Still Life

OPETH "Still Life"
1999 Peaceville

1. The Moor
2. Godhead's Lament
3. Benighted
4. Moonlapse Vertigo
5. Face Of Melinda
6. Serenity Painted Death
7. White Cluster

The Moor
~~~~~~~~
The sigh of summer upon my return
Fifteen alike since I was here
Bathed in deep fog, blurring my trail
Snuffing the first morning rays

Weary from what might have been ages
Still calm with my mind at peace
Would I prosper or fall, drain the past
The lapse of the moment took it's turn

I was foul and tainted, devoid of faith
Wearing my death-mask at birth
The hands of God, decrepit and thin
Cold caress and then nothing
I was taken away from my plight
A treason bestowed to the crowd
Branded a jonah with fevered blood
Ungodly freak, defiler

Pale touch, writhing in the embers
Damp mud burning in my eyes
All the faces turned away
And all would sneer at my demise

Outcast with dogmas forged below
Seared and beaten, banished from where I was born
No mercy would help me on my way
In the pouring rain nothing is the same

Vows in ashes
I pledge myself to no-one
Seethed and spiteful
All shudder at the call of my name
If you'll bear with me
You'll fear of me

There is no forgiveness in these eyes
For any of you but one
Dispel the mist for now
Melinda is the reason why I've come

She is waterdrops over the pyre
A thistle in my hands
Stained and torn, aged and brown
Virtous shell with kindred innocense

I awoke from the miasma
Passing swiftly through the moor
This is here, waters stir
And in the distance all that was lost
If you'll bear with me
You'll fear of me
You'd never leave me to
A fate with you


Godhead's Lament
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marauder
Staining the soil, midst of stillness
Beloved fraternity to an end
Red eyes probe the scene
All the same
Stilted for the beholder
Depravity from the core
Handcarved death in stoneladen aisles

I hide the scars from my past
Yet they sense my (mute) dirge
This is when it all falls apart
White hands grasping for straws

Sly smile, poisoned glare behind
Undisguised manmade nova
Mute cry, don't dare to tread
Searing beams tracking you down

Adoring what never has been
Some will bring with them all they have seen

Searching my way to perplexion
The gleam of her eyes
In that moment she knew

Thought I could not leave this place
On this imminent day
As I've reached the final dawn
To what's gone astray
What would they care if I did stay
No-one would know
What would they care if I did stay
No-one should know

Thought I could not leave this place
On this imminent day
As I've reached the final dawn
To what's gone astray
What would they care if I did stay
No-one would know
What would they care if I did stay
No-one should know

Still brooding, soothing clam
That rigid, twisted face
Blank godhead, tear my name
Lost virtue, frantic lust

Sly smile, poisoned glare behind
Undisguised manmade nova
Mute cry, don't dare to tread
Searing beams tracking you down

Adoring what never has been
Some will bring with them all they have seen

Searching my way to perplexion
In crumbling faith I saw her
Bearing her pain in the wilderness
The gleam of her eyes
In that moment she knew


Benighted
~~~~~~~~~
Come into this night
Here we'll be gone
So far away
From our weak and crumbling lives
Come into this night
When days are done
Lost and astray
In what's vanished from your eyes

What came and distorted your sight
Saw you benighted by your fright

Come into this night
Your plight alone
Carry your weight
You are flawed as all of us
Come into this night
You only home
It's never too late
To repent, suffer the loss

What came and distorted your sight
Saw you benighted by your fright

What came and distorted your sight
Saw you benighted by your fright

Come into this night
When you're able
To undo your deeds
And atone with your lonely soul
Once you're into this night
All minds are stable
Forget all your needs
Lose the grip of all control


Moonlapse Vertigo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kept warm by the light of the lantern
Lost sight of everything tonight
My presence blackens their pattern
A pock in the healthy and calm

Their scorn behind your back
My promise would put them down
No trace of reverance left
Immemorial fire in their eyes

