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Sleep Token’s debut album, “Sundowning” was released on November 21, 2019. This would be the start of a trilogy of albums revolving around the same characters and story. The album deals with many topics like heartbreak, emotional dependency, abuse, and the complexity of a relationship.
Before I start explaining the characters and some of the meaning of the album title and if this is your first time listening to this album, I STRONGLY recommend listening to it first. Go through without knowing about it. Experience the album with no expectations or any prior knowledge. Get lost in the enchanting and mesmerizing music. Listen to it again for the lyrics and think of your own interpretation of this album. Then, I would listen to it one more time focusing on both aspects, music and lyrics. Gather your own thoughts, feelings and put yourself into the story. At least listen to it once before reading the rest of this analysis. I think it’s better to have your own thoughts before hearing someone else’s interpretations. It makes the music more emotional and has a greater impact.
Introduction
Before the First Track
Characters
The lead singer, Vessel, represents the main character in the story. He is what his name entails, a vessel. The definition, according to the Oxford Dictionary, of that word is rich, but in this case, it is “(chiefly in or alluding to biblical use) a person, especially regarded as holding or embodying a particular quality.” It also doubles in meaning as a passage, an artery, or a vein.
This idea of a “Vessel” is metaphorical to not only the other character “Sleep” but to the audience as well. The story is told through “Vessel’s” point of view. The listener also uses him as a vessel to hear the story and interpret it on their own. The musicians in the band remain nameless and faceless to let the story be more personable to whoever is listening to it. It allows that person to put their own spin on it and put themselves into the story as the characters.
“Sleep” is the other character. She is a godlike figure who can be interpreted in a few ways. She can be a literal god who created Vessel for her own entrainment. Or she could just be a person that Vessel has put so high on a pedestal that she seems like a god. Those are the two characters in this trilogy. And in knowing that, we can jump into the start of the story.
The Album Title
This masterpiece trilogy begins with the album “Sundowning”, and that word has an interesting definition. I had no idea what it meant at first, but upon a quick search, it is a disease. “Sundowning, also known as sundowner’s syndrome, is a set of behaviors and symptoms that can occur in people with dementia in the late afternoon and evening.” This is also called “late-day confusion.
This already adds a lot of complexity to the album, and it’s just the one word title. While I don’t think Vessel has Alzheimer’s, I believe the idea of forgetting or being confused or unsure is linked. Furthermore, the idea of “night” is brough up multiple times throughout this trilogy, and this album especially. The main storyline follows Vessel being in a toxic relationship. The idea of forgetting those parts or being confused by those memories is a major theme in this story. It’s easier to look back on a relationship and remember the good. I usually find myself remembering relationships, people or even places better than what was in reality. Vessel seems to be in the same boat.
I’ll bring up more of the album title as we progress more into the story. For now, the two characters are laid out, the relationship of the two is an abusive and complex one, and the definition of the album name has been said. Let’s dive right into the first song of this three hour long, emotional, heartbreaking and magnificent journey.
Track List
The Night Does Not Belong To God
This is a top ten, close to breaking the top 5 of Sleep Token’s songs for me. I love the sound of this song. It’s haunting, enchanting but most importantly, inviting. This track really invites me into this new world so to speak. I’m glad the introduction is as long as it is. It allows the listener to enter the story, similar to how Coraline enters the “other mother’s” world.
Vessel’s voice then sweeps you off your feet and the first lyric are a great one. It’s as confusing as it is pretty.
“When you live, by daylight
With angels at your side”
Now why is it confusing? Well, that is the lyric right there. After this it jumps into a new lyric, starting to explain the album title. It poses a question that doesn’t have an answer. I still don’t really know why the word “when” is in there. Maybe the answer is the rest of the album. You’re supposed to answer the when. What I do know is that the day/night metaphor has been brought up right away.
“In order now, bestowed by
The light of the sunrise
And you remember everything
Only ’til the Sun recedes once again”
Here is where the album title first coming into play. The idea that light brings clarity, and the night is taken by this confusion, and forgetfulness. Knowing the last lyric of the trilogy helps shine some light on this lyric. There is mention of the night again and who it belongs to. Knowing that, I’d say Vessel is talking about himself in this case. He is saying that his day has order and structure, but when the night comes, he sinks back into this confused state.
Nighttime is usually when people feel most alone. They get home from their jobs, the shining sun is gone, and the night brings darkness, loneliness and confusion. He is left with nothing but his own thoughts. In this case, thoughts of only positive moments from the relationship. He has forgotten the abusive and toxic parts. One thought could be he is not with Sleep, they are not together at this point, so these thoughts take up his night. On the flip side it could be this is the only time he returns to him. She isn’t with him throughout the entire day, but only at nighttime when she needs him.
