Text written by WikiBrother Gabriel Brandino , from @moshinhell
The song "Chasing the Dragon" by Epica is one of my favorites, and until recently I had no idea what it was about.
Since
many of the band's songs talk about history, culture, or the universe, I thought this song would also be about something like that, but actually it's not; it's about drug addiction.
Simone Simons has said that the main influence for composing the song was the film From Hell.
The film is about the Jack the Ripper murders, but puts you in the perspective of London's chief police inspector,
Frederick
George Abberline , played by Johnny Depp , whose character was addicted to opium and constantly had dreams about the murders. The song's title, "Chasing the Dragon," is slang used by heroin users that originated in the suburbs of Hong Kong, alluding to injecting the drug.
The song's name may also have been influenced by the book of the same name, written in 1980 by missionary Jackie Pullinger , who has been working in Hong Kong helping drug users since 1966.
Speaking of the lyrics themselves, they are in the first person and show the anguish and despair of an addict who understands his situation but can no longer control himself.
In
the verses below, the character in question wants to find a reason, or a sign of happiness, but cannot; he is lost.
“
Free my mind, heal my scars, erase the past.
Dark days to forget and memories to keep.”
“
Let my eyes capture the beauty that is here.
What remains on this earth, my ears yearn to hear a melody… Give me a sign.”
In
the next part, the song describes the scene where he is using the drug and describes his feelings.
“
Poison is slowly spreading through my veins.
Stealing the only dignity in me […]
The dragon is wreaking havoc on my brain.
Playing with my emotions, an endless game!”
The
song gradually becomes heavier and heavier, and this is reflected in the lyrics, where the protagonist of the story rebels more and more, just as his addiction grows stronger.
“
I want the night only to color the day.
The morning to banish all my nightmares.
Don't deny that we are all human.
We all have our flaws that can make us obscene.”
And
in the heaviest part of the song, he says:
“
Give me what I want.
Give me what I need now!
That’s what I want.
That’s all I need, heal me
(Unfortunately, mortals learn to die)
Losers.”
READ ALSO: The Black Sabbath song that could easily become a science fiction movie