Paradise Lost
Symphony X Lyrics

In the cold misty morning
The song begins by describing the setting from where the singer is currently standing. It's a cold, misty morning and the sun is rising.

Gleaming rays awake the dawn
The sun is rising and the singer is observing the dawn. The rays of the sun are shining brightly.

Here I stand, a stranger in this land
The singer doesn't belong to this particular place, and he feels like a stranger here who is observing nature's beauty.

Does your conscience betray you?
The artist is questioning the listener's conscience and whether it controls their thoughts and actions.

Falling from grace
The artist is acknowledging the fact that being conscious of one's actions is a sign of falling from grace.

Feel the sun on my face
The sun is shining brightly, and the singer is feeling its warmth on his face.

Does desire still hold true?
The singer is questioning whether the desire inside the listener's heart still holds true.

Mystified by her beauty
The artist is describing a female he is mystified by, and her beauty is captivating him.

Does the hunter pity his prey?
The artist is questioning whether a hunter feels pity towards the prey that they hunt.

Under starless skies
The artist describes a specific moment with no shining stars in the dark sky.

All love must die and fade away
The singer contemplates the nature of love, that all love will eventually die and fade away.

Take my hand, divine or damned
The artist is asking the listener to take their hand whether the artist is considered divine or damned.

Make a stand, seize the day
The singer is urging the listener to make a choice and take action today, to seize the moment.

Oh, yours or mine, damned of divine
The singer suggests that they could either be divine or damned, but these determinations depend on individual perceptions.

Draw the line, come what may
The singer urges the listener to stand up for themselves, no matter the consequences.

Looking down from ethereal skies
The artist is describing an otherworldly setting, observing the world from long above it.

Silent crystalline tears I cry
The tears are pure and crystal clear, falling slowly and quietly from the eyes of the artist.

For all must say their last goodbye
The singer suggests that eventually, every person must part from this world, and this farewell is inevitable.

To paradise
The singer refers to the place where people believed they would go after they die, to reach eternal peace

My yearning is silenced by angelic skin of white
The artist is talking about a white-skinned woman, who is stopping the artist from yearning for the things he doesn't have.

Love conquers all though heaven's fall
The artist suggests that love has the power to conquer everything, even a threat like heaven's fall.

This fateful night
The artist is describing a night that holds a special destiny, which could change the course of his life.

Draw the line, serpentine
The singer chooses to follow his own destiny, even if it leads to danger, posing the idea that the serpent will decide where the line is drawn.

Love is a tragedy
The artist suggests that love has negative consequences, and is an inevitable tragedy.

All that I have, all that I'll ever need
The singer talks about how everything he needs, he already has within his grasp.

Let the winds of freedom be my guide
The singer is asking for the freedom to make his own choices, and to let fate guide his path.

Say goodbye, goodbye, horror.
The singer is bidding farewell to the horrors that he has experienced.

So I've cheated and I've lied
The artist confesses to being dishonest and untruthful.

Been the victim of foolish pride
The artist realizes that this dishonesty has most likely stemmed from their foolish pride.

And I've begged and I've crawled
The singer has had to humble themselves on numerous occasions in life.

And I've battled it and bled for it all
The singer has fought and bled for his life's goals.

Now I'll savor the downfall
The artist is accepting the consequences of his choices and intends to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Of paradise
The downfall the artist is referring to is what he has done to reach the “paradise” he envisioned.

Looking down from ethereal skies
The artist is referring to his close proximity to eternity and this ethereal sky describes the grand spectacle from where he is viewing these events.

Silent crystalline tears I cry
The same as before. The emotions running high boil again, as the tears from his eyes fall once again.

For all will say their last goodbye
The artist reiterates that all must face the inevitable farewell.

To paradise
The same again, referring to the belief that paradise waits on the other side.