I also argue that this could mean that the relationship plays out like the sunrise and sunset. He has order and peace in his life. But, the sun recedes, and he is brought Sleep at the nighttime. No longer is order a part of his life, but this chaos, and emotional sadness, anger and confusion is brought at night, when he is reconnected with Sleep.
“The night comes down like heaven”
The night is like heaven. He meets Sleep and falls in love. It is like heaven when they meet. This is repeated many times, eight times to be exact. Eight times is represented as a new beginning in the bible. This is that, a new beginning, a new heaven, thanks to Sleep.
“Like lovers entwined
I know for the last time
You will not be mine
So give me the night, the night, the night”
This love is too good to be true and Vessel is self-aware of that. He knows, and has known this, that they won’t be together, yet he wants her. He wants what she brings in the nighttime. And what seems like their first encounter, might not be. This lyric shows that they have met before.
The Offering
Musically, this song leans more into the heavier side. The second track of the three albums seems to have a bit of a heavier sound to it. However, in that heaviness comes a softer side. This song goes back and forth from heavy to soft, violence to peace, anger to love. This represents the relationship so so well. There is that constant change of emotions, and it changes dramatically and often. Parts even blend the two, showing that sometimes there was love and only love. There were also times of violence and anger, and only that. But there were times of both anger and love, adding a layer of toxicity to the relationship.
“And you are a garden, entwined with all
You are the silence on sacred shores
You’ve got diamonds for teeth, my love
So take a bite of
Me, just once
I want to turn the page once again, oh
Take a bite”
Vessel starts by complementing Sleep. He shows her and us what he thinks of her, and he thinks of her highly. Then, the offer occurs. He wants her to take a bit of him. This could mean try again in the relationship, it could be a violent metaphor for sex, or it could be cannibalistic symbol for an aggressive and abusive love. What’s so great about this story is that it is open for interpretation. Whatever the listener is feeling or had experienced in their world could represent that symbol, making the song more emotional and creating an attachment with the listener.
For me, this means coming back into the relationship. I recently had a breakup that wasn’t abusive, but I still made many connections with Vessel. For example, putting his ex-lover on a god like pedestal, and now offering the idea of a return to the relationship and to be taken back. This teeth and bite metaphor will be back later in this album, and into future albums.
“This is a giving, an offering
In your favour, a sacrifice in your name
But I know you’ve got a taste
So just take a bite of me
Turn the page once again, oh”
Vessel claims that this is in her favor, trying to persuade her into taking that bite. He knows her well. He also wants her to continue their story, and he makes it clear that this has happened. He knows this won’t work, but he loves her and feels like he needs her, so he hopes that they can try again, and this time convince her. Delusion and confusion are showing, alluding back to the title. The night, where Sleep reappears, brings forth confusion.
“Give in again and let me lay
My arms belong around you
So take a bite, I want to know
I want to
Take a bite”
He wants to be with her again so badly, he is desperate. He cuts out words, “know” and “of me.” It sounds tired and desperate, only using the words that are necessary.
This song ends in a lot of heavy instrumental. At first, I believe this part was Sleep accepting the offering, and this would be the bite or the clash between the two shown in music, not words. However, the next song makes it clear that he still is pleading and trying to persuade her. So, I believe it to be more of what the night may be bringing. It could represent the confusion and the forgotten memories of abuse and toxic love.
Levitate
This song starts slow again and has a quiet, simple piano. This isn’t as aggressive as the previous song, and I think it’s because of the lyrical content and how the words are delivered. They aren’t violent like the last song. They are more inviting and dripping with sadness.
“I can lift you up
Your body is mostly blood
Like water, a perfect flood
Engulfing me again, oh
And I can tell you won’t
Remember my cracking bones
The trauma we can’t regrow
Just as you leave again, no”
Like the music, the first lyrics sound inviting. There is a lot of sadness in the second part. Vessel knows that the relationship won’t be the same and it didn’t mean as much to her as it did to him. He knows how this story goes, and she will leave him again, they won’t be together forever.
“Will you levitate
Up where the angels inhabit?
Will you levitate
Where I won’t reach you?
The chorus comes in and I love this chorus a lot. It hits hard for me personally, even if the interpretation I give it is different than the creator’s intention. I see it in two ways, the first way is how I related it to my own story and experiences. I see it as Vessel wanting to put Sleep high and far away. He won’t be able to reach her so he can’t hurt her again. He puts blame on himself, and he believes he is the reason for the breakup or the falling out. If he can’t reach her, he won’t be able to hurt her again.
