Our Candle Melts Away
To/Die/For
The Flickering Flame of Despair: Analyzing 'Our Candle Melts Away' by To/Die/For
To/Die/For's song 'Our Candle Melts Away' delves deep into themes of suffering, despair, and the inexorable passage of time. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of individuals who have endured immense pain and are now left with nothing but the cold remnants of their once vibrant souls. The metaphor of a melting candle is central to the song, symbolizing the gradual extinguishing of hope and life itself. As the candle melts, it signifies the slow but inevitable decline into darkness and despair.
The repeated references to bleeding and suffering highlight the intense emotional and possibly physical pain experienced by the narrators. They express a desire to avoid further suffering, indicating a sense of exhaustion and hopelessness. The imagery of 'cold chilling our bones' and 'season of gloominess' evokes a sense of perpetual winter, a time when life is dormant and the environment is harsh and unforgiving. This perpetual state of misery is described as eternal, suggesting that the narrators see no end to their suffering.
The song also touches on the theme of despair's grip on the human spirit. The line 'Despair has a hold of us' suggests that the narrators feel trapped and powerless against their circumstances. The 'flame of hate' burning out the air further emphasizes the destructive nature of their emotions, consuming the very essence of life. The final lines, 'We are slowly dying,' encapsulate the overall message of the song: a slow, painful decline into oblivion, with no hope of redemption or relief. To/Die/For's gothic and melancholic musical style perfectly complements the dark and somber themes explored in 'Our Candle Melts Away.'