Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristania_(band)
Studio albums
Widow's Weeds (1998)
Beyond the Veil (1999)
World of Glass (2001)
Ashes (2005)
Illumination (2007)
Rubicon (2010)
Darkest White (2013)
Number
Tristania Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I can’t come home right now
My days were few and numbered
But somebody lost count
Unlike the dust that settles down
Or fragments in the breeze
I’m now prone to supremacy
And I go on with ease
Time to climb – regain
What I’ve given up
Low or high – I’ll never be satisfied
Transcending – I’ll roam
The end is my home
I’ll surmount and deride
The benumbed hands of time
Bribing the ebb of tide
It’s time to climb
Time to climb – regain
What I’ve given up
Low or high – I’ll never be satisfied
Transcending – I’ll roam
The end is my home
At the mercy of the pouring rain
My fire inside
At the mercy of life’s waterfall
My shelter’s dry
All is dead and done
All is said and sung
But united and untied -unified
I’m turning the stone
The end is my home
The lyrics to Tristania's "Number" speak to the inevitability of death and the ability to transcend it. The singer hears death calling to them, but is unable to come home just yet, as their time wasn't up quite yet. They acknowledge that their days were numbered, but it seems that someone made a mistake and lost count along the way. The singer acknowledges their mortality, but also recognizes that they are now "prone to supremacy" and can continue on with ease.
The chorus speaks to the importance of continuing to climb and regain what has been lost or given up. The singer knows that they will never be satisfied with just staying put, they need to continue transcending and roaming until they reach the end, which they acknowledge as their home. They are willing to surmount and deride the hands of time and bribe the ebb of the tide in order to accomplish this.
The final stanza brings in the metaphor of shelter, using rain and a waterfall to describe the difficulties of life. Despite all of this, the singer is able to turn the stone and unify themselves, recognizing that even if all is dead and done, they are still alive and have the power to keep going until they reach their home at the end.
Line by Line Meaning
Death I hear you calling
I perceive that Death is summoning me
But I can’t come home right now
But I cannot return to death now
My days were few and numbered
My days on earth were limited and predetermined
But somebody lost count
But someone miscounted and extended my time
Unlike the dust that settles down
I am not like the settling dust
Or fragments in the breeze
I am not like the scattered fragments in the wind
I’m now prone to supremacy
I am now inclined towards superiority and power
And I go on with ease
And I continue to move forward without difficulty
Time to climb – regain
It is time for me to ascend and reclaim
What I’ve given up
The things that I have abandoned
Low or high – I’ll never be satisfied
Regardless of the level, I will never be content
Transcending – I’ll roam
I will surpass any limitations and traverse boundaries
The end is my home
My ultimate destination is death
I’ll surmount and deride
I will overcome and mock
The benumbed hands of time
The numb and powerless hands of time
Bribing the ebb of tide
I will influence the fluctuation of the ocean tides
It’s time to climb
It is time to ascend
At the mercy of the pouring rain
Helpless and vulnerable under the heavy rain
My fire inside
My passion and spirit
At the mercy of life’s waterfall
Exposed and vulnerable to the chaos of life
My shelter’s dry
My refuge is unavailable
All is dead and done
Everything is futile and concluded
All is said and sung
All that needs to be spoken or sung has been done
But united and untied -unified
But joined and separated - in harmony
I’m turning the stone
I am reshaping and changing the situation
The end is my home
My ultimate destination is death
Contributed by Zoe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ian James
I really liked how Vibeke's voice had that hollow and melancholy feel from Illumination. But I love how Mari's voice brings out that feeling of desperation... Like she's shouting out her pain. This whole album is amazing.
Bibi
The woman owns everything in the chorus, I love the feeling of desperation and decadence which this song evokes.
Sylwish
The true essence of Tristania is in that song. One of my favourite bands is seeing the world again and I'm here to witness that. That song is epic. It's electrifying, it's beautiful, it's extreme, it's dark, it's EVERYTHING I love about the band!
TheatreofSymphony
Demurtas showed her vocal prowess in this album. Such a difficult album, vocally speaking, and the woman stole the show. Perfection, this album is a vocal masterpiece.
Blwm
This is the returning of Tristania! Love the chorus!
JONATHAS ALVES
Que obra prima. O Tristania se superou com este disco, não tem nenhuma canção ruim, é inteiro bom, e hiper intenso.
Savine Dawn
Album is better than the last few, and Mary sounds good, I don't know why are people complaining
Uirajan Silva
They're complaining because they are comparing Mary to Vibeke...What is a craziness!!!
TheatreofSymphony
Beautiful
Inside Heart
Como teve gente que teve coragem de dizer que isso é ruim , isso é fabuloso