Best described as "introverted exhibitionism", the holistic concept of their ritualistic/Jungian art is not necessarily rooted in the grounds of a commonly accepted sense of aesthetics – which is one of the many aspects that gives their work its serious and most unique character. Though their music playfully fuses elements of classical, baroque, medieval, and even electronic music, the essence of Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows always remains entirely "goth".
Despite the fact that to this very day they still refuse to perform live in front of a human audience, Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows have long gathered cult status in underground circles worldwide.
Strongly recommended to be approached only with an open heart and mind, the profound darkness (and occasionally subversive humour) of their multi-layered (yet fragile) art is mainly intended as a spiritual healing-process for the wounded soul.
Little Velveteen Knight
Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
their existence discovered always when least expected.
Prepared for the day, the knight,
he just cannot keep the perfect mask in its place,
when he is falling asleep.
Faces slacken in slum ber,
each rigid muscle relaxes,
without warning the hidden child comes to the surface.
some unnameable place, of the tower inverted,
forms a different face; climbing upwards with effort,
to see through the eyes. .
.- windows to the soul -now shut- are starring inside.
And while the outside beholder sees the face of a child,
this fearful and helpless infant turns to a wild beast
inside: becomes the architect of the most terrible
dreams and puts a crue l fears of death into our hero's sleep...
This child is a dragon, who you must strive to kill,
though it defeated you once .
.. and, yes, it always will!
Oh, little velveteen knight
(and heroes of all kinds),
endeavour to slay the dragon.
.. (... and yourselves when you try)!
Yes, this monster's immortal .
.. and your fight is in vain,
it only will last forever,
some monsters just cannot be slain.
This infant's beast ..., and the dragon's its guardian,
protecting his child, so that no-one can harm it,
their most gruesome s hape puts the fear of death into
our supposed (but velveteen) hero; yet,
you must get me right: there is no choice for the child,
its intentions are good and always upright. Tell me, why do you from?
Do you bear questions ... or doubt?
Have you not recognised that both,
dragon and child, are in face more than kin.
..- they represent the same thing!
And all our characters that you will see or seem are
merely part of the dreamer ... and therefore the dream.
The lyrics of "Little Velveteen Knight" by Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows delve into the inner struggles and hidden fears that exist within all individuals, particularly through the metaphorical imagery of a knight and a dragon. The song begins by describing infants as phantoms, constantly ignored or doubted until their presence unexpectedly emerges. The knight, who tries to maintain a perfect facade, finds that it crumbles as he falls asleep. In his slumber, his true self, represented by the hidden child, surfaces. This hidden child, from a dark and unknown place within, takes on a different form and climbs up to the surface to see through the eyes that were once closed, revealing the dual nature of human existence.
As the knight's hidden child emerges, it transforms into a wild beast, becoming the architect of terrifying nightmares that haunt the knight's sleep. This child is likened to a dragon, which the knight must strive to defeat, even though it has already defeated him before and will continue to do so. The song suggests that the knight, or any hero for that matter, should attempt to slay the dragon, but also acknowledges that such a fight is ultimately futile, as some monsters cannot be slain. The dragon, in this context, is portrayed as a guardian protecting the child, and its menacing presence inflicts a fear of death on the knight. The lyrics invite the listener to consider the interconnectedness of the dragon and the child, as they both represent the same underlying essence.
Overall, "Little Velveteen Knight" delves into the complexities of human nature, the hidden fears and self-deception that exist within us all. It explores the idea that our characters and personas are merely facets of the dreamer, emphasizing the ephemeral nature of our perceived reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Infants like phantoms, denied and suspected,
Babies are like ghosts, rejected and distrusted.
their existence discovered always when least expected.
Their presence is always revealed when least anticipated.
Prepared for the day, the knight,
The knight, ready for battle,
he just cannot keep the perfect mask in its place,
is unable to maintain his flawless facade,
when he is falling asleep.
as he slips into slumber.
Faces slacken in slumber,
Facial muscles relax in sleep,
each rigid muscle relaxes,
every tense muscle eases,
without warning the hidden child comes to the surface.
unbeknownst, the concealed child emerges.
From the deepest darkness,
Emerging from the abyss,
some unnameable place, of the tower inverted,
from an indescribable realm, from an inverted tower,
forms a different face; climbing upwards with effort,
takes on an altered countenance, laboriously ascending,
to see through the eyes . .
to perceive through its gaze . .
- windows to the soul - now shut - are starring inside.
- the windows to the soul - now closed - gaze within.
And while the outside beholder sees the face of a child,
While outsiders perceive the visage of a child,
this fearful and helpless infant turns to a wild beast inside:
this terrified and powerless baby transforms into a ferocious beast internally:
becomes the architect of the most terrible dreams
becomes the creator of horrifying nightmares
and puts a cruel fear of death into our hero's sleep...
inflicts a cruel fear of death upon our hero's slumber...
This child is a dragon, who you must strive to kill,
This child is a dragon, whom you must endeavor to slay,
though it defeated you once...
despite having defeated you once...
and, yes, it always will!
and yes, it always will!
Oh, little velveteen knight
Oh, brave knight made of worn velvet
(and heroes of all kinds),
(and heroes of every sort),
endeavor to slay the dragon...
strive to vanquish the dragon...