I would persih at the given signal
At the slightest touch from my soul
Tainted prophet in flesh
For all the plagued and lost

Dripping sin
Decision in stalemate
Dare to feel death at hand
Surprised me with its voice
Through the forest came the morn

Across the leafy pathway
Their deeds smeared in blood
For all to behold
The council of the cross
Must have sensed my coming
The pest through the air
With despise for squalor
Lashing out at the poor

I turned away my eyes
In pallor escape from the end
Fading time to leave from here
And less to fulfill my task
She would be safe and firm
Nothing of this is in vain
Taken away from stifling grace
And saved from the past


Face Of Melinda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the turnstile beckons a damsel fair
The face of Melinda neath blackened hair
No joy would flicker in her eyes
Brooding sadness came to a rise

Words would falter to atone
Failure had passed the stepping stone
She had sworn her vows to another
This is when no-one will bother

And conceded pain in crumbling mirth
A harlot of God upon the earth
Found where she sacrificed her ways
That hollow love in her face

Still I plotted to have her back
The contentment that would fill the crack
My soul released a fluttering sigh
This day fell, the darkness nigh

I took her by the hand to say
All faith forever has been washed away
I returned for you in great dismay
Come with me, far away to stay

Endlessly gazing in nocturnal prime
She spoke of her vices and broke the rhyme
But baffled herself with the final line
My promise is made but my heart is thine


Serenity Painted Death
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Returned from a hibernal dream
Voices fell like marble
No longer by my side
Gone all that would linger

Ripped from my embrace
Melinda reflected in shafts
Red line round her neck
Met the earth in silence

White faced, haggard grin
This serenity painted death
With a halo of bitter disease
Black paragon in lingering breath

White faced, haggard grin
This serenity painted death
With a halo of bitter disease
Black paragon in lingering breath

Saw here fading, blank stare into me
Clenched fist from the beautiful pain

Darkness reared its head
Tearing within the reeling haze
Took control, claiming my flesh
Piercing rage, perfect tantrum
Each and every one would die at my hand
Choking in warm ponds of blood
At last, weak and torn, I went down
Drained from strength, flickering breath

Came with the moon
The wayward in concious state
Flanked and barred in destiny's end
Underneath with hope in laches
Swathed in filth, any would betoken
Starlit shadows on the wall
Finally there to collect me
From the bowels of sin


White Cluster
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Still it came passing by
The pieces weaved together rose the sun
And fooled me with another day
The knocking message called for my life

Sealed the spell of my scrawny body
Soil to skin, my next of kin
Damp air grasped, stole the words
And greeted me with a hiss

This is forgiveness, so I know
Once I repent I seal the lid
I slither for you and I'm dying
I find trust in hate

They wear white for me
Seemingly jaded and lost
I forge myself into your dreams
And here I am your life

Hangman, clutching at his tools
I will come for you

The noose is tied
Murmur through the crowd
Plunging into anywhere but here

Cloak-captured sighs of relief
As the primal touch brought me back
And the last sight I did see is still here
Beckoning right behind me


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mikael Okerfeldt - All Vocals, Guitar
Peter Lindgren - Guitar
Martin Lopez - Drums
Martin Mendez - Bass Guitar

"Still Life", the fourth Opeth volume was recorded at Maestro Musik and
at Fredman Studios during the 15th of April and the 29th of May, 1999.
Produced and Engineered by Opeth
Sound setting and additional engineering by Fredrik Nordström and Isak Edh
Mastered at The Mastering Room by Göran Finnberg
Booklet designed by Travis Smith and Opeth
Photos by Harry Välimäki and Travis Smith
Logo designed by Timo Ketola
All music and lyrics by Opeth

Thanks to Guilherme de Oliveira Cesarini (gocesar@kaema.com.br)
File from Shadow Dweller's lyrics page (http://lyrics.nm.ru)