|
|
 |
"Behind the Crimson Door" by HIM - an analysis of the song's origin and meaning |
I know ya'll will probably laugh at this, but don't take this out of context. I just want to write this and get it out of my system. It's just an interpretation.
After hearing the song "Crimson Door" by HIM a few times, I just thought the lyrics were nothing more than a bunch of melodramatic, darkened, doom and gloom with little meaning beyond mere pretense. But eventually, the song began to invoke something more than just the scenes of a bitter gothic love story. They remind me so vividly of something I think a fallen angel would write if one could. The depth of meaning in the images are pretty far reaching and profound in their symbolism. Here are the words below. I'll explain what came to mind when I heard them. Here are the lyrics. The commentary on each line is below.
Covered the carcass of time with flowers To send the scent of blame to the grave
Set the darkest thoughts on fire
And watched the ashes climb to Heaven's gates
Death served wine for lovers
Brought from the world where devils reign
And intoxicated angels with sorrow
They witnessed in the eyes of their slaves
We hide behind the crimson door
While the summer is killed by the fall Alive behind the crimson door
While the winter sings:
"Your love will be the death of me" (Death of me)
"Your love will be the death of me"
COMMENTARY
Covered the carcass of time with flowers
To send the scent of blame to the grave
This is essentially a snapshot from the Resurrection of Christ to the end of time when the Adversary and his angels are finally judged and reduced to ashes. The carcass is the rebellion and impunity they held against God which was utterly invalidated by the Cross and the Resurrection. The Cross demonstrated the failure of the angel's departure from the will of God (which is love); a rebellion they led the entire world into as well. With the rebellion dead, the fallen angels have little else but simply await the inevitable. They have nothing but time; heavy time. And yet with the time that remains for them, they still cover that carcass with flowers to suppress the stench "of blame"; that is the blame for bringing death to the living world, for the death of humanity, and of the innocent Son of God. They cover the carcass with flowers and maintain the 'pretense' of it's meaning, beauty, and validity in hopes to deceive themselves and perhaps the world as well into believing their death has not really come.
Set the darkest thoughts on fire
And watched the ashes climb to Heaven's gates
The last two verses of this first phrase represent the second part of this "snapshot synopsis" preoccupying itself with the final stages of the rebellion and judgment. The words "Set the darkest thoughts on fire" are telling word pictures of the literal fate of the fallen rebel hosts as well as all who follow them to the fire that inevitably and utterly destroys them. I say this because the object of the judgment is not to destroy angels or people, but sin and evil. Sin is simply the deviation of love and the controversy from Eden to the Cross, from the Cross to the judgment demonstrate the self-destructive nature of love in a twisted, altered state. It is love in a twisted state; love in a distorted state that is being destroyed.
So why are thoughts set "on fire"? Where else is love twisted other than in the heart of the thoughts? Where else can sin reside other than the consciousness, the will, and the thoughts? The fire that falls from heaven and consumes the wicked (Rev 20:9) and into which the Adversary and his angels are cast, is a fire that sets the "darkest thoughts on fire" consuming them and destroying them. The ashes that "climb to Heaven's gates" are the ashes of the Adversary and the fallen host. It's an image reminiscent Ezekiel 28:1-19
Thou (King of Tyre, symbolically representing Satan, the fallen "cherub") hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee Ezekiel 28:18
Ezekiel 28:1-19 symbolically chronicles the origin, the fall, and the judgment of the Adversary summarizing his fate to being reduced to ashes upon the earth just as Revelation 20 describes. The image of ashes rising the gates of Heaven parallel with the scenes in Isa. 34:10 (and Rev 19:3) "...the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever."
Death served wine for lovers
Brought from the world where devils reign
This passage is preoccupied with the inherent state of idolatry resulting from the rebellion against God of both angels and men. Any kind of worship other than the worship of Yahweh is worship that is unmerited and misdirected. This is idolatry. This only occurred in fallen world where men and angels presumed themselves higher to be able to aspire higher than their Creator. The theme and symbolism of idolatry and worship is closely associated with contrasting symbols of fidelity and adultery (adultery being idolatry). In the prophetic texts, humanity is likened to bride with Yahweh being the groom. The worship of other "gods" is symbolically represented as adultery and is actually the worship of fallen rebel angels.
The context of the "lovers" here is colored with a tone of debauchery and fornication. I say this because of the overall sense of "taboo" expressed here. This is a hasty, desperate, forbidden love driven and seemingly validated by the intoxication of wine served by "Death". The ecstasy of love in this instance is simply a false veneer of what could be considered genuine "love". True love is nowhere to be found in this scene. This is something driven only by wantonness and intoxication; the "wine... brought from the world where devils reign".
