Hanging Gardens
The Legendary Pink Dots Lyrics


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Twisted East South North with the wind that rippled his hair. Ice stare constant, laughing - but the joy had gone. Snuffed out by the dawn, the rope had torn his flesh and broke his neck, set him dancing on the air... in the Hanging Gardens.

Dancing with the dead... so peaceful there.

Branded as a thief, they stole his name, they stole his face. Gone without a trace, they killed his dignity, squeezed him dry. Cries for mercy lost on judges with no ears, no hearts, smart in their black caps... in the Hanging Gardens.

Love notes and carnations, fading, slowly dying, lying at his feet. Sweet aroma lingered on the air. She stood and stared. Was numb now. Cried so much it had no meaning. So much salt and water flowing free... in the Hanging Gardens.
Blow gently, blow gently...feed the weeds...

Dressed in virgin's white, she masked her eyes with cold surprise. Cursed her name, the pain was creeping swiftly... twisted her inside, she retched and reached out for a hand. Landed on her face. Disgraced. No place for fainting queens... in the Hanging Gardens...

A place for me, a place for you....





Bell is tolling.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Legendary Pink Dots' song Hanging Gardens depict a dark and unsettling scene. The first verse describes a man hanging from a rope in the Hanging Gardens, with the wind blowing through his hair and a constant ice stare. The joy that was once in him is gone, snuffed out by his death. He is now dancing with the dead in the peaceful Hanging Gardens. It is unclear why he was hung, but he was branded a thief and his name and face were stolen. All cries for mercy were lost on deaf and heartless judges in black caps. The second verse describes a woman standing among the love notes and carnations left at the feet of the hanged man, numb and crying so much that it no longer held any meaning. The chorus then urges the weeds to be fed gently, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for how the darker parts of humanity must be dealt with.


The third verse details a woman dressed in white who is cursed and in pain. She reaches out for help but is ultimately disgraced and left with no place to go. Throughout the song, there is a feeling of desperation and powerlessness in the face of an unfeeling society that brands people and takes away their dignity. The lyrics ask for a place for "me" and "you," a place where people can be safe and free from injustice.


Line by Line Meaning

Twisted East South North with the wind that rippled his hair.
He was thrown around in different directions by the wind, specifically towards the East, South, and North, causing his hair to dance along with it.


Ice stare constant, laughing - but the joy had gone.
He had a piercing, unchanging gaze and a fake laugh that sounded hollow and joyless.


Snuffed out by the dawn, the rope had torn his flesh and broke his neck, set him dancing on the air... in the Hanging Gardens.
His life was ended as the sun came up, caused by the rope that suffocated and hung him. As a result, his corpse was left swaying in the wind within the Hanging Gardens.


Dancing with the dead... so peaceful there.
Though he had met his end, it was calm and peaceful in the Hanging Gardens, where he was left interacting with the dead bodies.


Branded as a thief, they stole his name, they stole his face.
He was unjustly labeled as a criminal, causing people to take away his reputation and identity.


Gone without a trace, they killed his dignity, squeezed him dry.
He disappeared without leaving any evidence, and due to his false accusations, any remaining sense of respect or honor was stripped from him.


Cries for mercy lost on judges with no ears, no hearts, smart in their black caps... in the Hanging Gardens.
His desperate pleas for forgiveness went unheard by those in charge of judging him, whose hearts were cold and ears were deaf. They were all present in the Hanging Gardens.


Love notes and carnations, fading, slowly dying, lying at his feet.
Notes of love and beautiful flowers were gradually withering away, and lying on the ground beside his body.


Sweet aroma lingered on the air. She stood and stared.
Despite his death, the remaining odor of the flowers still filled the air. She stood there and observed the surroundings.


Was numb now. Cried so much it had no meaning. So much salt and water flowing free... in the Hanging Gardens.
The sensory overload of the woman's grief made her emotionally drained that she became numb. She cried so much that it lost any real impact, amounting to just salt and water dripping to the ground in the Hanging Gardens.


Blow gently, blow gently...feed the weeds...
The wind was softly blowing in the area, allowing the weeds to be nourished and grow.


Dressed in virgin's white, she masked her eyes with cold surprise.
She was wearing a pure, white dress and appearing emotionless, she covered her eyes.


Cursed her name, the pain was creeping swiftly... twisted her inside, she retched and reached out for a hand.
She felt agonizing pain that rapidly rose within, causing her to curse others. She felt twisted inside and unable to control anything, thus reaching out for help to anyone around.


Landed on her face. Disgraced. No place for fainting queens... in the Hanging Gardens...
She fell forward, landing on the ground and enduring disgrace. However, there's no room for royalty or nobility who are unable to handle their emotions, especially within the Hanging Gardens.


A place for me, a place for you....
Everyone has a designated spot in the world, including within the Hanging Gardens.


Bell is tolling.
There is a ringing sound that can be heard in the distance.




Contributed by Harper P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

onlyyesterday1967

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jΓΆrg stephan

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