All Lengsel...

The lyrics of Burzum

Morticianumskull ' Zine Autumn 1995

Darf eine solche Menschenstimme hier,
Wo Geistersülle mich umgaub, ertönen ?
Doch, ach, für diesmal dank ich dir,
Dem ärmlichtsten von allen Erbensöhnen.
Du rissest mich von der Verzweiflung los,
Die mir die Sinen schon zerstörne wollte.
Ach! die Erscheinung war so riesengross,
Dass ich mich recht als Zwerg empfinden sollte

Goethe

The fertile summer 1991, which Darkthrone showed their new style of black metal, an example for the Norwegian scene, to the world, a dark mind works on the dark concept of a project called Burzum. A project to hail and even to match the old ones. As "Worship Him" of Samael was maybe one of the last remains from the old black metal cult, newer bands pooped up preaching the old values of Venom and Hellhammer. Besides some strong plagiaristic elements the result was a Bathory inspired new form of black metal sound which is now as logic as the basic tunes of an average local trendy death metal band.
The lyrics became complex and dealt with metaphysical and occult subjects. Complex in the same way as the dictionary texts of death and other gory metal. Indeed, we left the simply words as 'I listen to the screams of tormented souls' and 'Welcome to Hell' behind us. But isn't it that the imitation started right then? On the long term, no primitivity or extreme satanism will help to keep them free from the status 'lost & forgotten'. Only the most musical bands will get away from this.
In the following year, 1992, the mastermind released his first ideas. Greifi Grishnackh alias Varg Vikernes brought out, with the support of Euronymous, a release that was soaked with cold melancholy, urgency for ancient wisdom and above of all, ghostly darkness which would transform into a strong 'faustian' feeling on the later albums. We all know the tragedy that followed and still 'Filosofem', the long expected fourth album isn't brought out yet. Pytten, the producer, seems to have some problems with mixing this album since the Count is in jail. Now what qualities of this Count caused him to be added to the gallery of the ancient ones? Of course, only artistic qualities will be considered here.
At first, the dark and everlasting melancholy with its dark and eternal mysticism was created by a primitive sound. Former black metal bands only were in for the aggression to gain the evil feeling and their simplicity was just an attempt to gain rawness and evilness. But as Burzum showed, evilness comes together with melancholy.

Drifting
In the Air
Is a soul
From an Early
Better Age

(Feeble screams from the forest unknown)

The hunger for old, lost and ancient better times stayed: 'Som minnet an andre tider.' Also the astrologic elements which reflected theatrical moods which are based on wisdom from the endless space like in 'Key to the Gate', 'Snu Mikrokosmos Tegn', 'Lost Wisdom' and 'My Journey to the Stars', changed and disappeared on the 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' album. Not withstanding many lyrics were written during the same long Norwegian summers, Burzum couldn't continue consuming on the same old sound and finally they broke with this lyrics on the 'Det Som En Gang Var' album. The transformation to satanism was a fact. No, the Count's lyric never were direct devil praises but his soul was definetely sold to Satan like Goethes Doctor Faust did to Mistophiles.
The lyrics of 'Hvis Lyset Tar Oss' shows us what causes the melancholy in the satanic lyrics like 'Svarte Troner':

En aapning i skogen
hvor solen skinner
Hindret av terne fanges vi
i denne guds appning

But it is not the abhor of God, who is still seen as a strong opposite, but it's just the punishment of this aversion that gives water to the thirsty one. An drowning in own misery like of the fallen angel in his own flaming lake. It's not lake Baudelaire hailing the beauty of evilness in his infamous 'Les Fleurs du Mal', but Burzum is disliking the beauty, is unwilling to see the fineness, like the lyrics of the next poem:

Wann wir die schöne nich mehr tragen können
und das Licht nur üde macht,
dann stürzen wir uns von den Berg
hinunter in den Täler ab.
H.F.W.

The rebellion against melancholic beauty all results into an everlasting drift in the darkness. It's like Varg wants to explain this more or less autobiographic album with the significant title 'Filosofem'.
The song 'Beholding the daughters of the firmament' refers to the bad nights in which you can see Norwegian chiefs, sailing between the islands, searching for good harbours. But no one of their descendants want to let them in. And the question is how long it will take before this brave but betrayed man will be welcomed in their own land again. They have to sail forever in this darkness.
But let's await what will win in the lyrics of Varg, written almost three years before it's release. Will it be the hunger for the everlasting darkness or the nostalgia of the old times. A new essence is here.

Beholding the daughters of the firmament
(Musikk og tekst skrevet Januar 1993 a.y.p.s.)

I wonder how winter will be
with a spring that I shall never see
I wonder how night will be
with a day that I shall never see
I wonder how life will be
with a light I shall never see
I wonder how life will be
with a pain that lasts eternally

In every night there's a different black
in every night I wish that I was back
to the time when I rode
through the forests of old

In every winter there's a different cold
in every winter I feel so old
so very old as the night
so very old as the dreadful cold

I wonder how life will be
with a death that I shall never see
I wonder why life must be
a life that lasts eternally
I wonder how life will be
with a death that I shall never see
I wonder why life must be
a life that lasts eternally