Elizabeth Dane
The Vision Bleak Lyrics

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11:55
Almost midnight.
Enough time for one more story.

A small clipper ship drew toward land.
Suddenly, out of the night,
the fog rolled in.
They could see nothing,

not a foot ahead of them.
And then they saw a light.
My God, it was a fire burning on the shore.
Strong enough to penetrate the swirling mist.
They steered a course toward the light.
But it was a campfire, like this one.
The ship crashed against the rocks.
The hull sheared in two.
The mast snapped like a twig.
And the wreckage sank with all men aboard.
At the bottom of the sea
lay Elizabeth Dane with her crew,
their eyes open and staring into the darkness.
... lay Elizabeth Dane with her crew.

But it is told by fishermen
and their fathers and grandfathers
that when the fog return to Antonio Bay,
the men at the bottom of the sea,
out in the water by Spivey Point,
will rise up
and search for the campfire
that led them to their dark, icy death.

And above, as suddenly as it had come,
the fog lifted, receded back across the ocean
and never came again.

Twelve o'clock.
the 21st of April.

Overall Meaning

The Vision Bleak's song Elizabeth Dane depicts a story of tragedy and horror relating to a ship named Elizabeth Dane that crashed into rocks during a fog, leading to the death of all men on board. The song's lyrics open with the time of 11:55, almost midnight, providing a context of horror, and enough time for one more terrifying story. The lyrics then describe a small clipper ship that draws toward the land during a foggy night. However, just as the ship was about to land, the fog rolled in, making it impossible for the crew to see more than a foot ahead of them. In the midst of confusion and uncertainty, the crew sees a light, which they later discover to be a campfire on the shore. The crew steers the ship towards the light, but as they approached it, the ship crashed against the rocks, and the hull sheared into two, leading to the death of all crew members.

In the second verse of the song, the lyrics describe a folkloric belief among fishermen and their forebears that when the fog returns to Antonio Bay, the men at the bottom of the sea will rise up and search for the campfire that led them to their dark and icy death. The song ends with the fog lifting as suddenly as it had come, receding back across the ocean, and never coming again. The date and source of the story that inspired the lyrics are attributed to "The Fog" by John Carpenter.

Line by Line Meaning

11:55
The time is almost midnight, signaling the end of the day.

Enough time for one more story.
There's enough time left to tell one last story before the day ends.

A small clipper ship drew toward land.
A small sailing vessel approached the coast.

Suddenly, out of the night, the fog rolled in.
Out of nowhere, a dense fog appeared and enveloped the ship.

They could see nothing, not a foot ahead of them.
The fog was so thick that the crew couldn't see anything beyond their immediate surroundings.

And then they saw a light.
The crew spotted a light in the distance.

My God, it was a fire burning on the shore.
The light they saw was a fire burning on the shore, which surprised and possibly alarmed the crew.

Strong enough to penetrate the swirling mist.
The fire was bright enough to cut through the thick fog and be visible to the crew.

They steered a course toward the light.
The crew decided to move the ship in the direction of the fire to get a closer look.

But it was a campfire, like this one.
When they approached the light, they realized it was just a small campfire, much like the one being referenced in the story being told.

The ship crashed against the rocks.
Due to the fog and limited visibility, the ship collided with rocks.

The hull sheared in two.
The force of the impact caused the hull of the ship to split in two pieces.

The mast snapped like a twig.
The mast, a vertical spar supporting the sail, broke apart easily like a small stick.

And the wreckage sank with all men aboard.
The ship went down with all crew members still on board and the wreckage was submerged in the water.

At the bottom of the sea lay Elizabeth Dane with her crew, their eyes open and staring into the darkness.
The ship Elizabeth Dane and its crew were at the bottom of the sea, and their eyes were open, staring into the darkness of the water.

... lay Elizabeth Dane with her crew.
The story finishes on a solemn note, with a reminder of the fate of Elizabeth Dane and her crew.

But it is told by fishermen and their fathers and grandfathers that when the fog return to Antonio Bay, the men at the bottom of the sea, out in the water by Spivey Point, will rise up and search for the campfire that led them to their dark, icy death.
The story is passed down through generations, and some say that when the fog comes back to Antonio Bay, the men who perished in the Elizabeth Dane will rise from the depths of the sea and look for the same campfire that led them to their tragic end.

And above, as suddenly as it had come, the fog lifted, receded back across the ocean and never came again.
Just as suddenly as it appeared, the fog lifted and disappeared across the ocean, never to return again.

Twelve o'clock.
Finally, the time is 12 o'clock, and the story comes to an end.

The 21st of April.
The specific date of April 21st is given, perhaps as a way to add detail or realism to the story.

Contributed by Claire C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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