And what is the world where devils reign? -BABYLON the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Rev. 18:2
What is the wine of world where devil's reign? -Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Rev 14:8
The wine "brought from the world where devils reign" is significant in that it clarifies that the "lover's" euphoria comes only in partaking in and sharing from the cup of the fallen angels that have turned against God. "Death" is the only emissary and mediator between these two worlds. "Death" is the only keeper of this wine and it's intoxications and this is exactly what we find to be the result described as a consequence of sin, the fall, and the rebellion.
And intoxicated angels with sorrow
They witnessed in the eyes of their slaves
I've honestly had trouble with this text. I really don't know what it means or how it fits beyond the fact that it seems to allude to the consciousness and mood of the fallen host that since Christ's victory at the Cross and His resurrection At this point, even the intoxication of the wine of idolatry, rebellion, and sin - all of which they witness and experience through the human beings they deceive and enslave - has proved too little to silence the weight of their defeat and coming judgment.
We hide behind the crimson door
While the summer is killed by the fall
I find the lyrics of the chorus to be THE most striking and symbolically rich lines throughout the whole song. There is a great deal of depth in what is said in these lines, but it can only be appreciated from the perspective of the Spring and Fall feasts that God instructed Israel to keep as "shadow pictures" of what Christ would fulfill literally.
The Passover is one of the most important symbols pointing to the Cross of Calvary and the parallels between the above lyrics and the Passover symbols are extraordinary. During the first Passover, when the Children of Israel were delivered from Egypt, all those who followed the instructions to mark their door post with the blood of the lamb were protected from the 'death angel' who 'passed over' them (hence the celebration of the Passover). The Passover is a shadow picture of the world's deliverance through Christ, the Lamb of God. A "door" is a line of passage. It is what separates two worlds. The word "crimson" denotes the color of blood (see a dictionary). . Just like in the Passover when Pharaoh’s grip of over Israel was broken and the Death Angel was denied access to those whose doors were marked by the blood of the lamb, the blood of Christ has severed the grip of sin and rebellion among all those who have passed through it. The reign and territory of the fallen angels over humanity ends where the blood begins, thus this crimson door.
The seasonal allusions here of "summer" and "winter" are incredibly significant when understood from the perspective of the "shadow pictures" of the Spring and Fall feasts of Israel. The Spring and Fall feasts were holidays given by God to Israel to maintain as yearly rehearsals of God's far reaching plan to redeem and save humanity through the offering of Christ. There were 7 holidays. Three of the Holidays took place in the Spring (Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost) and the other four occurred in the fall (Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day).
The Spring feasts represent the redemption of humanity won by Christ. The symbols in these festivals were fulfilled literally during the life of Christ, His Sacrifice on the Cross, His Resurrection from the grave, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. On the other hand, the Fall feasts represent the final moments of earth's history, the judgment, and the
In a symbolic timeline, the Summer represents the period between the Cross at Calvary and the Judgment at the end of time. The "summer" is like death-row to the fallen angels. The Cross has invalidated them and sealed their fate. The coming of Fall season means the coming end of their reign over the earth and over humanity. It means their end.
Spring = The Cross, The Resurrection of Christ, the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit Fall = The Judgment, the Return of Christ, the end of the rebellion and it's destruction.
Summer = the interim time between the Cross and the judgment
Alive behind the crimson door
While the winter sings:
"Your love will be the death of me" (Death of me) "Your love will be the death of me"
Again, the seasonal connotations continue with consistency to themes of the coming judgment against the fallen rebel angels and all the hurt and destruction they have caused. In this passage, the "Fall" has passed and winter has come. In the symbolic sense, the winter season represents a time of desolation where the rhythms of the natural world are brought to a halt. Lakes and rivers are frozen over and stopped. Some animals are in hibernation and even the sun itself is the furthest away from the earth it can be. Winter is also the season that follows the Fall and in the context of the feast-day timeline, winter is the time that comes after the Fall feasts are completed. Winter represents the brief season after the judgment. It is the interim between the old fallen world and the New Heavens and New Earth that God bring forth after the wicked are destroyed and gone (Rev 21:1)
After the Fall feasts are literally fulfilled by the return of Christ, there comes the "millennium" where those in Christ have ascended with Him to Heaven for a thousand years (the millennium is a kind of Sabbath; a time of rest). During this time, the earth is destroyed and left desolate and all the wicked are asleep in the graves (they are not raised again until the thousand years are through - Rev 20:5,6; 1Thess 4:13-18). The desolated earth is the "abyss" into which Satan and his angels are imprisoned with no one to tempt, deceive, or control (Rev 20:1-3). The millennium on the earth is a time for the rebel angels to reflect on what they've done and to anticipate their coming destruction at the end of the thousand years.
