The group takes its name from Shakespeare. In particular Hamlet's soliloquy To be, or not to be, where it refers to dying; "coil" is used in its archaic sense of "disturbance, trouble":
"What dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause."
Hamlet, Act III, Scene 1, line 67.
Firebrothers
This Mortal Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lived two children who were born on Saturday.
One was dark one was fair.
Fathered by the dog, mothered by the pig.
Stranger children you have never seen.
Brothers of the forest and the sea.
One was land one was air.
And they kept the fires burning.
Kept them burning in a strange enchanted place.
Kept them burning to the sky.
For they knew someday the sun will die.
The lyrics of This Mortal Coil's song Firebrothers tell the story of two unusual children who were born in the valley where the moon and lovers play. They were born on a Saturday, one dark and one fair. The children were fathered by the dog and mothered by the pig, making them stranger than any other children one might see. The two brothers were of the forest and the sea, one land and the other air. They were entrusted with the important task of keeping the fires burning in a golden vessel and silver vase, in a strange and enchanted place. They knew that someday the sun would die and so they kept the fires burning and sent them to the sky.
These lyrics suggest a powerful allegory about the fragility of life, and the importance of responsibility and sacrifice. The two brothers who were born of different elements were united in their shared duty to reignite the fading sun. The golden vessel and silver vase that they kept the fires burning in could symbolize the celestial bodies, and by keeping the fires burning, they were ensuring that the world would be sustained for a little longer. The two children's disparate elements also suggest a broader meaning about the elemental nature of the universe and how we all have a part to play in keeping it going.
Line by Line Meaning
In the valley where the moon and lovers play.
The story starts with the introduction of a valley where the ambiance is quite scenic with the moon shining and couples enjoying their time.
Lived two children who were born on Saturday.
Two children of the valley who were born on the same day are introduced.
One was dark one was fair.
The two children were different in their complexion; one was dark-skinned, and the other was fair.
Fathered by the dog, mothered by the pig.
The children were fathered by a dog and mothered by a pig, which conveys a metaphorical essence to it.
Stranger children you have never seen.
The children are described as strange and unusual, which contrasts their surroundings.
Brothers of the forest and the sea.
The children are portrayed as brothers of two vastly different environments - forest and sea, which demonstrate their diversity and connection with nature.
One was land one was air.
The children are further defined with one belonging on land and the other in the air, which accentuates their diverse nature.
And they kept the fires burning.
The story moves forward by stating that the two children held the responsibility of keeping the fire burning which suggests their significance to their local community.
In a golden vessel and silver vase
The two vessels used to keep the fire burning are described as golden and silver which adds an element of richness to the story.
Kept them burning in a strange enchanted place.
The place where the fire was kept is described as enchanted, which further builds up the mystical essence of the story.
Kept them burning to the sky.
The two children kept the fire burning high up, reaching the sky.
For they knew someday the sun will die.
The story ends with an ominous tone by stating that the two children knew the sun would die someday, which adds a layer of depth and mystery to the context of the story.
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6fromsyrius
Yes. They often do that, like Spirit's Nature's Way : great songs, great covers.
Cmon Man
The worst song on my favorite album of all time. Which makes it still pretty good.
Thomas Franche
I really like this track. The only clunker on Filigree and Shadow was "the horizon bleeds and sucks it's thumb"
Dronemf S.
the best song ;)
igrowhigher
@kombikrajsta Yeah, it would be, except it's not a This Mortal Coil tune. It's actually an obscure Quicksilver Messenger Service song (never would have guessed they'd be listening to Quicksilver).