Patrick Wolf – Damaris

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Black rain
Floods the downs
Ferrets burrow
Moles make mound
Round your bones
Deep underground
But nobody knows
Nobody knows
How I wait for you
Summer, Spring
Autumn, Winter
Here perishing

Gypsy, stray
Bleak orphan
No one could say
The land you came from
But deep in my arms
You belonged
But nobody knows
No body knows
How I wait for you
Summer, Spring
Autumn, Winter
Here perishing

My god damned
Damaris
Killed with last kiss
God damned
Damaris
I loved you

Goddam these tears
And this religion
Thought I was more
Than just my father’s son
Who says in limbo
Be where you've gone
But nobody knows
No body knows
How I wait for you
Summer, Spring
Autumn, Winter
Here perishing

My god damned
Damaris
Killed with last kiss
God damned
Damaris
I loved you

And now I kiss
I kiss the earth

Oh rise up
Rise up
Rise up
Now
From the earth

And I smash my fist
Into the earth

Oh rise up
Rise up
Rise up
Now
From the earth

I loved you

Black rain
Floods the downs
The black rain
Black rain

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Lyrics submitted by cmj_ab

Track duration: 05:28

"Damaris" as written by Patrick Wolf

Lyrics © CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Damaris song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • -1
    General Comment:I think the setting for the song is meant to be 16th century Britian, amidst the Protestant Revolution. Girl is from a staunch Catholic family (as mentioned earlier, possibly the daughter of the local vicar) and is in love with the son of a "Reformer." Of course, during this era the Rome viewed Protestants as heretics. Her family and the greater community as a whole would likely have forbidden and strongly condemned their innocent romance. In her despair, girl commits suicide, leaving her lover to wait for the day she will "rise up" (a likely reference to the Christian ideas on the second coming of Christ and the resurrection). I could be wrong, but it seems to fit quite nicely, especially given Patrick's Irish heritage (a country with a long history of conflict between Protestants and Catholics). A tragically beautiful piece and one of my favorite off his new LP.
    Flag Orpheus10on March 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:vey epic sounding strings (basically what we're all saying)
    they remind me of a soundtrack to some sort of movie
    Flag TrampVampon December 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:WOW, this is awesome.

    and thanks for that little explanation.
    I'd been wondering about the significance of MY god dammned Damaris
    because it's both My God, he damned Damaris
    and my damaris, damned by god...
    Flag aunty_sherbon November 07, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:PW for Colorado Springs Independent:

    The song was inspired by a visit to a graveyard in Brede, a southern English town where most of Wolf's ancestors are buried: "There are about 80 graves there from my family, and in the corner, under the shade of a tree, there was this small wooden cross with 'Damaris' on it."

    Inquiring at the church, Wolf was given a leaflet recounting its history, including the centuries-old story of Damaris' ill-fated love affair with a vicar's son. When the holy man forbade his son to marry a Gypsy girl, Damaris took her own life and assumed her quiet place in local history.

    csindy.com/colorado/revolutionary-sweetheart/…
    Flag pinkplasticon August 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I forgot to say, he saw the cross in a graveyard of a church.
    Flag rhimansworldon June 12, 2009   Link
  • +3
    General Comment:This song is about when Patrick took a trip to Ireland and saw a wooden cross with just the name 'Damaris'on it. He enquired with the vicar as to who it was and the vicar said he didn't know, that it had been there and was said to be the grave of a girl, probably a gypsy or a black girl, who fell in love with the vicar (of the time)'s son, but he had to stop loving her because of her religion. It is said she died of a 'broken heart' which in those days was another word for suicide. The song is from the vicar's son's point of view.

    I love the story that goes with it, it makes the story all that more real and beautiful. It's very choral and stuff, but is still really epic!
    Flag rhimansworldon June 12, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is such a good song.
    I bought the CD today and I'm having so much trouble finding a favourite. The whole thing is fantastic.
    Flag cookiejaron June 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love the song and everything but who is Damaris?
    Flag b-rock89on June 06, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:uhhh oh my god, this song. this entire album. just spectacularly amazing. this song can't be expressed properly through words, nothing I type can explain its brilliance and beauty.
    Flag HighOnSunday51on June 05, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:^ That's my favorite part as well. Freaking strings!!
    Flag stentorianon May 28, 2009   Link

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