So now the final lines of the chorus come into perspective;
"...the winter sings 'Your love will be the death of me' "
What is so significant about these lines in the context of a narrative by a fallen angel? These poetically parallel and summarize the thoughts of Satan and his host during thousand years as they are reflecting upon their fate and how the controversy will end after the thousand years are over. In the end, it is God's LOVE that triumphs over evil. Christ overcame evil with good at the Cross and in the judgment, His love will bring an end to Satan and his angels. God's love will be the death of not only them but also all that they have brought into the universe in their rebellion: sin, death, confusion, hate, and destruction.
The symbolic context of “winter” here is even further reinforced in that after Satan and his angels are destroyed and the redeemed humanity remains, a season of regeneration and renewal, much like Spring, emerges Here is what John’s account is in Revelation 21 of what he sees after the millinium is over. “I saw a new heaven and a new earth”(Rev. 21:1) "...God will wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Rev. 21:4) “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.(Rev 21:5)"
This is spring, the end of winter, the end of sin, rebellion, and destruction, and the beginning of the new world. God plan for a universe ruled by love will be death of those that resisted it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Alias | Date | Reply |
| Just Arika |
2/22/2006 9:02:00 PM |
It's not Vito Ville.. is Ville Valo... and yes, he KNOWS what he's trying to say in these songs.. MANY HIM songs have religious references if you're not too stupid to catch them. Listen to almost ANY song on "Love Metal" and you will hear a religious reference.. not to mention scattered songs throughout every other album. I don't think it's practical to imagine that this song was written through Ville by "fallen angels" as most of the songs he has written are religiously inclined. |
| Just Arika |
2/22/2006 9:26:00 PM |
Not to beat a dead horse, but this bothers me greatly. Have you listened to any of Valo's work besides BTCD? He is a BRILLIANT songwriter... Like I said, almost ANY of the songs Valo has written involve some reference to angels, Christ, religion, resurrection, or Heaven. He absolutely DOES know what his songs mean when he writes them. At the HIM concerts I attended in November, he made a point to describe exactly what "Behind the Crimson Door" meant.. as I was too busy staring at him to really listen, the meaning he gave escapes me, but I'm fairly certain it WAS of a religious nature. I'm sure you're not trying to call Valo or any other member of HIM stupid, but I feel that insinuating that the song was written by a higher power is just completely undermining Valo and his songwriting. Just because the lyrics were so powerful.. doesn't mean they were written by angels, fallen or otherwise. Give credit where it's due.. Valo wrote this song and it's absolutely beautiful. It's just one of many indications that HIM is THE greatest band to ever bless the earth. |
| BLAH. |
2/22/2006 9:40:00 PM |
Yes... "angels" did it.. |
| Pacificsoul |
2/22/2006 10:42:00 PM |
Hery Rika - I think you took all this wrong. I totally don't think Ville Valo is a bad person by any means(sorry about the name - arg!!! I can never get it right. I always get things mixed up :p). I think he has a really good heart. Seriously. I really think Ville is cool and I definately don't think he's dumb. I totally agree with you that he's one of the most talented and intriguing song writers out there right now. This whole thing wasn't really about criticiszing Ville. I just made a note that he indluges in blasphemous expressions and things that open him to the dark influences beyond himself. What I wrote was really out of fascination over the depth of the symbolism here and I think there are things here that Ville was not conscious of or intending. In fact there seem to be two songs here. There's one theme (Ville's) which is egulfed in the images and emotions of a Romeo & Juliet like tragedy. The deeper underlying theme beneath the surface that has preoccupied my attention. It's seriously not a criticism by any means, but instead a speculation fueled by my own intrigue over what this song is really about. I actually know a lot about HIM and what Ville is into. I know how conscious he is of relgiousity, but the themes touched upon in this song (symbols of the Spring and Fall feast days and the millinium) is so far removed from anything he has ever even approached or occupied, that I don't think he was conscious of what was being written about. It's just not part of his creative pattern or language. The depth, consistency, and precise applications here also tell me that something intelligent did construct this. I don't think it was Ville. I wish we could ask him :) Thanks for reading this and commenting though, Rika. I really appreciate it and really I love you lots. Take care! |
| Pacificsoul |
2/22/2006 10:43:00 PM |
pfft... that was "Hey", not "Hery" |
| Java Anyone? |
2/23/2006 10:33:00 AM |
I'm very intrigued by your whole post - I don't know what my stance on it is, but I don't think it's out of the realm of the possible to be influenced by forces we open ourselves to. Great read ~ Coffee Goddess |
|
|
|
|
|
