The Cry Of Mankind

My Dying Bride's song 'The Cry Of Mankind' delves deep into themes of despair, hopelessness, and the existential dread that plagues humanity. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of a world where encountering a higher power or deity is not a moment of salvation but one of destruction and torment. The imagery of swallowing a 'tongue of thorns' and a mouth 'dripping with flies' evokes a sense of decay and suffering, suggesting that the divine is not benevolent but rather a source of anguish.

The song continues to explore the futility of human existence, with lines like 'We live and die without hope' and 'You tramp us down in a river of death.' These phrases highlight a cyclical pattern of despair, where hope is a fleeting illusion, and life is a continuous struggle against an inevitable end. The mention of 'lust' kicking mankind to death could be interpreted as a critique of human desires and vices that lead to self-destruction.

In the final verses, the narrator's personal anguish becomes evident. The line 'As I stand here now, my heart is black' signifies a deep-seated sorrow and a loss of faith in humanity. The fear of dying a 'lonely man' underscores the universal human fear of isolation and the desire for connection. The repeated phrase 'This is a weary hour' encapsulates the exhaustion and resignation felt by the narrator, reflecting a broader sense of weariness that many may feel in the face of life's relentless challenges.