The second way you can interpreted it is similar to the first, that he wants her out of reach. However, not because he hurt her, but because he doesn’t want to be able to get back together. If she is so high and so far, away, he can’t reach for her and get back together. It’s a way that prevents him from making the mistake again of falling back for her when he knows its abusive and it won’t work. The impressive way this is written is that both interpretations can be right. It’s up to the listener to mold the story into what they believe. However, I believe that the “story” of these albums makes it so that the second interpretation is the “correct” one.
And we imitate
A story of perfect days
A ballad we fabricate
As you forget your words again, oh”
Vessel claims that these moments of being together are an illusion of perfection. They strive for it, but it is fake and not as perfect as it may seem. There is a lot of self-awareness here that this relationship isn’t perfect. With this knowledge it seems like it would be easier to get away from this toxic relationship. But you can think that they are flawed, but in the heat of the moment, love can be blinding.
“And is that all you need
To merely pretend to be
Falling in love with me?
Forgetting the agony again, oh”
These lyrics are sad. There is a a longing but also a desperation here. Vessel seems content with letting their love be pretend, or at least from her side. He is willing to satisfy her, even at his own expense. This sounds like an illogical thought process, but when you have felt the desperation of being apart from someone you view as perfect, you will be willing to get hurt again even for a glimpse, a falsity of what once was.
There is a lot of power in the vocals here, and it has been gradually growing like the music. Drums are added and it is no longer just a piano. Like the lyrics, more complexity is being thrown into the relationship or whatever these two are currently in. More confusion and chaos. The song then fades into just the piano again, but then back into a breakdown of guitars, drums and bass. What seems like a moment of clarity, peace and simplicity quicky turns into chaos and aggression again.
Dark Signs
The vibe changes yet again, and this song has more of a sexy feel with strong bass. This song is more of a pop song as well. There is a beat rather than instrumentations and it sounds more artificial.
“Where I was raised, there was no street lights
Just pitch black and passing headlights
And where we met, there must have been dark signs
Omens in your skies
This song gives a glimpse of what life was like for Vessel before he met Sleep. It was dark and there wasn’t much going on, good or bad. The saying is true here, “ignorance is bliss.” He doesn’t know Sleep yet. He has never had the highs she gives him, but he also doesn’t know the lows that come with the relationship. It begs the question, is it better to have loved and to have lost than to never love at all? There is a twist to that however, because the relationship is abusive. Usually, a relationship brings more highs than lows, but in this case, it seems like the opposite. Are those few highs he gets worth how low he ends up?
Most days you reach for safety
Remain calm, forget that you know me
And when we met I could see dark signs
Alarm bells in your eyes”
Even at first meeting, he knows there is trouble in her. He sees that this will end up bad, and he knows this from the start. He is willing to go down this road, braving the dark omens that he has seen. It is better than his prior life of darkness. There wasn’t much going on in his life, so the trouble seems almost fun, even if it brings pain. It’s obvious he knows what is to come, but I don’t think he knows the extent of the pain and suffering he will be put through.
“And I miss the man I was the moment we left off
And I hate who I have become
Every time I wake up”
In between each of the lyrics, “I might break and bend to my basic need to be loved and close to somebody” is repeated. There is obvious regret coming from what he knows now. He fell for her and can’t escape the love he has for her. Now he longs for the darkness, and the peace that he once had. Hindsight is always 20/20. I love the backing lyric, “I might break and bend to my basic need to be loved and close to somebody.” Isn’t that so true for most humans? It’s such a natural thing to want love and to be loved and close with somebody. Vessel is in fact bending to this very basic human need. Especially when it’s with someone you love so deeply and can’t seem to escape them. This combination is why he has already dug his grave so to speak.
“And if you saw the marks on my dashboard
The new scars that I didn’t ask for
Would you call, asking for answers?
Tear my arms off”
This song is full of self-awareness and foreshadowing. This lyric foreshadows the self-inflicted scars he has made on himself, on his own arms. This theme is explored especially in the next album. He throws a bit of bitterness and shade at Sleep, calling her out. He knows she wouldn’t care that his arms are cut up, that he is indulging in self-harm. This also gives the listener a piece of the abuse that is at hand. It shows glimpses of the “dark signs” that he saw.
