While Heaven Wept (often abbreviated as WHW) is an epic doom metal band bas… Read Full Bio ↴While Heaven Wept (often abbreviated as WHW) is an epic doom metal band based in Dale City, Virginia, USA. The primary writer and overall engine of the band is mainman Tom Phillips. Their melodic, classically influenced style could be compared to bands such as Solitude Aeturnus and Solstice (the latter of which Tom Phillips is a former member); however, 2003's acclaimed Of Empires Forlorn saw the band branching out into a variety of metal and progressive styles. This trend continues on their 2009 album, Vast Oceans Lachrymose.

While Heaven Wept's lyrics have traditionally dealt with sorrowful matters, namely, personal loss and despondency.

Obsessions Now Effigies
While Heaven Wept Lyrics

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Without a word you disappeared
Into your cold like dust of those long dead
Severing the once covered
Upon our graves I've wept and I have bled

Were you ever really here?

After all how could you leave me here?

You knew that which I feared the most:
To be alone and left arrear
With nothing but your ghost

My love is just a ghost

Overall Meaning

The lyrics for While Heaven Wept's song Obsessions Now Effigies depict a sense of loss and abandonment. The opening lines describe the sudden disappearance of someone without any warning or explanation, leaving the singer feeling isolated and disconnected from the world around them. The use of the phrase "like dust of those long dead" serves to emphasize the sense of finality and permanence that comes with losing someone.

The following lines delve further into the feelings of heartbreak and despair that come with being left behind. The singer's emotions are laid bare as they ask the question "Were you ever really here?," implying that their relationship may not have been as substantial as they had previously thought. The final stanza reveals the raw pain felt by the singer as they realize that their love for the departed is nothing but a ghostly memory, haunting them long after the person is gone.

Overall, the lyrics capture the overwhelming feelings of grief and despair that come with losing someone close to you. The use of vivid imagery and emotive language help to convey the depth of emotion felt by the singer, making the song a powerful exploration of loss and heartache.

Line by Line Meaning

Without a word you disappeared
You left without any goodbye or explanation

Into your cold like dust of those long dead
You left me feeling abandoned and forgotten, like remnants of ancient times

Severing the once covered
You exposed the hidden truth and broke our connection

Upon our graves I've wept and I have bled
I have mourned and suffered over what we had and what was lost

Were you ever really here?
I question if our love was ever truly present or just a figment of my imagination

After all how could you leave me here?
I am bewildered and hurt by your abandonment

You knew that which I feared the most:
You were aware of my greatest fear

To be alone and left arrear
To be isolated and indebted, emotionally and mentally

With nothing but your ghost
I am haunted by your memory and left with nothing but emptiness

My love is just a ghost
My love has faded away and is now only a shadow of what it once was

Contributed by Hannah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.