Suicide
The Black Heart Procession Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While my spirit breaks I hear you calling me
As my heart aches and my hands shake
While my mind fades from these dark days
In the valley where I come from
Everybody watches the blood run
But they'll cut your wrists
And hang you by the neck
I like your suicide
You show up in the middle of the night
Blood drippin from your wrists
Pills on your tongue and a gun in your hand
A rope around your neck
I hope god is your friend
I like your suicide
The above lyrics belong to the song Suicide by The Black Heart Procession. This song is about the singer's fascination with someone who has taken their own life. The opening lines portray the physical and emotional pain experienced by the singer. The singer feels broken, both physically and spiritually, and hears the person who has committed suicide calling out to him. The lines "As my heart aches and my hands shake / While my mind fades from these dark days" illustrate the mental and emotional turmoil that the singer is undergoing, due to their obsession with death.
The verse then moves on to describe the town, which is evidently isolated and has a culture of violence. The town is such that people do not have access to a knife or a gun and resort instead to cutting their wrists or hanging themselves. The singer reveals their admiration for the person who committed suicide, saying "I like your suicide." They describe the person's arrival in the middle of the night, their wrists cut and pills on their tongue. The reference to the gun and the rope around the person's neck suggests that they had multiple methods of ending their life. The singer's statement "I hope god is your friend" appears to be a reflection of their own fears about death, as it suggests that they believe the person who has committed suicide has gone to a better place.
In summary, Suicide by The Black Heart Procession is a haunting song that examines the complex emotions and thoughts surrounding suicide. It portrays the singer's fascination with someone who has taken their own life and their admiration for the act itself. The song's bleak descriptions of physical and emotional pain, isolation, and violence in the town contribute to the song's overall message being a disturbing one.
Line by Line Meaning
As my bones creak and my veins scream
Physical and emotional pain taking a toll on the singer
While my spirit breaks I hear you calling me
Feeling broken and hearing the call of death as an escape from suffering
As my heart aches and my hands shake
Both physical and emotional distress weighing the singer down
While my mind fades from these dark days
Mental decline due to the overwhelming nature of the artist’s pain
In the valley where I come from
An allusion to the “shadow of death” metaphor
Everybody watches the blood run
There is an acceptance of death in the community
No one will lend you a knife or a gun
Suicide is still taboo, despite its prevalence
But they'll cut your wrists
The artist's explanation of how suicide is actually accomplished in his community
And hang you by the neck
Another option for suicide, also likely the reason why suicidal individuals are watched so closely
I like your suicide
The artist’s perspective on suicide as an act of defiance, as well as a method of escape from their own pain
You show up in the middle of the night
Suicidal thoughts often come unbidden, and can rise up at any time
Blood drippin from your wrists
A visceral, painful image of suicide
Pills on your tongue and a gun in your hand
The different methods by which suicidal people may attempt to end their lives
A rope around your neck
Another painful and desperate method of suicide
I hope god is your friend
The singer admitting to an uncertainty and fear of what comes after death
I like your suicide
Reiteration of the artist’s admiration and appreciation for suicide as an escape from a painful existence
Contributed by Sophie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.