While this song is sexy, it is rather sad. At the surface, this song could seem more innocent. It could be about the start of a new relationship, and the danger and excitement of that. The partner could be considered someone that’s “bad” and the song could be about that excitement. However, it is more about the starting signs of abuse, and the helplessness of the victim. He knows this is dangerous, he already regrets the decision but can’t change it. He even hates himself and blames himself for a lot of it. There is already an emotional and physical abuse side showing through early in this album.
Higher
This is a dramatic track, filled with complex metaphors with a rather simple meaning behind them.
“You say you won’t
Begin again
Capitulate
And let me in
‘Cause I am a fire
And you are dry as bone
You are taking your time
You are killing me slow”
The metaphors start slow in this section, but this is still rather straightforward. Vessel calls out Sleep here saying that she won’t start this relationship, she won’t accept him and love him even if that’s what is best for her. Saying he is a fire, giving off heat and light to someone in desperate need of that. However, he is starting to die out because he is alone, and she isn’t giving herself up completely to him.
“And I know
We instigate
Go back and forth
Lacerate
‘Cause you can remember
Only when you’re alone
I am granting you more
Than the debt that I owe”
There is a lot of give and take here. Well, one is mostly giving while the other is taking. But in the situation, it seems more even. When you’re in Vessel’s position, it’s harder to decipher how uneven the relationship could be. He is self-aware but not entirely. Love is blinding in a lot of ways. The word “lacerate” is a violent word and hints that it isn’t just a verbal or emotional abuse but could also be physical as well. He knows that he is doing more than what he is getting back in return. Yet he still is stuck to her, unable to escape even with this knowledge.
“ ‘Cause I look for scarlet
And you look for ultraviolet
And we are exhausted by all this pretending
We just can’t resist the violence
And you need a melody
I only need the silence
But each time we battle
The blood and the fury takes us a little higher”
Saying that he is looking for “scarlet” while she is looking for “ultraviolet” is a complex way of saying they are looking for the opposite things. The colors of waves have two ends of its spectrum: red and violet. Those two colors are complete opposites in terms of wavelength. This is his poetic way of saying they are looking for different things. He is looking for love, while she is looking for either lust, entertainment, etc… This has the same meaning that each needs different things. He needs silence while she needs melodies. They are both so different and this is another way of saying that. Even being opposites, they find enjoyment in the fighting and the violence as that brings them both closer together. It is almost the middle ground, or a compromise of what they both want.
“With all that you believe
You still refuse to shelter me
‘Cause I am a danger
And you’re a long way from home
You are one among many
But you’re now on your own”
This is rehashing what has already been said. They both are alone but can’t find company in each other. Well, Vessel can but Sleep can’t seem to give in and love him. Although she needs him because she is alone, she refuses to give in completely.
This song has some real aggression in it. It doesn’t start that way, but boy does it finish heavy. Themes of violence in the lyrics show through and the ending sound matches that violence, the frustration and the aggression. Vessel isn’t just sad at the situation, but angry and upset. Rightfully so. The angry words that are repeated are “you won’t begin again” and “the debt that I owe” are the two most important lyrics. It also seems like a cathartic release, being able to repeat what she refuses to do and what makes him the angriest. “The debt [he] owes” is what makes him the saddest and most regretful. I love how much emotion is shown in these lyrics and how it builds.
Take Aim
I love this song. It’s gorgeous, graceful and enchanting. However, it’s for the wrong reasons. There is a major transition from anger to sadness and almost pleading. “Wait, won’t you wait for me?” is the opening lyric. All that anger drove Sleep away. Immediately all of the anger is thrown aside as he petitions her to “Take Aim” and come back into his life. Not only coming back to him, but he begs her to “break [him] apart”
“And when I see you waking up
And it sends me shivers
How you love like weapons kill”
What a great image. I love this poetic, simple and effective way he describes her love. The weapon imagery will show up multiple times in future songs.
“Call, won’t you call out my name
Like a curse on this world?
Like a battle cry?”
He wants her to want him back. The violent imagery of curses and a battle cry is alarming. He doesn’t care if she returns and is violent, he just wants her back. That makes this love song, this “take me back” song gut-wrenching. It’s like an addict and a drug. They know it will tear their life apart if they relapse, yet they want to anyways because that high is the most important thing. Vessel’s high that he gets when he is with Sleep is scary, sad, relatable and heartbreaking.
Oh, and you make me hate myself
Make me tear my body
Make me yearn for your embrace”
He sings very high pitched, in this falsetto. It is gorgeous and impressive. It is as if he is trying to impress her with his voice, so she has another reason to want to come back. But this lyric is unbelievably sad. I wish I could describe it better, articulate its power and weight better than just saying its “unbelievably sad”. It’s one that is self-explanatory, and to get the most from it is to simply listen to it.
