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Let me tell you a story to chill the bones
About a thing that I saw
One night wandering in the everglades
I'd one drink but no more
I was rambling, enjoying the bright moonlight
Gazing up at the stars
Not aware of a presence so near to me
Watching my every move
Feeling scared and I fell to my knees
As something rushed me from the trees
Took me to an unholy place
And that is where I fell from grace
Then they summoned me over to join in with them
To the dance of the dead
Into the circle of fire I followed them
Into the middle I was led
As if time had stopped still I was numb with fear
But still I wanted to go
And the blaze of the fire did no hurt upon me
As I walked onto the coals
And I felt I was in a trance
And my spirit was lifted from me
And if only someone had the chance
To witness what happened to me
And I danced and I pranced and I sang with them
All had death in their eyes
Lifeless figures they were undead all of them
They had ascended from hell
As I danced with the dead
My free spirit was laughing and howling down at me
Below my undead body
Just danced the circle of dead
Until the time came to reunite us both
My spirit came back down to me
I didn't know if I was alive or dead
As the others all joined in with me
By luck then a skirmish started
And took the attention away from me
When they took their gaze from me
Was the moment that I fled
I ran like hell faster than the wind
But behind I did not glance
One thing that I did not dare
Was to look just straight ahead
When you know that your time has come around
You know you'll be prepared for it
Say your last goodbyes to everyone
Drink and say a prayer for it
When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead
When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead
To this day I guess I'll never know
Just why they let me go
But I'll never go dancing no more
'Til I dance with the dead
About a thing that I saw
One night wandering in the everglades
I'd one drink but no more
I was rambling, enjoying the bright moonlight
Gazing up at the stars
Not aware of a presence so near to me
Watching my every move
Feeling scared and I fell to my knees
As something rushed me from the trees
Took me to an unholy place
And that is where I fell from grace
Then they summoned me over to join in with them
To the dance of the dead
Into the circle of fire I followed them
Into the middle I was led
As if time had stopped still I was numb with fear
But still I wanted to go
And the blaze of the fire did no hurt upon me
As I walked onto the coals
And I felt I was in a trance
And my spirit was lifted from me
And if only someone had the chance
To witness what happened to me
And I danced and I pranced and I sang with them
All had death in their eyes
Lifeless figures they were undead all of them
They had ascended from hell
As I danced with the dead
My free spirit was laughing and howling down at me
Below my undead body
Just danced the circle of dead
Until the time came to reunite us both
My spirit came back down to me
I didn't know if I was alive or dead
As the others all joined in with me
By luck then a skirmish started
And took the attention away from me
When they took their gaze from me
Was the moment that I fled
I ran like hell faster than the wind
But behind I did not glance
One thing that I did not dare
Was to look just straight ahead
When you know that your time has come around
You know you'll be prepared for it
Say your last goodbyes to everyone
Drink and say a prayer for it
When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead
When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead
To this day I guess I'll never know
Just why they let me go
But I'll never go dancing no more
'Til I dance with the dead
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OR
It could be a take on "The Blair Witch Project", or some type of evil witch he saw performing a sacrifice or whatever.
When it mentions stepping onto the coals, but not feeling any pain/heat could be alluding to how the narrator had believed that the gang activities/drugs could be some kind of impossible taboo but now believes it to be alright.
Where the song talks about his spirit going up it could mean being lost in the madness of the gang or intoxicated/addicted by the drug. When the spirit comes back down it shows a sudden realisation as to what the narrator has done and fruitfully regrets this.
Now obviously the whole 'skirmish' thing could be with a rival gang, before which the narrator had been watched by more leading members. This is the first time they have no grip on the narrator as he has now appeared to have proven himself worthy of belonging to the gang. In the context of being on drugs, the 'skirmish' could actually be a drug advisor, acting as a third party in this drug and narrator, personifying the drug in that it sees the advisor as a threat. When the narrator realises this he starts to take the appropriate measures to get off the drug, such as smaller and smaller doses, which would refer to the actual running part of the song.
Finally, the narrator shows puzzlement as to how 'they let me go'. This could refer to having finally being completely off the drug, but also personifying it suggesting that the drug agrees that the narrator deserves better. The same thing could be said with the gang context, the leader could have well looked himself in the mirror and realised what he has become and decided that the narrator is better off without the gang. This context could also suggest that the narrator had inadvertently taught the gang to follow suit and rid themselves of gang culture.
To conclude, the amount of deictic expressions in the lyrics suggests that it was written with the intention to be completely metaphorical.
Hope this clears it up for anyone who wasn't sure!
Hope this clears it up for anyone who wasn't sure!