ideas underlying the song. There is a sense of letting go of old ideas and beliefs in order to embrace something new and unknown.


The final stanzas, "Dedication to the queen of souls, / Her lost disciples / And when the fire's work is done / The phoenix now reborn," reinforces the idea of transformation and rebirth. The allusions to pagan and mythological imagery suggest that these ideas are not limited to any one religious tradition, but are universal concepts that can be accessed by anyone. The repetition of the chorus throughout the song creates a sense of momentum and urgency, like a ritual incantation meant to invoke change and transformation.


Line by Line Meaning

Into the night
Embarking on a journey towards transformation and rebirth, leaving behind the darkness of the past.


My long suffering friend
Addressing the singer's own body, which has borne the pain and struggles of their past.


We'll be reborn again
Assurance that the journey towards transformation will lead to a rebirth and reawakening.


Right here where everything ends
The transformation will happen at the end of everything, signaling an end of an era and the start of a new one.


Face to the sky
Looking up towards the heavens in acknowledgement and reverence for universal forces that drive transformation and rebirth.


A trail of smoke in the air
Symbolic of the physical remnants of the past burning away as one journeys towards transformation.


Pass into emptiness
Embracing the unknown and stretching beyond what one knows or understands, entering into a state of emptiness where transformation can occur.


New life's awaiting you there
An assurance that if one pushes past their fears and enters emptiness, there is a new life to be found on the other side.


Slave to some wretched old imagination of yesteryear
Held down by limiting beliefs or fears originating from the past, which inhibit personal growth.


All that grows in the skulls of the living are flowers of fear
The negative imaginings in people's minds take root and become stronger the more they are entertained.


The morning red
The arrival of a new day, full of energy and vitality.


A sun god calling you back
Returning to the source of life and energy, like the sun god pulling one towards rebirth.


Down through a thousand years
Through a long lineage and history, connecting one's journey to the past and future.


White embers whistle and crack
Symbolic of the remnants of the past finally breaking away, leading towards transformation and rebirth.


Await the dawn with her kiss of redemption, my firebird!
A call to embrace the new dawn with hope and possibility, likening oneself to a firebird that is reborn from the ashes.


You were the queen of the souls of men before there was the word
Acknowledgment and respect for the powerful energy that reigns over the artist's transformation and rebirth, beyond human understanding.


The morning new
Another reference to the arrival of a new day, full of opportunity and hope.


The fiery promise
The energy and power of transformation, symbolized by fire.


Mad swirling smoke
Symbolic of the chaos and confusion that often comes with transformation, as one lets go of their past and moves into the unknown.


Wheels round her head
Symbolic of the immense energy and power that surrounds the artist during their transformation.


Dedication to the queen of souls, Her lost disciples
Reverence and respect for the powerful energy that reigns over the artist's transformation, and for those who have lost themselves in its wake.


And when the fire's work is done, Our time to be reborn
Assurance that, after going through the trials and transformation represented by the fire, the artist's time for rebirth has come.


By pagan streams
In sacred, natural places where one can connect with the elemental forces of the world and draw strength.


A wind whips the leaves from the trees
Symbolic of the chaos and upheaval caused by personal transformation, as old structures and patterns fall away.


And it is revealed to us, That we are dreams within dreams
A realization that the reality one experiences is a layer upon a layer of illusion and symbolism, leading towards deeper understanding.


Born from some wretched old imagination of yesteryear
Acknowledgment that past fears and limiting beliefs can shape one's reality, leading to stagnation and lack of growth.


Now all that grows in the skulls of the living are flowers of fear
The negative imaginings of the mind can inhibit personal growth and development, leading to a lack of success.


The phoenix now reborn
The artist's transformation is complete, leading to a rebirth, like the mythical phoenix rising from the ashes.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@cosminpetre5150

Into the night
My long suffering friend
We'll be reborn again
Right here where everything ends

Face to the sky
A trail of smoke in the air
Pass into emptiness
New life's awaiting you there

Slave to some wretched old
Imagination of yesteryear
Now all that grows in the skulls
Of the living are flowers of fear

The morning red
A sun-god calling you back
Down through a thousand years
White embers whistle and crack

Await the dawn with her kiss of redemption,
My firebird!
You were the queen of the souls of all men
Before there was the w-o-r-d

The morning new, the morning red,
The fiery promise
Mad swirling smoke wheels round her head
Dedication to the queen of souls, her lost disciples
And when the fire's work is done
Our time to be reborn

By pagan streams
A wind whips the leaves from the trees
And it is revealed to us
That we are dreams within dreams

Born from some wretched
Old imagination of yesteryear
Now all that grows in the skulls of the living
Are flowers of fear

The morning new, the morning red,
The fiery promise
Mad swirling smoke wheels round her head
Dedication to the queen of souls, her lost disciples
And when the fire's work is done
Our time to be reborn

The morning new, the morning red,
The fiery promise
Mad swirling smoke wheels round her head
Dedication to the queen of souls, her lost disciples
And when the fire's work is done
The phoenix now reborn



@Psycho_Badass

This one is on another level, hard to find something like this, but here are some i get similar vibes (some have mixed guturals):
Loreley - Lord of The Lost
Let's Go - Emigrate
Lonesome Road - Gorilla Rodeo
Deeper - Vulture Industries
Into the Unknown - The Vision Bleak
Sing Child Horror Vacui - ASP
The last Ammunition - Deathstars
Stellar Tombs - Draconian



All comments from YouTube:

@PerpetualLifecycle

For international listeners; Sivert Høyem is a Norwegian blues vocalist, he's known for his deep voice and has such acclaimed songs as Prisoner of the Road and Endless Love. 

@dragffys

I wouldn't quite call it blues, but I'm unfamiliarized with his solo albums. Blue's inspired, ok.
His work with Madrugada is fantastic and Industrial Silence is, in my opinion, a nothing-short-of-amazing, dark and melancholic indie album. In the vein of Nick Cave, Cohen, etc. with a hint of (good) Pearl Jam "poppiness" to it.

@carlosalvarenga2234

Soy de Honduras... te aseguro, que mi vida cambió al escuchar esta canción...

@hardrocksinterklaas9623

we know!

@velascaux

For Norwegian listeners: Frost is God everywhere.

@velascaux

@@carlosalvarenga2234 hermano, te felicito por tu buen gusto. Saludos desde México.

44 More Replies...

@RalfFinne

This is a masterpiece ! regardless which genre they ever "belonged" to. A good song is more important than any genre .

@glohitia666

Well said.

@thecosmicpallbearer

Couldn't have said it better

@yanggyan9729

FF ,true👍.For me closin it in a genre,you will cut out and losing some details.🤔

Saluti from northern Italy.
🙏

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