Their sound has been described as an amalgamation of psychedelic rock, industrial, synth-pop and avant-garde. They have released over 40 records and continuously tour the world.
Members of the band have also collaborated with Nurse With Wound, The Dresden Dolls, Jarboe, HNAS, Jim O'Rourke, Skinny Puppy's cEvin Key, forming The Tear Garden. Ka Spel accompanied Skinny Puppy for a small part of their 1988 European 'Head Trauma' tour in Sweden. Key also appears on the 1994 album 9 Lives to Wonder.
Casting The Runes
The Legendary Pink Dots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
the people locked their houses, drew the curtains,
prayed and painted crosses on their doors.
They wondered who would be the next for last respects . . .
began rehearsing. Dressed in black with white
carnations, weeping 'til their eyes were sore.
And Madeleine would feel their sorrow, she
only wanted friends, but the lady's doomed to
It's just the price she had to pay for life eternal
and she's sorry, and she's lonely--would love to make amends.
But where Madeleine appears it always rains, the
people lock their houses, draw the curtains, pray it
won't be them--wandering 'til the end of time!
We gather in a strict formation, hold hands in a
circle and at twilight we all we all walk around the
stones. And spirits dance, and bodies roll,
hallucinations curtsey as the river priestess
consecrates the bones. And that's the way it will be
'til the end of time . . .
The song “Casting The Runes” by The Legendary Pink Dots tells the story of Madeleine, a doomed lady who always appears when it rains. The people in the town where she appears lock themselves in their homes, draw their curtains, pray and paint crosses on their doors, preparing for their potential last respects. Madeleine herself only wants friends, but she is cursed to wander for eternity. She is sorry and lonely, wishing to make amends but unable to escape her fate. Every time she appears, it begins to rain and the pattern repeats itself.
The second half of the song describes a different ceremony, where people gather in a strict formation and hold hands in a circle at twilight. They walk around the stones and witness spirits dancing, bodies rolling, and hallucinations curtseying as the river priestess consecrates the bones. This ritual is also destined to continue until the end of time, and it creates a haunting and ominous tone to the song.
The lyrics of “Casting The Runes” are open to interpretation, but they seem to touch on themes of mortality, fate, loneliness, and human rituals. The vivid imagery evokes a sense of unease and eeriness, and the repetition of Madeleine’s curse and the ritual suggests a cyclical pattern that will never be broken. Overall, the song creates a surreal and unsettling atmosphere that invites the listener to reflect on the inevitability of death and the power of human superstition.
Line by Line Meaning
When Madeleine appeared it always rained,
Whenever Madeleine came into town, it would start raining.
the people locked their houses, drew the curtains, prayed and painted crosses on their doors.
Fearing something ominous, the townspeople would lock themselves indoors, close their curtains, and seek divine intervention by painting crosses on their doors.
They wondered who would be the next for last respects . . . began rehearsing.
The townspeople speculated on who would be the next to die and started preparing for the funeral.
Dressed in black with white carnations, weeping 'til their eyes were sore.
During the funeral, the townspeople would wear black clothes with white carnations and cry excessively.
And Madeleine would feel their sorrow, she only wanted friends, but the lady's doomed to wander until the very end--'til the end of time!
Madeleine would empathize with their grief, but due to her nature, she is destined to roam alone until the end of the world.
It's just the price she had to pay for life eternal and she's sorry, and she's lonely--would love to make amends.
Madeleine is sorry for her eternal life, which comes at the cost of solitude. She wishes she could apologize and make amends for the pain she causes.
But where Madeleine appears it always rains, the people lock their houses, draw the curtains, pray it won't be them--wandering 'til the end of time!
People always react to Madeleine's presence by locking themselves indoors, hoping they won't be the next to die and wander forever till the end of time.
We gather in a strict formation, hold hands in a circle and at twilight we all walk around the stones.
The townspeople gather in a strict pattern, holding hands in a circle and walk around the stones at twilight.
And spirits dance, and bodies roll, hallucinations curtsey as the river priestess consecrates the bones.
During the ritual, spirits dance, bodies roll and hallucinations bow down as the river priestess consecrates the bones.
And that's the way it will be 'til the end of time . . .
The ritual and magic will continue to happen this way until the very end of the world.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FILADELFO CANIGLIA
Capolavoro assoluto, inutile aggiungere altro. Questa è musica classica contemporanea.
Dave Bellard
Same here. I bought the cassette knowing nothing about them, simply because I knew the label. And that cover art was very promising. Loved them from then on.
Ken Merhar
I love this band. I love this song. I love the album that contains it. I hope I can find it on vinyl someday.
SweetSweetWaldo
First LPD song I ever heard. I bought "Any Day Now" via Wax Trax sight unheard on recommendation from a friend. LPD became my favorite band of all time!
Monica Witt
The older I get, the more this is me.
caivs fabricivs
Merci pour le partage mon cher Jean-Luc ...."Sing While You May"
Mark1138
reminds me of the rain..drinking tea and watching it pour