(...and yourselves when you try)!
(...and yourselves in the process)!
Yes, this monster's immortal...
Indeed, this monster is immortal...
and your fight is in vain,
and your battle is futile,
it only will last forever,
it will endure eternally,
some monsters just cannot be slain.
for some monsters simply cannot be defeated.
This infant's beast... and the dragon's its guardian,
This baby is the beast... and the dragon is its protector,
protecting his child, so that no-one can harm it,
shielding its child from harm, ensuring its safety,
their most gruesome shape puts the fear of death into
their horrifying forms instill a terror of mortality within
our supposed (but velveteen) hero; yet,
our alleged (yet threadbare) hero; yet,
you must get me right: there is no choice for the child,
understand me correctly: the child has no choice,
its intentions are good and always upright.
its intentions are noble and eternally righteous.
Tell me, why do you from?
Tell me, why do you flee?
Do you bear questions... or doubt?
Do you carry queries... or uncertainty?
Have you not recognized that both,
Have you not realized that both,
dragon and child, are in face more than kin...
dragon and child, are as closely related as can be...
- they represent the same thing!
- they symbolize the same entity!
And all our characters that you will see or seem are
And all the characters you witness or perceive are
merely part of the dreamer... and therefore the dream.
simply fragments of the dreamer... and thus, the dream itself.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vandersnuff
Infants like phantoms, denied and suspected,
Their existence discovered always when least expected.
Prepared for the day, the knight, he just cannot keep
The perfect mask in its place, when he is falling asleep.
Faces slacken in slumber, each rigid muscle relaxes,
Without warning the hidden child comes to the surface.
From the deepest darkness, some unnameable place,
Of the tower inverted, froms a different face;
Climbing upwards with effort, to see through the eyes...-
Windows to the soul
now shutare starring inside.And while the outside beholder sees the face of a child,
This fearful and helpless infant turns to a wild beast inside:
Becomes the architect of the most terrible dreams
And puts a cruel fears of death into our hero's sleep...
This child is a dragon, who you must strive to kill,
Though it defeated you once... and, yes, it always will!
Oh, little velveteen knight (and heroes of all kinds),
Endeavour to slay the dragon...
(... And yourselves when you try)!
Yes, this monster's immortal... and your fight is in vain,
It only will last forever, some monsters just cannot be slain.
This infant's a beast..., and the dragon's its guardian,
Protecting his child, so that no one can harm it,
Their most gruesome shape puts the fear of death into
Our supposed (but velveteen) hero;
Yet, you must get me right: there is no choice for the child,
Its intentions are good and always upright.
Tell me, why do you frown?
Do you bear questions... or doubt?
Have you not recognised that both, dragon and child,
Are in fact more than kin... -they represent the same thing!
And all our characters that you will see or seem
Are merely part of the dreamer... and therefore the dream.
@HconeEnoch
Fue en la secundaria que buscando canciones de Lacrimosa fui a dar con este vídeo, mi piel de erizo y me enamore al instante de Anna Varney. Aun estando en la Universidad No hay día en que no la deje de escuchar.
@aneortiz6779
fue algo parecido, escuchaba lacrimosa y me aparecio en las sugerencias in der palastra y me enamore de ella :3
@c.albertotejero3853
Y que pedo? Ya pasaron 9 años, sigues igual?
@000JAV_QwQ
Aun te sigue gustando? como evolucionó tu mentalidad?
@stealsouls
que gran artista es esta persona
@pataeperro6996
Dulces sueños, adoro este video.
@mauricio77x
Excelente video, no pudo encontrar una mejor canción que lo arropara.
@YoSoyPHE.
Obra maestra la mejor
@vandersnuff
Infants like phantoms, denied and suspected,
Their existence discovered always when least expected.
Prepared for the day, the knight, he just cannot keep
The perfect mask in its place, when he is falling asleep.
Faces slacken in slumber, each rigid muscle relaxes,
Without warning the hidden child comes to the surface.
From the deepest darkness, some unnameable place,
Of the tower inverted, froms a different face;
Climbing upwards with effort, to see through the eyes...-
Windows to the soul
now shutare starring inside.And while the outside beholder sees the face of a child,
This fearful and helpless infant turns to a wild beast inside:
Becomes the architect of the most terrible dreams
And puts a cruel fears of death into our hero's sleep...
This child is a dragon, who you must strive to kill,
Though it defeated you once... and, yes, it always will!
Oh, little velveteen knight (and heroes of all kinds),
Endeavour to slay the dragon...
(... And yourselves when you try)!
Yes, this monster's immortal... and your fight is in vain,
It only will last forever, some monsters just cannot be slain.
This infant's a beast..., and the dragon's its guardian,
Protecting his child, so that no one can harm it,
Their most gruesome shape puts the fear of death into
Our supposed (but velveteen) hero;
Yet, you must get me right: there is no choice for the child,
Its intentions are good and always upright.
Tell me, why do you frown?
Do you bear questions... or doubt?
Have you not recognised that both, dragon and child,
Are in fact more than kin... -they represent the same thing!
And all our characters that you will see or seem
Are merely part of the dreamer... and therefore the dream.
@GRENUDOSLOCOS
me encanta sopor tod@ un genio