Bloodstains
The Goblin Market Lyrics


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Every day you played it safe
Stuck to the surface
The exterior sheen
Where everything is clean

Every day you read the script
Played the doctor
Dispensed the sleeping pills
The endless refills

Then one day there comes a change
Friends and family sudenly strangers
And on the sheets in a face on the
ground
Seems everywhere you look there's
blood to be found
Blood stains
Blood stains

Back to the same routine exam
The original plan
No lie to detect
You do what they expect

But still the alarm is tripped
The wires have been clipped
And on the sheets in a face on the
ground
Seems everywhere you look there's
blood to be found





Blood stains
Blood stains

Overall Meaning

The Goblin Market's song Bloodstains is a reflection on the monotony of everyday life, and how easy it is to get stuck in a mundane routine. The first verse speaks directly to this idea, with lines like "Every day you played it safe" and "Stuck to the surface". The singer is suggesting that the subject of the song is living an uninspired life, never straying from the familiar path.


The second verse introduces a change, as the subject suddenly finds themselves surrounded by strangers and confronted with a disturbing scene. The imagery of blood on the sheets and a face on the ground suggests violence or tragedy, and the repetition of "blood stains" reinforces this idea. The third verse returns to the mundane routine, but now there is a sense of unease, with "the alarm" being tripped and "wires clipped". The singer seems to be suggesting that once you've seen the darker side of life, it's impossible to go back to the way things were before.


Overall, Bloodstains is a powerful commentary on the human condition, and how easily we can fall into a meaningless pattern of existence. The song reminds us that life is full of uncertainties, and that we must learn to appreciate the beauty and the horror that surrounds us.


Line by Line Meaning

Every day you played it safe
Every day you chose to stay within your comfort zone


Stuck to the surface
You only saw things at a surface level without digging deeper


The exterior sheen
You only focused on the façade of things and ignored what lies beneath


Where everything is clean
You ignored the chaos and problems that exist in the world


Every day you read the script
You followed a predetermined plan without questioning it


Played the doctor
You acted as if you had all the answers without acknowledging your own limitations


Dispensed the sleeping pills
You tried to put a 'band-aid' on problems instead of addressing them head on


The endless refills
You kept returning to the same ineffective solutions without trying anything else


Then one day there comes a change
Something unexpected happens causing a shift in your perspective


Friends and family sudenly strangers
People you thought you knew well reveal unfamiliar sides to themselves


And on the sheets in a face on the ground
You witness the aftermath of a violent act


Seems everywhere you look there's blood to be found
You start to see the harsh realities that exist all around you


Back to the same routine exam
You try to go back to your old ways after the shock wears off


The original plan
You try to continue with the same plan you had before


No lie to detect
You can't see anything wrong on the surface


You do what they expect
You continue following what other people expect of you


But still the alarm is tripped
You realize that something is not right


The wires have been clipped
Someone or something has disrupted your routine


And on the sheets in a face on the ground
You are once again confronted with violence and its effects


Seems everywhere you look there's blood to be found
You can't ignore the harsh realities around you anymore


Blood stains
The visual representation of the violence that has disrupted your life


Blood stains
A reminder that the world is not always as safe and clean as you once believed




Contributed by Hannah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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