After the release of their debut album Enter in 1997, the band became prominent in the Dutch underground scene. It was not until 2001 that they became known to the general public, with the single "Ice Queen" from their second album Mother Earth, which reached No. 2 on the Dutch charts. This was followed by the band winning the Conamus Exportprijs, a Dutch music award, four years in a row, and a fifth in 2016. Their next albums The Silent Force (2004) and The Heart of Everything (2007) debuted at No. 1 on the Dutch charts and expanded their international recognition. In 2008, they released Black Symphony, a live album recorded with the Metropole Orchestra. This was followed in 2009 by An Acoustic Night at the Theatre, another live album, this time with acoustic renditions of the songs.
The band's fifth studio album, The Unforgiving, was released in March 2011 and was one part of a transmedia effort, alongside both a comic book series and a series of short films that together encompass a story. The album saw the band increasingly venturing on new musical territories outside symphonic metal. Their sixth studio album, Hydra, was released in early 2014 in Japan, Europe, and the United States. The album advanced the band's exploration of new musical genres and features guest appearances from various artists: Finnish singer Tarja Turunen, who appears in the lead single "Paradise (What About Us?)"; Howard Jones, former vocalist of American metalcore band Killswitch Engage; Dave Pirner, lead vocalist of American alternative rock band Soul Asylum; and American rapper Xzibit. The band had extensive airplay on BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom with one of the songs from the album, "Whole World Is Watching" featuring Pirner.
Their latest studio album, Resist, was released in February 2019 and incorporates influences from other musical styles such as industrial and EDM. By 2016, the band had already sold more than 3.5 million albums worldwide.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Within_Temptation
Studio albums
Enter (1997)
Mother Earth (2000)
The Silent Force (2004)
The Heart of Everything (2007)
The Unforgiving (2011)
Hydra (2014)
Resist (2019)
Bleed Out (2023)
Holy Ground
Within Temptation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's been a while since I told you that I hate you
You've turned the truth inside out
Don't turn your back when I face you, or I'll make you
You turned my world upside down
You get inside my head, I want you out
Burying the truth with lies
Fed up how you justify
And I hate it
And I hate it
You're so despicable
When you're acting unreasonable
And I hate it
And I hate it
Your words like firing guns, bullets raining
The way you hurt me 'cause you never wanna face it
Your words like firing guns, bullets raining
Bullets raining, you never wanna face it
But what does it take to break you, to awake you?
To make you bow and spit it out?
Doesn't matter if I hate you or embrace you?
Nothing makes you turn around
You got inside my head, I want you out
'Cause I've been betrayed on holy ground
Holy ground, yeah
Burying the truth with lies
Fed up how you justify
And I hate it
And I hate it
You're so despicable
When you're acting unreasonable
And I hate it
And I hate it
Your words like firing guns, bullets raining
The way you hurt me 'cause you never wanna face it
Your words like firing guns, bullets raining
Bullets raining, you never wanna face it
The way you hurt me 'cause you never wanna face it
Burying the truth with lies
Fed up how you justify
And now I hate it
And now I hate it
You're so despicable
When you're acting unreasonable
And now I hate it
And now I hate it
Your words like firing guns, bullets raining
The way you hurt me 'cause you never wanna face it
Your words like firing guns, bullets raining
Bullets raining, you never wanna face it, face it
Bullets raining, you never wanna face it
The lyrics of Within Temptation's song, "Holy Ground," convey a sense of betrayal and anger towards someone who has deceived the singer. The opening line, "It's been a while since I told you that I hate you," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer expresses their frustration with the other person's ability to manipulate the truth and turn it inside out. They warn the person not to turn their back when confronted, or they'll "make" them.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "You got inside my head, I want you out," emphasizing the emotional impact the other person has had on the singer. They feel betrayed on "holy ground," which could refer to a sacred place or a foundation of trust that has been violated. The second verse questions what it would take to make the other person repent and acknowledge their wrongdoing. However, the singer recognizes that nothing seems to make them "turn around."
The repeated imagery of "words like firing guns, bullets raining" adds a violent aspect to the emotions present in the song. The singer feels like they're being attacked by the other person's words and actions. The song ends with an intensified repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the singer's hatred and frustration towards the other person.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey!
Introducing the song
It's been a while since I told you that I hate you
Acknowledging that it has been a long time since expressing hatred towards someone
You've turned the truth inside out
Accusing the person of manipulating the truth
Don't turn your back when I face you, or I'll make you
Warning the person not to turn away because consequences await
You turned my world upside down
Blaming the person for causing chaos in one's life
You get inside my head, I want you out
Expressing a desire to be rid of the person's influence
'Cause I've been betrayed on holy ground
Feeling betrayed in a deep and meaningful place
Burying the truth with lies
Accusing the person of hiding the truth with falsehoods
Fed up how you justify
Tired of the person's attempts to make excuses
And I hate it
Reiterating intense dislike of the person's actions
You're so despicable
Calling the person contemptible and worthy of hatred
When you're acting unreasonable
Pointing out the person's irrational behavior
Your words like firing guns, bullets raining
Comparing the person's words to painful projectiles
The way you hurt me 'cause you never wanna face it
Accusing the person of causing pain and refusing to confront the issue
But what does it take to break you, to awake you?
Asking what is necessary to make the person change
To make you bow and spit it out?
Expressing a desire to make the person admit their wrongdoing
Doesn't matter if I hate you or embrace you?
Wondering if loving or hating the person makes a difference in their behavior
Nothing makes you turn around
Acknowledging the person's unwillingness to change
Holy ground
Referring again to the sacred place where one was betrayed
Bullets raining, you never wanna face it
Repeating the comparison of hurting words to bullets and criticizing the person's lack of accountability
And now I hate it
Confirming that the feeling of hatred persists
Face it
Challenging the person to confront and address the issue
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Cloud9
Written by: Daniel Bjorn Gibson, Robert Westerholt, Sharon J. Adel Den
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind