Due April 7th… Read Full Bio ↴Taken from “The Assassination of Julius Caesar’’ LP/CD/DL
Due April 7th, 2017, House of Mythology
Ulver will release their brand new album “The Assassination of Julius Caesar“ on House of Mythology in April 2017. It is the 13th album from the ever evolving Norwegian legends – and their first fully fledged studio album since 2011’s “Wars of the Roses”. They call it "their pop album,” and their unruly play with myth, history and popular culture has never been more manifest.
Nemoralia
Ulver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Joins the light of the moon
Shining in the lake
Sleeping with the stars
As good Christians
Illuminate the garden
Human candles
Burning under Roman skies
Nero lights up the night
18th to 19th of July, AD 64
Paul dies, Peter dies
Lions among men
Damnation to beasts
Almost too hard to believe
Nero lights up the night
18th to 19th of July, AD 64
The princess of Wales
Her sexual drive
Stop dead under the river
In the capital of romance
The most hunted
Body of the modern age
Flowers crown her head
Ancient goddess of the moon
The lyrics of Ulver's song "Nemoralia" are rich with historical and mythological references, creating a dense and evocative narrative. The song begins with a description of a festival of torches, where the light of the moon joins with the illuminating flames. This creates a beautiful scene where the shimmering light reflects on the surface of a lake, while the stars shine above, seemingly asleep. The mention of good Christians illuminating the garden with torches suggests a blending of pagan and Christian traditions, symbolizing a coexistence of different beliefs.
The lyrics then take a historical turn, referencing Nero, the Roman Emperor notorious for his cruelty and debauchery. Nero's reign was marked by his extravagant and excessive lifestyle, and the lyrics specifically refer to a particular event that occurred on the 18th to 19th of July, AD 64. During this time, a fire engulfed Rome and it is widely believed that Nero himself was responsible for it, though he blamed the Christians instead. The lyrics mention Paul and Peter, two prominent figures in early Christianity who were killed during Nero's reign, depicting them as lions among men. The mention of damnation to beasts possibly alludes to the persecution of Christians, who were often thrown to wild beasts in amphitheaters for entertainment.
The song then takes a surprising turn, shifting from historical events to a more modern context. The lyrics mention the princess of Wales, referencing Princess Diana, whose untimely death in a car accident in Paris shocked the world. The mention of her sexual drive and stopping dead under the river in the capital of romance may imply that her personal life and romantic relationships were scrutinized and contributed to her tragic fate. The reference to her as the most hunted body of the modern age highlights the intense media attention and public fascination with her life and death. Finally, the lyrics end by crowning her head with flowers and referring to her as the ancient goddess of the moon, linking her to mythical and celestial figures.
Overall, the lyrics of "Nemoralia" intertwine historical events, mythological symbolism, and contemporary references to create a multifaceted exploration of human nature, power dynamics, and the cyclical nature of fame and tragedy.
Line by Line Meaning
A festival of torches
A celebration filled with light and fire
Joins the light of the moon
Combining with the moon's luminance
Shining in the lake
Reflecting its radiance on the water's surface
Sleeping with the stars
Resting calmly among the celestial bodies
As good Christians
Just like devout followers of Christ
Illuminate the garden
Brighten up the garden with their light
Human candles
People acting as living flames
Burning under Roman skies
Becoming engulfed in fire under the watch of Rome
Nero lights up the night
Emperor Nero brings illumination to the darkness
18th to 19th of July, AD 64
Referring to a specific historical event
Paul dies, Peter dies
Both major figures of early Christianity meet their demise
Lions among men
Being fearless and courageous individuals
Damnation to beasts
Condemning deadly animals
Almost too hard to believe
Difficult to accept or comprehend
The princess of Wales
A prominent female figure from Wales
Her sexual drive
Her intense desire for physical intimacy
Stop dead under the river
Coming to an abrupt halt beneath the flowing water
In the capital of romance
Within a city known for love and passion
The most hunted
The most sought-after or pursued
Body of the modern age
A physical form representing contemporary times
Flowers crown her head
Adorning her head with a beautiful wreath of flowers
Ancient goddess of the moon
An immortal deity associated with lunar powers
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Joern Svaeren, Kristoffer Rygg, Martin Glover, Ole Halstensgaard, Tore Ylvisaker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
C M
"a festival of torches
joins the light of the moon
shining in the lake
sleeping with the stars
as good christians
illuminate the garden
human candles
burning under roman skies
nero lights up the night
18th to 19th of july,ad 64
paul dies,peter dies
lions among men
Damnation to beasts
almost too hard to believe
the princess of wales
her sexual drive
stop dead under the river
In the capital of romance
the most hunted
body of the modern age
flowers crown her head
ancient goddess of the moon"
sammmael dee
Often come back here. For Convenience.
A festival of torches
Joins the light of the Moon
Shining in the lake
Sleeping with the stars
As good Christians
Illuminate the garden
Human candles
Burning under roman skies
Nero lights up the night
18th to 19th of July, AD 64
Paul dies, Peter dies
Lions among men
Damnation to beasts
Almost too hard to believe
Nero lights up the night
18th to 19th of July, AD 64
The princess of Wales
Her sexual drive
Stop dead under the river
In the capital of romance
The most hunted
Body of the modern age
Flowers crown her head
Ancient goddess of the moon
Nero lights up the night
18th to 19th of July, AD 64
Simone Gastaldon
Got this on repeat since it came out. Finally more vocals, would be a pity not to make use of Kristoffer's stunning voice. The song is catchy, but in a good way. If this is their "pop" album, well, I'd love it if all pop music was like this.
Saffron Starr
Right, it's a shame such an absolutely fantastic singer, too rarely gets to do his thing....
Felipe Lourenço
mica celta
oozrenn
10/10 song . Ulver never disappoints.
avocado pictures
Why Ancient Rome synthpop isn't a thing yet? I need more of this.
Goog Elle
"Romecore"
lol
Lu11abi
yo the band "Rome" (search with "hyperion machine" to avoid erroneous results) and "Spirirual Front" (from modern Rome, sry) fulfill my Ulver-pop pallate--it's all in the vocals though, they aren't synthy...
Maybe "Triarii" might get you where you need scratchin too...but you're so right.
Gábor Kővári
Try to rebuild an original hydraulic organ, maybe then we can talk about it...haha
The Archivist
A former black metal band puts out the best pop album in years. That's special.
Dedd El
Pop? Uhh