Spectral Gold
Sumac Lyrics
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Split and severed
Blindly they seek
Faded twin, once loved
In this wounded way
Beast is born
To wander crooked paths
Trailing red in bended grass
An offering to guiding hands
That lift from graves too early
The burning hearts of life
His ghost dissolves in dust
Formless, dragging heels through the dirt
Small clouds
Mark his passing through the house
Here, not here
Watching his ghost dissolve
In the sun
Here
He hovered, he wavered
Not here
Swollen tongue, cut
In the sun, gone
Air heavy, knotted
Leaden voice echoes
Oh, hollow king
Lord of emptiness
Fear as master
Your rule is null
You have been crowned
Hollow King
Hollow King
Laying prostrate, bent and bruised
Seeking succor from the dust
Feast upon barren fields
Consume decay
Body spoiled by ravaging lust
A barely beating heart, rotting in its tract
Languish, treading muddied waters
A slow death, assured and common
Crippled soul borne aloft
By Blight's End Angel
To know ceaseless light
And endless death
And into love
Forever be reborn
From waking dawn
From first drawn breath
I was yours
Ever silent ward
That to which I clung
I was yours
In the quaking pools
Of your gaze
Shackled and drowned
Thus christened
Son, brother, king
For what false warmth, weak
For what blinding light, pale
Bodies will we burn?
When the mantle of our spirit
Is not our own
We have nothing
We are nothing
Begin rites of reclamation
Flames engulf the initiate
Kneel
Kneel before the raging blaze
Offer the crumbling deed
It ascends as fiery ash
New stars in heavens reborn
There is no deal
There can be no more deal
The lyrics of Sumac's song "Spectral Gold" paint a picture of a disoriented and lost mind in search of meaning and redemption. The opening lines, "Shaken from slumber, split and severed, blindly they seek, faded twin, once loved" evoke an image of someone waking up from a deep slumber and feeling disoriented and betrayed by someone they once trusted. The lyrics describe the birth of a beast that wanders aimlessly, leaving behind a trail of blood as they search for guidance and direction.
The song then speaks of a ghost that dissolves into dust, leaving behind only small clouds that mark its passing. The lyrics suggest that this ghost is watching over the person who is lost and trying to find their way. As they navigate through life, the person encounters the "hollow king," who is described as the lord of emptiness and fear. The hollow king represents the person's sense of futility and despair, as they struggle to find their place in the world.
The song concludes with a call to action, as the person begins the "rites of reclamation" in order to reclaim their spirit and find meaning in their life. The lyrics suggest that this process is a difficult and painful one, as the person must confront their own shortcomings and offer up their past deeds as sacrifices to the flames. However, the lyrics also suggest that this process can lead to rebirth and renewed purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Shaken from slumber
Roused from peaceful sleep
Split and severed
Separated and divided
Blindly they seek
Searching aimlessly without clear direction
Faded twin, once loved
A beloved companion now lost or forgotten
In this wounded way
Amid the pain and suffering
Beast is born
A fierce and wild creature emerges
To wander crooked paths
To journey along treacherous and uncertain roads
In this way beast is broken
One's wild nature is tamed or subdued
Trailing red in bended grass
Leaving behind a trail of blood in the beaten-down foliage
An offering to guiding hands
A sacrifice given to those who lead the way
That lift from graves too early
Raising those who have departed from life before their time
The burning hearts of life
The passionate and vibrant spirits of the living
His ghost dissolves in dust
One's spirit fades away into obscurity and insignificance
Formless, dragging heels through the dirt
Shapeless and lost, caught up in the mundane and earthbound
Small clouds
Fleeting and insubstantial
Mark his passing through the house
A brief and fleeting indication of his presence
Here, not here
Present and absent simultaneously
Watching his ghost dissolve
Observing one's own dissolution
In the sun
Basked in light and warmth
Here
Now, in this moment
He hovered, he wavered
Hovered and moved erratically
Not here
Conspicuously absent
Swollen tongue, cut
Speechless or silenced
In the sun, gone
Lost or disappeared completely
Air heavy, knotted
Atmosphere thick and oppressive
Leaden voice echoes
A heavy and lifeless sound resonates
Oh, hollow king
An empty ruler with no substance or worth
Lord of emptiness
A master of nothingness and lack
Fear as master
Terror and anxiety controlling one's life
Your rule is null
Your authority is invalid and meaningless
You have been crowned
You have been given a title, but with no real power or importance
Hollow King
An ineffectual ruler with nothing to offer
Laying prostrate, bent and bruised
Collapsed and wounded, in a position of submission
Seeking succor from the dust
Looking for relief in the bleakness of life
Feast upon barren fields
Consume what little sustenance remains in a lifeless wasteland
Consume decay
Eating away at the rot and decay of life
Body spoiled by ravaging lust
A physical form corrupted and destroyed by insatiable desire
A barely beating heart, rotting in its tract
A diseased and failing organ struggling to survive
Languish, treading muddied waters
Drowning in a bog of confusion and stagnation
A slow death, assured and common
A gradual and inevitable decline leading to death
Crippled soul borne aloft
One's spirit carried upward despite its flaws and limitations
By Blight's End Angel
By a divine figure of finality and decay
To know ceaseless light
To experience an endless existence of brightness and illumination
And endless death
And to be forever dying and decaying
And into love
And ultimately, to encounter true love
Forever be reborn
To be reborn into a new life, over and over again
From waking dawn
From the moment of birth
From first drawn breath
From the very first inhalation of air
I was yours
I have always been in your possession, under your influence
Ever silent ward
Always watchful and protective, without speaking
That to which I clung
That which I held onto stubbornly
In the quaking pools
In the depths of emotional turbulence and chaos
Of your gaze
Under the scrutiny and judgment of your watchful eyes
Shackled and drowned
Trapped and suffocated, unable to escape
Thus christened
Baptized into a new identity or role
Son, brother, king
A member of a family, and a ruler over a people
For what false warmth, weak
For what little comfort and strength that is inadequate and fleeting
For what blinding light, pale
For what brightness that lacks substance and depth
Bodies will we burn?
Shall we destroy ourselves in pursuit of fleeting pleasure?
When the mantle of our spirit
When the cloak of our essence or soul
Is not our own
Is hijacked or taken away from us
We have nothing
We are left with nothing substantial or meaningful
We are nothing
We become insignificant and worthless
Begin rites of reclamation
Initiate the process of regaining what is rightfully ours
Flames engulf the initiate
The intensity and seriousness of the endeavor
Kneel
Submit to the process of reclamation
Kneel before the raging blaze
Submit to the power of transformation and renewal
Offer the crumbling deed
Surrender the weak, inadequate aspects of oneself for transformation
It ascends as fiery ash
The old self burns away and is lifted up
New stars in heavens reborn
A new existence and identity is born, shining in the vastness of the universe
There is no deal
There can be no compromise or bargain in taking back what is rightfully ours
Contributed by Christian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.