Most of the band's albums, starting with their 2006 debut album Act I: The Lake South, the River North, are concept albums and a part of a common storyline, planned to conclude with a sixth album. The most recent addition is 2016's Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional. Additionally, they have released albums unrelated to the Acts; The Color Spectrum in 2011, Migrant in 2013, and the EP All Is As All Should Be in 2017.
The band began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo when he was a full-time member of The Receiving End of Sirens. The Dear Hunter was originally intended as a vehicle for music Crescenzo had written that didn't fit with the sound of The Receiving End of Sirens. In the winter of 2005 Casey recorded the Dear Ms. Leading demos. He created 10 copies on burned CDs that were circulated amongst his friends and posted online for download. While elements and characters featured on the demos would reappear on the subsequent Acts, Crescenzo has confirmed that there was a transformation in how he represented these themes and persons; while the story had its origins in his personal life, the Acts removed most autobiographical elements in favor of fiction.
Battesimo del Fuoco
The Dear Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A child born, the mother near
To death and life, as hand in hand
A failed life exposed the man.
Who led her off into the flame
To cast her back to Hell again.
Will wash away the sins thereof
Unto the lake, beyond the tree
The child waits, alone is he
The flame is gone, the fire remains.
"Battesimo Del Fuoco" is a song that deals with the cyclical nature of life and death, and the idea of sacrifice. The opening lines set the stage for a tragic story of a mother giving birth to a child, only to be faced with the possibility of death. The child is born, but the father - or failed life - is absent from the scene. Instead, a mysterious figure leads the mother into the flame, where she is cast back to Hell.
The second verse speaks of the break of dawn and the washing away of sins. It's a message of hope, as though the child will be able to start anew and escape the cycle of death and rebirth. The child waits, seemingly alone, at the lake beyond the tree. The flame is gone, but the fire remains - a reference to the idea that even though the mother has been consumed by fire, her essence or spirit remains.
Overall, "Battesimo Del Fuoco" is a song that deals with some heavy themes and can be interpreted in a number of ways. It's a song that rewards repeated listens and careful consideration.
Line by Line Meaning
Believe you me, the price is clear
Understand that there is a cost, it is evident
A child born, the mother near
The birth of a child, with the mother present
To death and life, as hand in hand
Death and life are intertwined
A failed life exposed the man.
An unsuccessful life revealed the man's flaws
Who led her off into the flame
Someone guided her towards the fire
To cast her back to Hell again.
In order to send her back to Hell
But, hear you me, the break of dawn
Listen to me, at the dawn
Will wash away the sins thereof
It will cleanse away the wrongdoings
Unto the lake, beyond the tree
To the lake past the tree
The child waits, alone is he
The child is waiting, by himself
The flame is gone, the fire remains.
The flame has disappeared, but the fire still exists
Contributed by Makayla M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.