Spillways by Ghost Lyrics Meaning – An Eerie Dive into The Depths of Human Psyche
Lyrics
You tried to rid your mind
Of malediction
But through all this time
You tried to peel it off
And it’s such a ride, ahh
Your desolation
Led you into this
Vile incarnation
Of consummated bliss
I know you need it now
To make you feel alive
(Ahh)
All your faith, all your rage
All your pain, it ain’t over now
And I ain’t talking about forgiveness
All your faith, all your rage
All your pain, it ain’t over now
It’s the cruel beast that you feed
It’s your burning yearning need to bleed
Through the spillways (spillways)
You keep a casket
Buried deep within
You try to mask it
But fall back in sin
You wanna shake it off
But you’re stuck inside
When stripped of rags
Of skin and spine
Human decay, corpus dei
Terminally dispelled
And it’s such a ride
All your faith, all your rage
All your pain, it ain’t over now
And I ain’t talking about forgiveness
All your faith, all your rage
All your pain, it ain’t over now
It’s the cruel beast that you feed
It’s your burning yearning need to bleed
Through the spillways
Through the spillways of your soul
Through the spillways
Spillways, spillways
It’s the cruel beast that you feed
It’s your burning yearning need to bleed
Through the spillways
Through the spillways of your soul
Through the spillways
Through the spillways of your soul
Through the spillways
Through the spillways of your soul
Through the spillways
Through the spillways of your soul
Dripping with unapologetic poise, Swedish rock band Ghost returns with their enigmatic anthem ‘Spillways’, a melody that delves into the dark corridors of the human condition. This isn’t just another catchy song designed to haunt the airwaves; it’s a lyrical labyrinth offering a piercing look at internal turmoil and the relentless desire to feel.
Papa Emeritus IV and his Nameless Ghouls have woven a musical spell that grapples with the intricacies of absolution, addiction, and the ceaseless struggle of emotional exposure. The band’s artistry lies not in their ability to manifest sinister soundscapes, but in their craft of lyrically peering into the soul’s spillways—inviting us to question the beasts we feed within.
Exploring The Benediction and Malediction
Ghost thrusts us immediately into a spiritual tension between blessing and curse, invoking religious overtones only to dissect them with a piercing blade of rock. They explore the unrelenting attempt to rid oneself of a curse, of something fundamentally unwelcome and malevolent that clings despite effort—a theme resonant with anyone who’s grappled with their own inner demons.
These opening lines serve to illustrate a human psyche in turmoil, seeking desperately to cleanse itself of a persistent darkness that seems almost ingrained. The invocation of ‘benediction’ and ‘malediction’ starkly contrasts the sacred and the toxic, a dichotomy central to the song’s thematic undercurrent.
The Visceral Reality of ‘Vile Incarnations’
In a chorus of electric guitars, the ‘vile incarnation’ emerges as a metaphor for the manifestations of our darkest desires that create a twisted sense of satisfaction or ‘consummated bliss’. Ghost isn’t afraid to place a mirror before us, to reflect the satisfaction inherent in embracing our darker impulses, even when they lead us away from isolation and into something more sinister.
The grim reality echoed here is one of the paradoxical conditions of human experience: our innate drive towards what is often detrimental to us, the ‘vile incarnations’ we embrace in pursuit of catharsis. This is not merely about surrendering to temptation, but rather the complex relationship one has with their shadow self—longing for liberation that can sometimes only be found in the depths of our own depravity.
The Canticle of Pain and Rage: A Refrain of Unending Strife
The repeated mantra ‘All your faith, all your rage, All your pain, it ain’t over now’ is a testament to the never-ending conflict that rages within, a battle that Ghost brings to blistering life. There’s an intensity to this refrain that speaks to the listener in a universal scream, articulating the shared truth that faith, anger, and pain are companions on a journey without end.
This persistent chant burgeons throughout ‘Spillways’, a chorus of dissatisfaction and unrest. Ghost channels all the elements of human resistance—faith, rage, and pain—to underscore a profound existential struggle that can’t be quelled by something as evanescent as ‘forgiveness’. It’s a bittersweet acknowledgment of the continuum of human emotion and the fires within that refuse to be extinguished.
The Cryptic Chambers: Decoding the Song’s Hidden Meaning
Beneath the robust melodies and theatrics lies the elusive core of ‘Spillways’—a psychological exploration of the ‘cruel beast’ that each person feeds with their ‘burning yearning need to bleed’. These cryptic spillways are channels through which raw emotion and suppressed urges burst forth in a torrent, revealing the inner monstrosities that society often impels us to subdue.
The hidden message of the song shines through the darkness: it’s an imploration to acknowledge the primal aspects of our nature that are often cast aside in the daylight. Ghost urges listeners to face these spillways within, to embrace the liberating purge of what’s been held back, the gnawing acceptance of one’s most abject and human cravings.
Memorable Lines That Claw at the Soul
‘You keep a casket, Buried deep within’—could there be a more potent metaphor for the secrets we entomb? Ghost taps into the gothic vein of their musical heritage, weaving lines that resonate with the somber tenor of Poe and the grotesque allure of Mary Shelley’s monstrous creations. It’s in these lyrics that we face the crux of the message: the monsters may reside within us, but they also define us.
In these lyrics, Ghost masterfully captures the essence of the human struggle—between life and decay, sin and redemption, and the profound need for physical and emotional release. Each line is an anthem for those whose spillways are brimming, for those who are ready to confront the spectral truths lurking in their own shadows.
