Basically the song is about 'blame'. Someone who blames another for his own downfall and dwells upon that blame is 'harvesting sorrow' upon another and himself. He could move on and try to deal emotionally...
My life suffocates
Planting seeds of hate
I've loved, turned to hate
Trapped far beyond my fate
I give, you take
This life that I forsake
Been cheated of my youth
You turned this lie to truth
Anger
Misery
You'll suffer unto me
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Pure black looking clear
My work is done soon here
Try getting back to me
Get back which used to be
Drink up, shoot in
Let the beatings begin
Distributor of pain
Your loss becomes my gain
Anger
Misery
You'll suffer unto me
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
All have said their prayers
Invade their nightmares
See into my eyes
You'll find where murder lies
Infanticide
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Planting seeds of hate
I've loved, turned to hate
Trapped far beyond my fate
I give, you take
This life that I forsake
Been cheated of my youth
You turned this lie to truth
Anger
Misery
You'll suffer unto me
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Pure black looking clear
My work is done soon here
Try getting back to me
Get back which used to be
Drink up, shoot in
Let the beatings begin
Distributor of pain
Your loss becomes my gain
Anger
Misery
You'll suffer unto me
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
All have said their prayers
Invade their nightmares
See into my eyes
You'll find where murder lies
Infanticide
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Language of the mad
Harvester of sorrow
Lyrics submitted by fennsk, edited by RyanWolfeh
Track duration: 06:15
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Never the less, I like to think that beyond that straight forward meaning there's also an obscurant or faithfull one. It's a general complaint from a man directly to God himself - (sort of like a angry prayer if you wish), about how the poor evolution of his life ("My life suffocates, Planting seeds of Hate"; "I love, turned to hate"; "you turned this lie to truth"; "I give, you take, this life that I forsake"), turned into a present state of total frustration, considering facts and indicators that could initially point in his favor (youth, innocence, inconditional love torwads life and people).
With "Anger, Misery, You'll Suffer unto Me", God responds to him in his particular, intangible and superior way, like a true and all mighty master submits servants, by telling them that in order to reach his symphaty (and whatever that can lead to), he must first suffer to gain His trust...you know, to be reliable. To me, "You'll Suffer unto Me" is a too strong verse to refer simply to bad parent towards his child, or to any sort of "booze itself" torwads any drunk. But it fits nicelly if u think it's God. With "your loss becomes my gain", eventually the guy compreends that God knows that all his sacrifice will obvisously mean little or nothing to him in his mortal, short and pathetic life, but will certainly favour Him, in a misterious and much superior way.
The complainging comes from a man who has a life not even close to what he once expected it to be, or thinks or thought he deserved - this based in a self-judgement he makes of his once young self - a pure, innocent and highly energized and life-loving child - "I loved, turned to hate". The self judment is also implied in "been cheated of my youth" and "trapped far beyond my fate". It all helps building the obvious frustration. The background can be only one: poor, if not horrible, but at least neglectful - parenting.
In the end, he's feels so miserably torwards life, he senses he's got nothing else to give or fight for, thus leading him to start feeling he's closed to dying, or at least he can no longer feel that life welcomes him, but instead its death he senses coming closer (Pure Black Looking Clear, My Work Is Done Soon Here). At this point, God then tries to encourage him by a very tricky and dubious verse: "Try Getting Back to Me; Get Back Which Used to Be". This could mean God wants him to love life again, like he did in his young age, by whatever "good means" necessary.
In the end, the man remembers times he thought of murdering ppl as a way of ending great sources of the suffering (this could've come in momments of getting bullied, for instance, as many bullied children actually think or even dream of assassinating their agressors).
He's been cheated of his youth due to his enlistment at an early age, and then has a hard time coping with normal family life after having been in battle situations overseas. This is actually extremely common, and any returning vet will pick up on the themes in this song immediately.
I don't think we're suppossed to really assume the character of the song killed anybody (by the way, infanticide, by definition refers to the killing of a newborn, not abortion)...it's just a study about the sickness going on inside the guy's head.
I park my 2*4 and step out, home at last but I’m in a FRANTC state thinking about my narrow ESCAPE. I get into the house and I drink some of my WHISKEY in a JAR but that doesn’t ease the pain clearly caused by the THORN WITHIN. At this point even i know the only solutions to deal with the STRUGGLE WITHIN. In the SMALL HOURS of the morning I stare into the dark night and see ORION, but now is not the time to think about ASTRONOMY the pain is too much it feels like I'm TRAPPED UNDER ICE yet I cant seem to convince myself that its my fault, betrayed by who i thought was a friend and betrayed by THE JUDAS KISS now I go towards my bed in this old rugged house, how am I supposed to sleep in THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT after I shot him between the eyes and left him STONE DEAD FOREVER and at that point it felt like NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. I close my eyes and try to sleep hoping it will all just FADE to BLACK but THE MEMORY REMAINS clear to me that I will always be UNFORGIVEN and it worries me because the things i just did make me wonder AM I EVIL. This cant be I was raised right how did I turn to this BAD SEED I know what I did was wrong but I can’t feel it, it’s like I am on ANESTHESIA.
I had lost my mind when I decided it was KILLING TIME, I ran around taking them all out high on drugs I believed I was the INVISIBLE KID and the opponents I took out one by one where DISPOSABLE HEROES. I can’t sleep so I stay up looking at the DIRTY WINDOW and start to think maybe its time I DISAPPEAR because right now I am CREEPING DEATH at any point the cops and feds will be all over looking for me. For so long I looked forward to exerting my revenge but that day seemed to be THE DAY THAT NEVER COMES nothing hurts more than taking the life of your BROTHERS IN ARMS. The pain was too much yet still I feel like the HERO OF THE DAY and I decided not to think about what others thought of me after all to the one who I was revenging I would always be the perfect PRINCE CHARMING her LOVERMAN as was the case when she lived and everyone else called me KING NOTHING. As my nerves began to calm I remember what MAMA SAID about salvation forgiveness trusting in God and THE FOUR HORSEMEN but I will not pray to THE GOD THAT FAILED seeing as he let my loved one die she truly was MY FRIEND OF MISERY so I decide to live the rest of my life with NO REMORSE.
Knowing my fate as I step into the bathroom that bottle of CYANIDE seems appealing but I will not give up I will FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE. Arrested I find myself locked in a SANATARIUM because the cops couldn’t believe any normal person could do what I did. The DEVILS DANCE is what they called it and maybe this is where I would spend the rest of my days on THE FRAYED ENDS OF SANITY. A brilliant mind I don’t deserve to be here but what i did deserves to be punished and that is SAD BUT TRUE. At this rate I don’t think even a priest can PURIFY my soul. I think of to myself POOR TWISTED ME but I decide to not have self pity because when it comes to who killed those men I will always be the ONE. From a mother’s boy RONNIE went on to become a killer and sometimes I would think SO WHAT right until the judge decided i would RIDE the LIGHTENING. I know I am SOME KIND of MONSTER but do I really deserve to die. The judge is not letting me off easy as he proclaims THAT WAS JUST YOUR LIFE and now you’ve reached THE END OF THE LINE. Alone in my cell I think it seems I have become THE OUTLAW TORN thinking about SUICIDE AND REDEMPTION what to do I cant let them kill me oh the STRUGGLE WITHIN talk about THE THING THAT SHOULD NOT BE. After a nights sleep I think maybe its fine after all TO LIVE IS TO DIE what is this THE UNNAMED FEELING maybe its time to TURN THE PAGE.
Killer drums - Lars best work