If you know this feeling, I feel so sorry for you. It’s truly heartbreaking to lose yourself so much in someone else, that you start hurting yourself because you miss, you need someone else. Whether its guilt, feeling like you’re the reason for the relationship failing. Or you believe that you aren’t good enough because she doesn’t want you. Or if there is confusion, pain and suffering linked to this and hurting yourself seems like the only option. Maybe he feels reminiscent of the physical pain, the lacerations she caused. In doing it again he gets a glimpse of her abusive and toxic love. This is one of my favorite lyrics by the band, it hits hard and too close to home. And the way he delivers the words, just heartbreakingly beautiful.
“Break me apart, love
Oh, won’t you?
And you know I’ll be yours
When the moment is perfect
I will fire and forget ’til we both lay broken
And you know I’ll be yours
Just want to be worth it
I will run like the wind ’til you follow me again”
He is lost. I have been there too. Too many times. You are so desperate you’ll do anything for their love again. He convinced himself that they will be together. There will be this perfect moment again. Holding onto that hope is dangerous, but sometimes it’s the only thing keeping you alive.
The instruments, the backing vocals, and the singing are all outstanding. This might be my favorite song off the album. It’s at least a close second. Being able to relate to the desperation he has, mixed with how gorgeous the sound of this song is, creates a masterpiece. It’s hard not to cry to this song, and I hate that I can relate.
Give
Haunting, catchy and emotional. This album keeps delivering unique sounds while staying similar enough to the sound of the album.
“You take the dark and carve me out a home
I picture you when you are all alone
I know how we got here
I know how we got here
I am the shadow, you’re a passenger
I am the intake of breath so
Sharp and I know you better
Just want to know you better”
There are callbacks to Dark Signs. The idea Vessel was in the dark before, and the “home” that Sleep made for him is mentioned. He appeals to her “generosity” trying to plead and beg to be in her life more than he is. For how stuck he is, he balances that with self-awareness. He isn’t always self-aware, but he is more times than not. The last lyric comes off as innocent. That seems like a bare minimum request for a lover, and it’s sad that it isn’t being met on Sleep’s side of things.
“If you want to give
Then give me all that you can give
All your darkest impulses
And if you want to give me anything
Then give give in again”
This is a clever chorus. He appeals again to her, accepting anything she will give him. Even if it is abuse, violence, whatever. He just wants anything from her. The last line is a clever use of the word “give.” I like how much weight it carries. I also like that the word “again” is present. They have been here before. Maybe that is why he is so self-aware because this has happened to him already.
The rest of the song plays out as he says he will protect her. He is now done complimenting her but now trying to protect her from her “enemies.” He is willing to do anything for her, just for a glimpse of her twisted and toxic love. He says he will be there whenever and wherever she is. The song is filled with him begging her to give herself to him, while he has given himself completely to her. There is a huge double meaning to the title word “give.” He has given everything, she has given nothing.
Gods
This is the heaviest song off the album and arguably their heaviest in their whole discography. Maybe Vore is heavier? Either way the vocals and the instruments are aggressive, and they show a heavier side that hasn’t been showed yet and won’t be for the rest of the album. The lyrics match the angry aggression in the music choice. Vessel is fed up, angry and not only at Sleep, but at other gods and everyone else for abandoning him.
“I see the gods avert their gaze from me
My fucking form is but a wreck beneath them
And there are always people I can count on
It’s all so easy for me”
These lyrics and this song remind me a lot of the book Frankenstein. One of the theories is that Sleep is a god who created Vessel for her own enjoyment. That would make sense with this song. Vessel, like Frankenstein are appalled at who they are, and blame their god or their creator for abandoning them in their hideous mess. I think the last two lyrics are sarcastic. He has no one to count on, and it in fact isn’t easy. Another way to interpret this is he is trying to tell off the gods that there are humans here for him, when the gods are not.
“No more taking chances
No more teeth to bite with
No more smiling faces
I am alone again”
Vessel is angry and fed up. He is done trying to appeal to Sleep and hoping or attempting at fixing their love. The idea of “no more teeth” is an allusion from earlier songs. There won’t be the “biting” or the sex, or reinstated relationship. With that he knows there won’t be that happiness or that high he gets from her. He is stating he is alone, and no longer with her again because she has not answered his begging and pleading to take him back.
“You want to talk, you want to talk it out?
