New York City-based black metal band Yellow Eyes was formed in the winter o… Read Full Bio ↴New York City-based black metal band Yellow Eyes was formed in the winter of 2010 in the woods of northwestern Connecticut, where they continue to write and record. Their first album, Silence Threads The Evening's Cloth, was released in a limited run of 100 cassettes by Chicago-based label Sol Y Nieve in January 2012. A cassette split with Monument was also released on Sol Y Nieve in September 2012. Their second full length, Hammer of Night, was released on cassette July 15, 2013 (Sibir Records). Two EP's (The Desert Mourns and Stillicide) were released in 2014. Sick With Bloom, their third full-length was released by Gilead Media in December of 2015. Their 4th full length, Immersion Trench Reverie, is set to be released on October 20 2017 by Gilead Media.
Vocals/Guitar: W. Skarstad
Guitar: S. Skarstad
Drums: M. Rekevics

Velvet on the Horns
Yellow Eyes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Overnight
Or was it not
Green ragged cloth had fallen
On the path
The way I took had velvet on the horns

I peered straight through
And saw the shrinking frame

Collapse and bloom
And choke on its vast ornate teeth
I would cry out
If it were not so late

I do not remember you
Perfect sphere
Chlorine smell
Painting that was damaged in the hold

Imagine that a propane tank
When squarely struck

Becomes a bell
Yet huddles by the driveway in the cold

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Velvet on the Horns" by Yellow Eyes bring forth a sense of surrealism, with vivid images of cloth falling, shrinking frames collapsing, and vast ornate teeth choking. The lines, "The way I took had velvet on the horns" suggests that the singer is taking a path that is soft and easy, but may also be masking something dangerous underneath. The discomfort and unease continues in the following line, "I peered straight through/And saw the shrinking frame/Collapse and bloom/And choke on its vast ornate teeth," as if the singer is witnessing something traumatic or horrific.

The next stanza, "I do not remember you/Perfect sphere/Chlorine smell/Painting that was damaged in the hold," is a stark contrast to the previous one. Here, the singer seems to be experiencing memory loss, with only fragments of recollection, like the scent of chlorine or a damaged painting. It is an introspective moment, but one that is fleeting.

The final lines, "Imagine that a propane tank/When squarely struck/Becomes a bell/Yet huddles by the driveway in the cold," leave an open-ended interpretation. It is unclear who or what the propane tank symbolizes, but it seems to be a poignant moment of loneliness and isolation, huddled by the driveway in the cold.

Overall, the lyrics of "Velvet on the Horns" offer a dreamlike and surreal protest of uncomfortable and unnerving imagery that is open to interpretation.

Line by Line Meaning

Overnight
Suddenly and unexpectedly, something happened

Or was it not
Uncertain if it actually happened or not

Green ragged cloth had fallen
A tattered piece of green fabric fell, which could signify decay or loss

On the path
In the specific location of where the artist was walking

The way I took had velvet on the horns
The path that the artist chose to take seemed to be smooth and easy, but in reality, it was a trap

I peered straight through
The singer looked intently and carefully

And saw the shrinking frame
The singer observed something becoming smaller

Collapse and bloom
Something disintegrated and fell apart, making way for new growth

And choke on its vast ornate teeth
The very thing that was flourishing and growing became its own destruction, its own downfall

I would cry out
The artist would express emotions and feelings loudly and desperately

If it were not so late
If it wasn't for the fact that the situation was already too far gone, irreversible

I do not remember you
The artist has forgotten someone, something, or an event from the past

Perfect sphere
An object that is completely and perfectly round

Chlorine smell
The distinct, recognizable odor of the chemical chlorine

Painting that was damaged in the hold
A work of art that was ruined or harmed while being transported

Imagine that a propane tank
The artist is setting up a hypothetical situation

When squarely struck
If the tank gets hit or impacted with precision and force

Becomes a bell
Transforms into an object that makes a loud, ringing sound when struck

Yet huddles by the driveway in the cold
Despite its potential for noise and impact, it is insignificant and abandoned, sitting by the side of the road in the cold

Contributed by John F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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