Wakeford founded Sol Invictus in order to pursue his own musical ideas. He was an original member of Crisis and Death In June with Douglas P.. He formed Sol Invictus in 1987, working with Ian Read and Karl Blake. He has been the sole constant of the group, as it continues to bring forth new forms and conceptions.
Wakeford has described Sol Invictus as a "cabaret band from Hell for the fin-de-siècle" and has referred to his work as folk noir. He has said the name "comes from a pre-Christian Rome-based cult. Many of its trappings were taken over by the church. The name means 'the unconquered (or victorious) sun', and it was brought back by the legionnaires returning from Persia. The sun has always been an important symbol and as the cult of Sol Invictus nearly defeated Christianity at one point it seemed a good name to use. I also love the sound of Latin. "
Sol Invictus' imagery and lyrical content, especially initially, was strongly influenced by an antipathy for the modern world and materialism. The band also had considerable interest in Heathen and Mithraist themes, often reflecting an explicit antipathy to Christianity. Wakeford has written from a melancholic position of doomed Romanticism, which laments the loss of beauty, love, and Culture. He sees Americanism as a scourge upon Europe, as expressed with pitch-black humour in his song, "Death of the West" from the album of the same name.
In 2007 Tony Wakeford started working with Israeli producer and musician 'M'. The German label Prophecy will release a new Sol Invictus studio album, 'The Cruelest Month' in 2010.
Do not mix it up with the German band Soul_Invictus!
December Song
Sol Invictus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Although it's shorter than you think
When the shutters comes down
When the chain breaks its link
Can love triumph
Will hate fall
Can good win?
The tide will go out and not return
The flame will die and never again burn
I will fall asleep and never awake
The next page of the diary won't have a date
Can love triumph
Will hate fall
Can good win?
Probably not at all
With vile defeats
I limp towards December
Full of vile deceits
But destined not to be remembered
The lyrics to Sol Invictus's song "December Song" encompass themes of life's ultimate end: death. The first verse introduces the idea that the road being traveled is long and ultimately leads to nowhere. While it may seem short in the grand scheme of things, the journey will one day come to an end. The second verse poses the question of love and hate, and whether or not love can triumph and hate fall. The lyrics suggest that good may not always win at the end of the day.
The third verse further reinforces the theme of death, with lyrics describing the inevitability of the tide going out and never returning, flames dying out, and eventually falling asleep and never waking up again. The final verse brings everything full circle, repeating the question of whether or not love can triumph and ultimately stating that regardless of the answer, the journey towards December is full of deceit and will not be remembered.
Overall, the lyrics to "December Song" present a somber and reflective commentary on life, death, and the struggles that come with the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the longest road to nowhere
Life is often aimless and unpredictable
Although it's shorter than you think
Despite the fact that it often feels interminable, life is short
When the shutters comes down
Death is inevitable
When the chain breaks its link
Life is finite and fragile; it can be broken at any moment
Can love triumph
Is love strong enough to overcome all the obstacles in its path?
Will hate fall
Will hatred ultimately be defeated and supplanted by love?
Can good win?
Can virtue and righteousness ultimately succeed over cynicism and corruption?
Probably not at all
Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that any of these optimistic outcomes will come to pass
The tide will go out and not return
Nothing in life is permanent; all phenomena are subject to change and decay
The flame will die and never again burn
All things must come to an end, and there is no hope that they will be rekindled
I will fall asleep and never awake
Death is an eternal sleep that is irreversible and final
The next page of the diary won't have a date
The future is uncertain and unknown, and it is impossible to predict when our journey will end
With vile defeats
Despite our best efforts, we often endure crushing losses and disappointments
I limp towards December
We all get older and weaker, and our journey towards the end of our lives is a slow and steady decline
Full of vile deceits
The world is a place of trickery and illusion, where things are rarely what they seem
But destined not to be remembered
Despite our triumphs and failures, our lives will ultimately be forgotten and disappear into the mists of time
Contributed by Savannah V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
patiomkin2001
This has to be one of the sexiest noir-folk songs ever recorded.