‘Cause the joke’s on me, and I’m laughing too
You want to watch me beg, ’cause I beg so well?
It’s all so easy for me”
This story is filled with so much desperation and longing, it’s refreshing to see Vessel stand on his own and spit in the face of Sleep so to speak. He knows he is being used for her enjoyment. All of his begging is a joke and is just entertainment for him. It’s sad to see his love and need for her to be turned around on him as a joke. No wonder this song is so angry.
“And do you like the way it feels?
Like fire from the Heavens
Carving past the surface into you
And do you like the way it feels?
Like fire from the Heavens
Tearing me asunder beside you”
This last shot at Sleep reads more like he still is pleading his case to be together. He asks her if she likes this loneliness, if she likes being in the dark now that they are separated. Instead of trying to appeal to what was good about the relationship, compliments or what he could provide for her, he appeals to her current feelings. He asks her, isn’t being alone and without me awful? Due to how bad the loneliness is, you might as well come back to me. I believe that is why there is a shift in the heavy music to a pretty piano, from screaming to singing. He is trying again to plead his case from a new angle. And he doesn’t want to be angry at her when he does.
Sugar
A lot of interpretations of this song claim that this song is about addiction. Sugar is addictive, and it goes well with the cannibalistic metaphor of teeth and biting used earlier. To pair with the song title, the sound of this song is sweet, with a touch of deception. Its sexy and unique. I also believe this song is about addiction, but sugar is a metaphor for Sleep. They both start with “s” and have five letters. Initially I found it a weird placement in the album. This song after the aggressive barrage of emotions from the previous song seems odd. However, I think it’s fitting when it comes to addiction. You don’t have to be addicted to drugs, you can be addicted to feelings, emotions and people too.
I think the placement of this track works well if you take the addiction route as an interpretation. Even after all the anger and negative emotions that the addiction, in this case, Vessel being addicted to Sleep, comes back. Those emotions tend to fade, especially after getting high again. I think this song comes after him taking a bite of Sugar, or Sleep. The music sounds almost euphoric, like he is experiencing that high again. Sleep might have finally let Vessel back in, but only for a bite.
You play a twisted little game
But I know in a way
You need to complicate
Believe that though we never eat
We still know how to feed
We still know how to bleed, oh
These lyrics help justify the point I made. “Knowing how to feed” makes me believe that they each took a bite of each other. That is why the sound is euphoric and high like, that is why Vessel is no longer angry and why the sudden change of emotion and sound is occurring. He also seems more satisfied, he is giving back-handed compliments that sound like they are coming from a point of authority. He is confident now that he has finally gotten her to take a bite, and him a bite of her.
My arms keep you in the room
Barely let you move
Show me what you do, oh
Tonight we’re second-guessed again
Let me wrap the chains
Addicted to the pain, oh
Another arm imagery. This time it is what is holding her. I love those lyrics. It comes full circle as to why he cuts his arm, because it was the thing that held her. They embraced in his arms. This imagery will play more into the next album, but I love the symbol of his arms in this story. He also mentions that there might be this regret, coming from him or her. Either way he wants silence, he doesn’t want either of them to feed into that regret. The chain symbol reminds me a lot of a slave/master or a prisoner image. He is making the mistake of chaining himself to her.
Do you wanna see how far it goes?
Do you wanna test me now, my love?
You must be crazy if you think that I will give in so easily
Things we buried low
Coming to the surface now, my love
You must be crazy if you think that I will give up the game, oh
Sugar, I’ve got a taste for you now”
There is that continuation of a cocky, almost arrogant and fake confidence coming from Sleep. He is now trying to play her game and beat her at it. Playing hard to get, letting her chase and her want him rather than the other way around.
“Sugar, I’ve got a taste for you” is repeated eight times, twice in this song. Similar to The Night Does Not Belong To God. It might be as simple as it fits musically, and those lyrics work in the time measure that they use. But from a symbolic number, this relates to him falling for the first time. Every time he falls deeper into her, into his addiction, he repeats it eight times, getting lost and absorbed in it.
Say That You Will
This song gives me a lot of the same vibes that Take Aim does. It doesn’t necessarily sound the same music wise, but it shares a lot of the same desperate and lyrical themes. The high pitched falsetto singing is present in this song as well.
“Is that a word you said, my love
Or just a gesture in tongues?
