From Wiki:
Memento mori is a Latin phrase meaning "Be mindful of death" and may be translated as "Remember that you are mortal," "Remember you will die," "Remember that you must die," or "Remember your death". It names a genre of artistic creations that vary widely from one another, but which all share the same purpose, which is to remind people of their own mortality.
Memento Mori
The Agonist Lyrics
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Fuel abuse at my expense
The limbs that crawl up silken threads
And swift entomb the not quite dead
That sickening numbness hindsight hides
Like spiders creeps out from inside
Remember, simply don't pretend
[Chorus]
How love's blindfold wears so thin
The world's too strange when seen without
The arrow's head plunged so far in
My body taught me just how to live on without
You tore away a part of my body
So virgin pure
You fed off blood from my soul
No longer will your silhouette haunt me
Reject obsession
Let it burn in the cold
Writhing, wriggling free
From all the superficial constraints
But that sickening numbness hindsight hides
Like spiders creeps out from inside
[Chorus]
Your fingers burn their prints on my skin
But greedy hands can't grope their way into my mind
No more will your venom reach my awe-glazed eyes
(Permanent scars)
Though my last hope was strangled
Although you've burned me
That corpse constantly shadowing my every move
With each step I take pavement grinds my flesh away
The precious static rest beneath my slumber holds me up
Though persuasion pulls me down
In The Agonist's song "Memento Mori," the lyricist reflects on the struggles and hardships one goes through in life. The opening lines "Can't you see how far I've bent? Fuel abuse at my expense" speak to how one can feel pushed to their limits and used up by the pressures of society. The imagery of "limbs that crawl up silken threads" symbolizes how we can get tangled up in our problems and feel like we are barely escaping death. The "sickening numbness hindsight hides" speaks to how living through difficult times can desensitize us to our pain.
The chorus speaks to the theme of love and loss and how it can leave us feeling lost and uncertain. The line "the arrow's head plunged so far in, my body taught me just how to live on without" suggests that the pain of love can be so intense that it can teach us how to survive even without the person we loved. The sections that follow speak to the process of healing and moving on from a toxic relationship. The lines "You tore away a part of my body, so virgin pure, You fed off blood from my soul, No longer will your silhouette haunt me, Reject obsession, Let it burn in the cold" speaks to the idea of rejecting the obsessions with our pain and using it as fuel to recover.
Overall, "Memento Mori" is a song that speaks to the human experience of pain, loss, and recovery, and how we can use our hardships to grow stronger and more resilient.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't you see how far I've bent?
I have suffered a lot due to my past mistakes and misfortunes, which has made me stronger.
Fuel abuse at my expense
I have been reckless in my actions, which has caused a lot of damage to me.
The limbs that crawl up silken threads
And swift entomb the not quite dead
Sometimes, even when we are not fully alive, we are still pulled towards our goals in life and are driven by ambition.
That sickening numbness hindsight hides
Like spiders creeps out from inside
We may be numb to our problems, but they always creep back up on us when we least expect it.
Remember, simply don't pretend
Both good and bad will come to end
We should always keep in mind that everything has an end, whether good or bad.
How love's blindfold wears so thin
The world's too strange when seen without
The arrow's head plunged so far in
My body taught me just how to live on without
Love can only blind us for so long until reality hits us hard. Even when we are hurt, we find ways to keep living.
You tore away a part of my body
So virgin pure
You fed off blood from my soul
No longer will your silhouette haunt me
Reject obsession
Let it burn in the cold
Someone hurt me in a way that broke me down to my purest form. But now, I refuse to let this person's obsession with me control my life any longer.
Writhing, wriggling free
From all the superficial constraints
But that sickening numbness hindsight hides
Like spiders creeps out from inside
I am breaking free from all the superficial things that once held me down. However, my past and my pain still linger within me.
Your fingers burn their prints on my skin
But greedy hands can't grope their way into my mind
No more will your venom reach my awe-glazed eyes
(Permanent scars)
Though my last hope was strangled
Although you've burned me
Someone hurt me physically and emotionally, but they could not control my thoughts and feelings. Although my hope was lost and I was hurt, I still refuse to let this person control my life and thoughts.
That corpse constantly shadowing my every move
With each step I take pavement grinds my flesh away
The precious static rest beneath my slumber holds me up
Though persuasion pulls me down
I am haunted by my past, and with each step I take, I feel like I am slowly fading away. However, I am held up by the peaceful moments I find during my sleep, even though the struggles of life can be difficult.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind