Suspended in Dusk
Type O Negative Lyrics
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Four centuries of this damned immortality
Yet, I did not ask to be made
Why?
I will never again feel your sun upon my face
Or the comfort of a grave
I am not alive and I am not dead
How can I possibly explain this eternal youth?
When I can do nothing, but sit by
As my loves grow old and wither
And with each of them, take a fragment of my heart
and prolong this endless winter
It is October's perpetual agony
It is the shadow realm
Father, please forgive him
For he knows not what to do
With every victim I pray for my own death
And as much as I love the night
I curse the moons eerie glow
This blood lust that drags me forever
The toxic rays of dawn that condemn me to limbo
I am forced to dwell in gray Autumnal twilight
I am suspended in dusk
Father, please forgive him
For he knows not what to do
Father, please forgive him
For he knows not what to do
The song "Suspended in Dusk" by Type O Negative is a haunting ballad about an immortal being who wishes to end their cursed existence. The singer, presumably a vampire, laments their four centuries of existence and the endless cycle of love and loss they have experienced. They express their frustration with their immortality, as they are neither fully alive nor dead, and are trapped in a perpetual autumnal twilight. The singer pleads with a higher power, addressed as "Father," to forgive them for their sins and to have mercy on them.
The lyrics of the song draw from themes commonly associated with Gothic literature, such as the paradoxical nature of immortality and the loneliness that comes with it. The singer's pain and suffering are palpable, as they acknowledge that they are responsible for the deaths of their victims, yet are unable to end their existence. The imagery used in the song, such as the "toxic rays of dawn," reinforces the sense of foreboding and unease that permeates the lyrics. Through the lyrics, the band effectively conveys the sense of isolation and despair that comes with being trapped in an endless existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Damn me Father, for I must sin
I'm doomed to sin, so I ask for your forgiveness.
Four centuries of this damned immortality
I've been cursed with immortality for four hundred years.
Yet, I did not ask to be made
I didn't choose this, I was turned without my consent.
Why?
I don't understand why this happened to me.
I will never again feel your sun upon my face
I'm deprived of the warmth and light of the sun forever.
Or the comfort of a grave
I'll never know the peace of death and being buried.
I am not alive and I am not dead
I exist in between, in a state of limbo.
This is Hell on earth
My life is a constant, torturous ordeal.
How can I possibly explain this eternal youth?
I can't fully convey the pain and isolation of being immortal.
When I can do nothing, but sit by
I'm powerless to change my fate or help those I love.
As my loves grow old and wither
The people I care for age and die while I remain unchanged.
And with each of them, take a fragment of my heart
Their passing leaves me with a permanent emotional scar.
and prolong this endless winter
My suffering persists and never fades.
It is October's perpetual agony
The pain of my existence is a never-ending, autumnal despair.
It is the shadow realm
My world is one of darkness, despair, and emptiness.
Father, please forgive him
I still seek absolution for my sins.
For he knows not what to do
I'm lost and unsure of how to live with this curse.
With every victim I pray for my own death
Every death I cause by drinking blood brings me closer to wanting to die.
And as much as I love the night
The darkness brings some comfort but not enough to ease my pain.
I curse the moons eerie glow
Even the moonlight is a reminder of my cursed state.
This blood lust that drags me forever
My need for blood is a never-ending burden that torments me.
The toxic rays of dawn that condemn me to limbo
The sunlight is a curse that keeps me trapped between life and death.
I am forced to dwell in gray Autumnal twilight
My existence is limited to a bleak, depressing, and lonely life.
I am suspended in dusk
I'm stuck in perpetual twilight, never able to fully live or die.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER THOMAS STEELE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Karina Saeki
Lyric 💚
Damn me Father, for I must sin
Four centuries of this damned immortality
Yet, I did not ask to be made
Why?
I will never again feel your sun upon my face
Or the comfort of a grave
I am not alive and I am not dead
This is Hell on earth
How can I possibly explain this eternal youth?
When I can do nothing, but sit by
As my loves grow old and wither
And with each of them, take a fragment of my heart
and prolong this endless winter
It is October's perpetual agony
It is the shadow realm
Father, please forgive him
For he knows not what to do
With every victim I pray for my own death
And as much as I love the night
I curse the moons eerie glow
This blood lust that drags me forever
The toxic rays of dawn that condemn me to limbo
I am forced to dwell in gray Autumnal twilight
I am suspended in dusk
Father, please forgive him
For he knows not what to do
Father, please forgive him
For he knows not what to do
JayCanes
The digipak version of 'Bloody Kisses' was ordered by Peter Steele who felt the two faster tracks broke up the vibe of the album. So 'Kill All The White People' & 'We Hate Everyone' were removed and replaced with 'Suspended In Dusk' - which was left off of the the album initially, and then was redone for the digipak. The intro and all of the non-musical soundscape tracks were also removed from the digipak.
Steele said that he did not like ripping off the public but felt it was an opportunity to repair what he felt was a musical mistake.
Guitarist Kenny Hickey thought Peter was trying to push towards the vision of Type O Negative that came out on 'October Rust'. Hickey felt the digipak lost a lot of the spontaneity of the original release and thought 'Suspended In Dusk' was a very slow, endless and painful track that you could only sit through if you were playing it. The band performed 'Suspended In Dusk' live once and according to Hickey, "the audience looked like they wanted to vomit. It was like listening to a seasick elephant for an hour."
Keyboardist & co-producer Josh Silver was even clearer with his opinion saying, "I think the digipak sucks. Part of Type O to me is the eclectic insanity. Going from a song like 'Black No. 1' to 'Kill All The White People' is the whole thing, and it is such an accident that even Peter doesn't get it half the time. Which is fine. He doesn't have to get it - he just has to do it. But he wanted continuity, so they put out the digipak."
I always thought the difference of opinion between Peter Steele and the rest of the band on this subject was very interesting. Although I dig the track, I absolutely agree with Josh Silver's comments.
This song was originally released as 'Suspended In Dusk (Previously Too Embarrassed To Release)' and it appeared on the B-Side of the 'Christian Woman' single in 1993.
This track was reissued again in 2003, when it was included on the bonus disc of the limited edition version of 'Life Is Killing Me' released in Europe.
Finally, a remastered version of this track was released in 2009. It can be found on the 2nd disc of "The Top Shelf Editon" of 'Bloody Kisses' which was both remastered & expanded.
The band's comments regarding the digipak were taken from a 2009 interview conducted for the liner notes of "The Top Shelf Edition" of 'Bloody Kisses'.
S S
It was insane that this didn't make the original release of the album as it is obviously one of the best songs they ever made and probably the most aesthetically fitting for Bloody Kisses than even the title track itself.
Symbiont93
I am not into doom metal but this track gives me chills. Such a dark and dense atmosphere in one song, awesome
Nicholas Romig
then you should get into Doom Metal, because SO MUCH of it is like that.
Christ Jones
Word to what Nicholas Romig said. Symbiont93, you shall explore the doom genre! Not all doom metal has this emotional melancholy thing going on though.. a lot of it is just slow and heavy like Sabbath and not necessarily all that melodic like this Type O track here.. but if you'd like to hear more along the lines of this song but from other bands, check out the earlier to mid albums by My Dying Bride, Moonspell, Paradise Lost.. those are a few of the better and more melodic doom bands.. but Type O brought something special and unique to that doom sound in a Beattles-esque pop element that you really won't find anywhere else in doom, not to mention the dark and often self-depreciating humor. You could say Type O Negative is ironically doom; playfully and skillfully mocking the genre and themselves. Actually, I would say that Type O Negative, from the Bloody Kisses album on up anyway, is the most "accessible" of the doom metal bands and, in my opinion the best of them all.
Hazardeur
well, type o is a uniqe band in every way, it's not just the doom genre. it's the bands core. you can't fake that or call it a genre. that's why they stand out
Breanna Morgan
Symbiont93 doom metal is where it's at...the heaviest genre of metal
Jessica R
Their music always pulled my heartstrings...nothing else lol
Blackened Heart
No band will ever be able to compete with these guys! 🤘🤘🤘 They had a short run but they left a legendary legacy! Rip Peter Steele
spoonman73
Surreal and hypnotic.
One of their best!
Arthur Bishop
+spoonman73 It IS their best!!!