Black and White
Silent Line Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The past preyed upon by falling stars
Guide me home
Everything is different now
The land we used to know
Has turned to ash
Lead me down
And sink my feet
Into the sand by the sea
Let me go
And drift away
Remembering what never was
In shades of grey
I am old
At least I feel it in my bones
I remember when we were young inside
And everything was black and white
As the punishment for our crimes
Between the permafrost and sky
Cold, forever dark
Ages ago we were confined
We are the diseased
In fields of frost I wander ever slower
If there is someone out there then please
Send a sign
From the cliffs I see a coming storm
Grey clouds collect and descend in time
Lead me down
To the waves
Past the cliffs along the shores
To the cave
Light the torch
And step inside
Now as one we
Cross this great divide
I am old
At least I feel it in my bones
I remember when we were young inside
And everything was black and white
The abomination
Between the permafrost and sky
Cold, forever dark
Ages ago we were confined
We are the diseased
The lyrics of "Black and White" by Silent Line provide a reflection on the degradation of the world we once knew. The song begins by describing how for ages "we have watched this land degrading", a process symbolized by "falling stars" - a metaphor that implies that the world has been gradually losing its shine and is deteriorating at a rapid pace. The singer then pleads for someone to "guide me home" and remarks that "everything is different now", a far cry from the past when they used to know the land that has now "turned to ash". This longing for the past is further emphasized as the singer asks to be led down past the trees and into the sands by the seas, before letting go and "drift[ing] away" while remembering "what never was in shades of grey".
The second half of the song shifts the focus to the present, with the singer lamenting how they are now old, feeling it in their bones. They remember a time when "everything was black and white", which could be interpreted as a reference to a simpler time when things were either right or wrong, good or bad, without any grey area. However, as punishment for the crimes they might have committed, including those against the environment and against each other, the world around them has become an "abomination" between the "permafrost and sky", forever cold and dark. The song ends optimistically, with the singer asking to be led down to the waves and past the cliffs along the shore, lighting a torch and stepping inside a cave, in the company of others "crossing this great divide".
Line by Line Meaning
For ages we have watched this land degrading
We have been witnessing the deterioration of this land for a very long time
The past preyed upon by falling stars
The past has been destroyed by unexpected events and circumstances
Guide me home
Show me the way back to where I belong
Everything is different now
The current situation is totally unlike any that has been seen before
The land we used to know
The territory that we were familiar with in the past
Has turned to ash
Is now a lifeless waste
Lead me down
Take me on a path
Past the trees
Beyond the foliage
And sink my feet
Let my feet gradually and completely submerge into
Into the sand by the sea
Into the shore's sand
Let me go
Allow me to carry on
And drift away
Slowly and aimlessly move away
Remembering what never was
Recollecting things that never actually existed
In shades of grey
Displayed in hues of black and white mixed together
I am old
I am ancient
At least I feel it in my bones
I experience it in my body
I remember when we were young inside
I recall when we were youthful in our minds
And everything was black and white
And the world was simple, without nuance
As the punishment for our crimes
We now suffer the consequences of our actions
Between the permafrost and sky
In the space where the frozen soil meets the heavens
Cold, forever dark
Eternally frigid and lightless
Ages ago we were confined
Many, many years ago we were restricted
We are the diseased
We are afflicted with a malady or defect
In fields of frost I wander ever slower
I move at a decelerated pace through regions covered in icy crystals
If there is someone out there then please
If another person is present, I implore you
Send a sign
Communicate through an indication
From the cliffs I see a coming storm
From the rocky edges I discern that a tempest is approaching
Grey clouds collect and descend in time
Slate-colored masses of vapor cluster together and lower gradually over a period of time
Lead me down
Guide me past
To the waves
Toward the water's surface
Past the cliffs along the shores
Around the promontories at the coastlines
To the cave
To the cavern
Light the torch
Ignite the long stick with a flammable material on one end
And step inside
Enter the enclosure
Now as one we
Together we now
Cross this great divide
Conquer this sizable separation
The abomination
The monstrous creature
Between the permafrost and sky
In the space where the frozen soil meets the heavens
Cold, forever dark
Eternally frigid and lightless
Ages ago we were confined
Many, many years ago we were restricted
We are the diseased
We are afflicted with a malady or defect
Contributed by Kaelyn I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Woody Cad
this is unbelievably!! good music!! respect!!!
Oscar Garcia Sanchez
INCREIBLE BANDA!!!!
kingsize blues
Beautiful \m/
Afshin
Thanks for the great upload 🤘🏿
jon vala
GREAT JOB GUYS
Burnout's Paradise Productions
Awesome show fellow canadians
MATZECUX
Yeaaaaaaa Nice man
TAZZI TAZZICZECH
waaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuu
Stefan Glas
Geil