Well, I live to guess your sorrow
And you live to empty my lungs
And you’ve got me up in a frenzy again
And I know you’re planning to
Leave in the end”
This is doubt mixed with regret starting to settle in Vessel. He repeats what he is here for, for her entertainment. And she is there to “empty out his lungs.” I read these lyrics in two ways. The first in a literal way; she is there to eventually kill him. If you have no air in your lungs, you’ll die. The second interpretation is more symbolic. Saying that your breath is taken away usually means you’re so enthralled in someone’s beauty that you are shocked. It’s usually a compliment. I see both being accurate in the story. He will always have his breath taken by her and be amazed in her presence. Yet that will also be the reason of his death. The last lyric is him being self-aware. He knows she will leave. However, he says “planning” to leave, so for right now they are together. Maybe there is a small hope that this “plan” of hers isn’t a reality.
“Won’t you say that you will?
Let the impulse to love
And the instinct to kill entangle to one
In this light, you are mine
‘Til the sweat turns to blood
Won’t you say that you will
Even if you won’t?”
I love this chorus. It’s easy to get lost in with the back and worth of “will you” “won’t you.” It is also in contrast to what sounds like a more pleasant chorus. It is extremely sad. He is so low that all he needs from her is to lie to him. To lie and tell him that she loves him, even if it isn’t true. This song is littered with violent metaphors, and the first one is mentioned in this section. It’s a violent love, if you could even call it love.
Oh, is that a glint in your eye?
Is that a blade in your palm?
Well, I am yours tonight
So will you lay in my arms?
You’ve got me up in a frenzy again
I know you’re planning to leave in the end
Vessel see’s two outcomes. The “glint” being love, while the “blade” represents pain and the opposite of love. He doesn’t care, he wants to roll the dice and see if the outcome is in his favor. At the very least, he wants to have this night with her. Even a night filled with lies and fake love will satisfy a little bit of his need for Sleep. He is all caught up in this moment, he is angry and upset because he knows it won’t last.
Won’t you say that you will?
Let the impulse to love
And the instinct to kill entangle to one
In this light, you are mine
‘Til the sweat turns to blood
Won’t you say that you will
Even if you won’t?
He tries to appeal to her again, saying no matter what you’re feeling, just feel it with me. He knows he can only get the love if it comes with the pain and the violence. He accepts the repercussions of her love. Her love is necessity, so much that he will put up with his own death just to feel it one more time.
It’s a sad song, like many previous tracks. There is a lot of anger and a lot of sadness and desperation in these songs. But, to see him getting down to rock bottom where he doesn’t care about dying, he doesn’t care about the pain he will be in is nothing short of heartbreaking. He even settles for a lie and will face those repercussions for a fake love. This sounds like his lowest part of the story thus far. If you can relate to this song, I feel for you. This feeling is gut-wrenching, and it feels like there is nothing you can do when you’re in this situation.
Drag Me Under
I said the previous song was the saddest of the story. It didn’t take long for it to be overthrown. The previous track, this one and the next are the three saddest songs of the album, by far. Even the piano is sad, his voice sounds like he has given up.
“And I know the angels tonight are as lost for words
As I am to merely behold you as we lie down together
Drag me under again
Deep in to your love, oh”
He knows that anyone watching their story unfold, “angels” in this case, are confused and feel sorry for him. Just like an outsider who hasn’t felt what it’s like to be in a relationship of this magnitude. Why is he still stuck on her? Why can’t he move on? Why is he going back to her? All questions that come up in this section of lyrics. He also is at a loss for words and doesn’t know the answer to these questions. He asks them himself, but the feeling of love is too strong. He then allows her to take control of him again. “Drag me under” sounds like a metaphor for him being taken to hell. He is, and he knows this, yet he still accepts it. The parallel of “hell” and Sleep’s love is strong in this lyric.
And I know the gods will abandon the heavens just to find us
To merely behold you as we lie down together
He starts to answer some of those questions. He knows that people will be in awe of the love they have. It will be so strong, it’s so pretty and gorgeous. Not just people, but Gods will be star-struck by how powerful their love is. That isn’t true but for Vessel and anyone in middle of this situation, it sure feels like it. When you think you found the one, and you feel love so strongly, it’s hard not to see it that way. It blinds you, making it seem better than it might be.
If the parallel of hell and her love wasn’t there and this song was listened to on its own without the context of the entire album, I could almost see this being a love song. Furthermore, the sadness isn’t being hidden anymore. This song musically sounds the saddest of the album.
Blood Sport
This was my favorite song off the album, ever since the first time I listened to it. It was one of the first Sleep Token songs I heard. However, I think it fell to a close second after really listening to and relating to “Take Aim.” Can they both be my favorite? They both are deserving of that title.
