On Whom The Moon Doth Shine

Theatre of Tragedy's 'On Whom The Moon Doth Shine' is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of death, love, and the ethereal. The lyrics are steeped in gothic imagery and poetic language, creating a vivid tapestry of emotions and metaphors. The song opens with a plea to the 'soft embalmer of ye still midnight,' a metaphor for death, asking for a gentle descent into the afterlife. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which intertwines themes of love and death in a melancholic dance.

The lyrics delve into the paradoxical nature of pleasure and pain, life and death. The 'fang'd grin' that causes pleasure suggests a sinister undertone, perhaps hinting at the seductive nature of death. The narrator's acceptance of their fate ('Nay, I knew I was fey') indicates a resigned acknowledgment of their own mortality. The imagery of kissing the 'Seven Angels of Death' and the 'Black Death' creeping 'serpent-like' between the breasts evokes a sense of intimacy with death, blurring the lines between love and demise.

The song's climax is a poignant moment where the narrator and their lover are 'lock'd in wed' in darkness, symbolizing a union in death. The 'red tears we wept in vain' and the 'procession of dancers dead' further emphasize the sorrow and inevitability of death. Yet, amidst this darkness, there is a glimpse of hope or transcendence, as the narrator sees 'the brightest light' before their eyes. This duality of despair and hope, darkness and light, is a recurring theme in Theatre of Tragedy's work, reflecting the gothic and doom metal influences in their music.