The Light at the End of the World by My Dying Bride Lyrics
An isle, a bright shining isle
Stands forever, alone in the sea
Of rock and of sand and grass
And shale, the isle bereft of trees
- Small. A speck in the wide blue
Sea. 'Tis the last of all the land
A dweller upon our lonesome
Isle, the last, lonely man? -
By the Gods he is there to
Never leave, to remain all his
Life. His punishment for
Evermore, to attend the
Eternal light
The lighthouse, tall and brilliant
White, which stands at the end
Of the world. Protecting ships
And sailors too, from rock they
Could be hurled
Yet nothing comes and nothing
Goes 'sept the bright blue sea
Which stretches near and far
Away, 't is all our man can see
Though, one day, up high on
Rock, a bird did perch and cry
An albatross, he shot a glance
And wondered deeply, why?
Could it be a watcher sent?
A curse sent from the Gods
Who sits and cries and stares at him
The life that they have robbed
Each year it comes to watch
Over him, the creature from above
Not a curse but a reminder of
The woman that he loved
- Oh weary night, under stars
He'd lay and gaze
Up towards the moon and stars
The suns dying haze
Time and again, Orion's light
Filled our man with joy
Within the belt, he'd see his love
Remembering her voice -
The twinkle from the stars above
Bled peace into his heart
As long as she looks down on him
He knows they'll never part
One day good, one day bad
The madness, the heat, the sun
Out to sea, he spies upon land
His beloved Albion
Cliffs of white and trees of green
Children run and play
'My home land' he cries and weeps
Why so far away?
Eyes sore and red. Filled with tears
He runs towards the sea
To risk his life, a worthy cause
For home he would be
Into the sea, deep and blue
The waters wash him clean
Awake. He screams. Cold with sweat
And Albion a dream
- Such is life upon the isle
Of torment and woe
One day good. One day bad
And some days, even hope
The light at the end of the world
Burns bright for mile and mile
Yet tends the man, its golden glow
In misery all the while?
For fifty years he stands and waits
Atop the light, alone
Looking down upon his isle
The Gods have made his home -
The watcher at the end of the world
Through misery does defile
Remembers back to that single night
And allows a tiny smile
(His sacrifice was not so great
He insists upon the world
Again he would crime
Again he would pay
For one moment with the girl)
Her hair, long and black it shone
The dark, beauty of her eyes
Olive skin and warm embrace
Her memory never dies
'Twas years ago, he
Remembers clear
The life they once did live
Endless love and lust for life
They promised each would give
Alas, such love and laughter too
Was short as panting breath
For one dark night, her soul
Was kissed
By the shade of death
(Agony, like none before
Was suffered by our man.)
Who tends the light now
Burning bright
On the very last of land
(Anger raged and misery too
Like nothing ever before.)
He cursed the Gods and man
And life
And at his heart he tore
- A deity felt sympathy
And threw our man a light
'Your woman you may see again
For a single night. -
But think hard and well young man
There is a price to pay:
To tend the light at the end of
The world
Is where you must stay
Away from man and life and love
Alone you will be
On a tiny isle. A bright shining isle
In the middle of the sea.'
- 'I'll tend the light, for one more night
With the woman whom I love'
Screamed the man, with tearful eyes
To the deity above
And so it was that very night
His lover did return
To his arms and to their bed
Together they did turn
In deepest love and lust and passion
Entwined they did fall
Lost within each other's arms
They danced (in lover's ball). -
- Long was the night filled with love
For them the world was done
Awoke he did to brightest light
His woman and life had gone
To his feet he leapt. To the sea he looked
To the lighthouse on the stone
The price is paid and from now on
He lives forever alone
Fifty years have passed since then
And not a soul has he seen
But his woman lives with him still
In every single dream
'Tis sad to hear how young love has died
To know that, alone, someone has cried
But memories are ours to keep
To live them again, in our sleep.-
Stands forever, alone in the sea
Of rock and of sand and grass
And shale, the isle bereft of trees
- Small. A speck in the wide blue
Sea. 'Tis the last of all the land
A dweller upon our lonesome
Isle, the last, lonely man? -
By the Gods he is there to
Never leave, to remain all his
Life. His punishment for
Evermore, to attend the
Eternal light
The lighthouse, tall and brilliant
White, which stands at the end
Of the world. Protecting ships
And sailors too, from rock they
Could be hurled
Yet nothing comes and nothing
Goes 'sept the bright blue sea
Which stretches near and far
Away, 't is all our man can see
Though, one day, up high on
Rock, a bird did perch and cry
An albatross, he shot a glance
And wondered deeply, why?
Could it be a watcher sent?
A curse sent from the Gods
Who sits and cries and stares at him
The life that they have robbed
Each year it comes to watch
Over him, the creature from above
Not a curse but a reminder of
The woman that he loved
- Oh weary night, under stars
He'd lay and gaze
Up towards the moon and stars
The suns dying haze
Time and again, Orion's light
Filled our man with joy
Within the belt, he'd see his love
Remembering her voice -
The twinkle from the stars above
Bled peace into his heart
As long as she looks down on him
He knows they'll never part
One day good, one day bad
The madness, the heat, the sun
Out to sea, he spies upon land
His beloved Albion
Cliffs of white and trees of green
Children run and play
'My home land' he cries and weeps
Why so far away?
Eyes sore and red. Filled with tears
He runs towards the sea
To risk his life, a worthy cause
For home he would be
Into the sea, deep and blue
The waters wash him clean
Awake. He screams. Cold with sweat
And Albion a dream
- Such is life upon the isle
Of torment and woe
One day good. One day bad
And some days, even hope
The light at the end of the world
Burns bright for mile and mile
Yet tends the man, its golden glow
In misery all the while?
For fifty years he stands and waits
Atop the light, alone
Looking down upon his isle
The Gods have made his home -
The watcher at the end of the world
Through misery does defile
Remembers back to that single night
And allows a tiny smile
(His sacrifice was not so great
He insists upon the world
Again he would crime
Again he would pay
For one moment with the girl)
Her hair, long and black it shone
The dark, beauty of her eyes
Olive skin and warm embrace
Her memory never dies
'Twas years ago, he
Remembers clear
The life they once did live
Endless love and lust for life
They promised each would give
Alas, such love and laughter too
Was short as panting breath
For one dark night, her soul
Was kissed
By the shade of death
(Agony, like none before
Was suffered by our man.)
Who tends the light now
Burning bright
On the very last of land
(Anger raged and misery too
Like nothing ever before.)
He cursed the Gods and man
And life
And at his heart he tore
- A deity felt sympathy
And threw our man a light
'Your woman you may see again
For a single night. -
But think hard and well young man
There is a price to pay:
To tend the light at the end of
The world
Is where you must stay
Away from man and life and love
Alone you will be
On a tiny isle. A bright shining isle
In the middle of the sea.'
- 'I'll tend the light, for one more night
With the woman whom I love'
Screamed the man, with tearful eyes
To the deity above
And so it was that very night
His lover did return
To his arms and to their bed
Together they did turn
In deepest love and lust and passion
Entwined they did fall
Lost within each other's arms
They danced (in lover's ball). -
- Long was the night filled with love
For them the world was done
Awoke he did to brightest light
His woman and life had gone
To his feet he leapt. To the sea he looked
To the lighthouse on the stone
The price is paid and from now on
He lives forever alone
Fifty years have passed since then
And not a soul has he seen
But his woman lives with him still
In every single dream
'Tis sad to hear how young love has died
To know that, alone, someone has cried
But memories are ours to keep
To live them again, in our sleep.-