I love how much the band uses the piano, specifically in this album. I love that instrument, and it adds so much beauty to a heartbreaking and sad tale.
This song isn’t a continuation, but rather a recap or a sum of the entire album in my opinion. Not only do the lyrics match that but so does the music. It has shades of previous songs, linking metaphors, similar sound bites and so on. If you needed a one song recap of the whole album this would be it.
“I want to roll the numbers
I want to feel my stars align again
Even if the earth breaks like burnt skin
And the heavens just won’t open up for me
Would you invite me in again?
Won’t you pay for your arrogance?
Won’t you show me your weakness?”
Vessel is going to try again. That feeling of love was so high and great, there has been nothing else, no thing or person to give him that high like Sleep did. He doesn’t care what will happen after the fact, he just wants her and her love again.
He also points out her flaws briefly. There is some spite in this section. Ultimately it is him just wanting to be closer to her. The anger and pain seeped through and showed in his questions. But in the end, he just wants her again.
“I made loving you a blood sport i can’t win”
So much is said here with so few words. If you had to give the album summary condensed down to one sentence, this would be it. He feels like he is the reason behind the bloodshed, the pain and misery that comes with the relationship. He doesn’t blame her for what is mainly her fault. It usually isn’t black and white, and both parties are at fault, at least to some degree. However, it seems like most of the problems come from Sleep. However, that isn’t how he views it. It’s sad to hear someone truly blame themselves for the negative outcomes of the relationship.
I also can relate to this song, making it even more sad and emotional for me. I felt like my first and only love was ruined because of things I did or didn’t do. I put the blame on myself. And even though I know it wasn’t entirely me, I still blame myself for it all going south, similar to Vessel. I love these lyrics so much. This one sentence carries the entire weight of the album.
“And somewhere
Somewhere the atoms stopped fusing
I’m still your favourite regret
You’re still my weapon of choosing”
The self-awareness of the issue but unable to do anything about it is a heavy theme in this album and this song. He knows she regrets ever taking a bite of him. He also knows she is what he chooses to hurt himself or the reason behind it. This weapon then leads him to a violent and suffering destruction.
“Tangled with what I never said
You say it doesn’t matter”
Yikes. That’s what comes to mind when I hear this, yikes. This sounds like one of those two sentence stories. So much is said in so few words, and its done so well.
There is so much to be said by Vessel. So many apologies and attempts to try and fix the past. You create dialogues in your mind and play out conversations on what to say and what will change her mind. Yet it gets shut down immediately, saying that none of that matters. That is the last nail in the coffin. Any earlier sign of abuse and suffering and pain were reasons to leave, but this last sentence is the finale. Nothing can save this relationship, and frankly nothing should.
Vessel cries at the end of this song. I love this addition. There is so much emotion packed into all of these songs, from the instruments, to the vocals, to the lyrics. However, hearing him not just cry, but weep is haunting. It stays with the listener and is the last thing they remember of the first part of the story. I know I have never cried as hard as I did when a similar moment happened in my life. Knowing that it is the end, you will never have someone that you view as perfect. You will never be with the person that filled you with the sweetest tasting, best feeling love ever. Out comes this almost animalistic cry and weeping. It shows a very human side, and I love that this was added to the song.
There is a version of the song that is just piano and vocals that came out on the deluxe version: Blood Sport – from the room below. This version is more emotional, but it misses the crying at the end. I listen to both songs equally as they tell the same story but in a different way. It is one of my favorite redone or acoustic type songs.
Conclusion
This is just the start, the first of a three-part story. It only has gotten sadder, more depressing and heartbreaking as the story continues. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can’t see it. I know Vessel sure doesn’t at this point. This is my second favorite album out of the three. I love the angelic and mesmerizing sounds and music that clash with sorrow-filled lyrics. The blending themes of anger, rage, regret, sadness, desperation, love and hate are all powerful emotions that are represented so well, instrumentally, vocally and lyrically.
Overall Rating 9.0/10
Stay tuned for the next part of the trilogy where I will be breaking down the other two albums in a similar fashion. Let me know what you think of my interpretation. Where do you think I was right or wrong? Are there things I missed? Let me know. I love this story because many people can read it in many ways.
References:
“Home : Oxford English Dictionary.” Vessel Meaning and Definition, www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?scope=Entries&q=vessel. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
“Sundowning: Tips for Dealing with Late-Day Confusion.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 26 Mar. 2024, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/expert-answers/sundowning/faq-20058511#:~:text=The%20term%20%22sundowning%22%20refers%20to,lead%20to%20pacing%20or%20wandering.
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