Calla
The Goblin Market Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Under the haze of a sepia sun
The water witcher and the flame
haired one
Rowed down the river to Tintern Falls
To meet the perfect end to it all

The shouts of voices the cries of birds
A hundred warnings not heeded or heard
One in the other already drowned
Lost in the rushing churning sound

And Calla she was a deep running stream
Pure and secret and strange
And he was to her a bright shining moon
To light up the dark of her days

And when it was over just one remained
Forever silent to what had been gained
How to explain the madness away
For love or for death what was done
that day

And Calla she was a deep running stream
Pure and secret and strange
And he was to her a bright shining moon
To light up the dark of her days

Calla you gonna be you gonna be
the death of me





Calla you gonna be you gonna be
the death of me

Overall Meaning

The Goblin Market's song "Calla" paints a picture of a tragic love story. The opening lines, "Under the haze of a sepia sun/The water witcher and the flame-haired one," set the scene for a surreal and otherworldly atmosphere. The two characters, the water witcher and the flame-haired one, row down the river to Tintern Falls, where they plan to find the perfect end. The following lines, "The shouts of voices, the cries of birds/A hundred warnings not heeded or heard/One in the other already drowned/Lost in the rushing churning sound," suggest that the characters may have ignored signs of possible danger as they headed towards their ultimate fate.


The chorus, "And Calla she was a deep running stream/Pure and secret and strange/And he was to her a bright shining moon/To light up the dark of her days," reveals that the singer, Calla, seems to possess a mysterious beauty that attracts her lover like a moth to a flame. Unfortunately, their love ends tragically, and Calla is the only one who remains silent. The last lines of the song, "Calla, you gonna be, you gonna be the death of me," suggest that Calla's beauty and allure may have ultimately caused the singer's downfall.


Overall, the song "Calla" is a haunting and beautiful tale of love and loss. The lyrics are steeped in metaphor and symbolism, with each line painting a vivid picture of a surreal and dreamlike landscape. The vocals and harmonies from The Goblin Market add to the ethereal and otherworldly beauty of the song.


Line by Line Meaning

Under the haze of a sepia sun
In a dreamlike state, under the orange-tinted light of the setting sun


The water witcher and the flame-haired one
Two individuals with special abilities or qualities, who possess an intense passion


Rowed down the river to Tintern Falls
Traveled on water towards a specific destination, possibly with a sense of urgency


To meet the perfect end to it all
To achieve a final and ultimate goal, possibly at great cost


The shouts of voices the cries of birds
Loud and chaotic sounds of both human and natural origin


A hundred warnings not heeded or heard
Many cautions ignored or disregarded


One in the other already drowned
One person already lost or overwhelmed by the other


Lost in the rushing churning sound
Confused and consumed by the turbulent noise of the water


And Calla she was a deep running stream
Calla is depicted as a powerful and mysterious body of flowing water


Pure and secret and strange
Innocent yet enigmatic and unusual


And he was to her a bright shining moon
The other person was a source of light and hope for Calla


To light up the dark of her days
To bring illumination to the difficult times that Calla faced


And when it was over just one remained
After the events that took place, only one person was left standing


Forever silent to what had been gained
Unable to comprehend or express what was truly achieved or lost


How to explain the madness away
How to rationalize or make sense of the inexplicable events that occurred


For love or for death what was done that day
The motives behind the actions taken were driven by either love or a desire for self-destruction


Calla you gonna be you gonna be the death of me
Calla is a powerful force that has the potential to lead to someone's demise




Contributed by Jake D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions