You all know the Iron maiden song "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", right? This song is inspired by the poem of the same name, written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. I also think it as two quotetions in the song too, if I'm not misstaken.

The only other example I can think of is "A Walsi Bárdok"(The Bards of Wales), written by John Arany. The folk metal band Echo of Dalriada(now called Dalriada) quoted the entire poem and composed metal music to it.

So, what I'm looking for is metalsongs that are inspired by (famous)poems. It could be a story inspired by the poem, a quote or simply a poem composed to metal music.

if I'm not mistaken, "The thing that should not be" by Metallica is purely inspired by a poem of "H.P. Lovecraft"? (or whatever his name was).

wow, I have to think about that, I really dont know any metalsongs that are inspired by poems :O
maybe Dead Boys Poem from Nightwish?, or am I saying something really stupid right now XD
I am curious to the songs that people will mention here, I really like some poems. It would be great if I could find some poems back in the metal I listen^^

MDB has a fine song "Catherine Blake"....the poet and artist William Blake, author of "Paradise Lost" if I remember correctly...had a wife called Catherine....I may be mistaking....but is there perhaps a connection?

I wont give example but I had read a lot of lyrics who has bassed on p[oems, stories, novels, bocks and such thinks moustly in Doom and gothic metal also lil black metal and sometimes its hard to understand them(you need know that book, poem) and its good because its proove band ha smor einterests how playing and banging

@Nixx: You're right, that song is inspired by Lovecraft stories, but I think H.P Lovecraft wrote short stories and essays more then actual poems. But if should talk about artist inspired by H.P Lovecraft we soon have half of the blackmetal scene and surley some parts of death metalbands too.

@Silent Tears: I don't think "Dead boy's poem" is inspired by any poem, it's more likely a song about Toumas Holopainen's thoughts, as he stated it's a very personal song for him.

@Miotalhobad: Isn't "Paradise Lost" written by John Milton? I think William Blake was the illustrator of it though...But I'm glad you brought "Pardise lost" up as many bands has quted that poem in their songs, inlcuding Dimmu Borgir, Draconian, Cradle of Filth etc. I also think that Morgana Lefay composed a song based on that poem. But Back to the MKB song. That's a really good question, it maybe is or maybe isn't a connection, but I do know that his writings was mostly about heaven and hell. Speaking Of William Blake, I think Ulver has done a concept album inspired by Blake's book "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell", if I'm not misstaken.

@Kariasakis7: I agree. But beside that they show that they are intrested in littrature,Sometimes can a song make a poem more alive and intresting then the original poem. And perhaps even make it more understandable. But a song can also totally destroy a poem too, then it's better to read the poem instead of listening to the song.

Written by Torelli on 02.05.2007 at 23:45


@Kariasakis7: I agree. But beside that they show that they are intrested in littrature,Sometimes can a song make a poem more alive and intresting then the original poem. And perhaps even make it more understandable. But a song can also totally destroy a poem too, then it's better to read the poem instead of listening to the song.

All poems can be song lyrics, not all song lyrics can be poems, thast what i think, but also I agree whit you
IMO if musiciac us eit he/she shood uinderstand it and be fan of taht person who wrote it, also read his/her poems and be fan of them, not only take it because its 'cool'

Written by Torelli on 02.05.2007 at 23:45




@Miotalhobad: Isn't "Paradise Lost" written by John Milton? I think William Blake was the illustrator of it though...But I'm glad you brought "Pardise lost" up as many bands has quted that poem in their songs, inlcuding Dimmu Borgir, Draconian, Cradle of Filth etc. I also think that Morgana Lefay composed a song based on that poem. But Back to the MKB song. That's a really good question, it maybe is or maybe isn't a connection, but I do know that his writings was mostly about heaven and hell. Speaking Of William Blake, I think Ulver has done a concept album inspired by Blake's book "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell", if I'm not misstaken.

Thank you....I feel rather stupid...I forgot about Milton...but I did remember that Blake had something to do with "Paradise Lost"....

I actually have a question, any of you know if there's a song inspired by Poe's poem 'The Raven'?? it would be a very intersting song, considering the poem is really cool, and it's very well written... Also it's one of my favorite works of Poe

Written by Bad English on 03.05.2007 at 00:04

All poems can be song lyrics, not all song lyrics can be poems, thast what i think

Other way around, I'd say.

yep, I think the same. even though a lot of songs may not make the best poems around when you read them outside the musical context, there's still a lot of lyrics that are much btter than regular poems, at least from my point of view. specifically i'd take examples from tony kakko and kanwulf, for me they are amazing writers!

I have understood that Drudkh's albums "The Swan Road" and "Blood In Our Wells" are based entirely in Ukranian poems.

I think I had some on my mind but I can't remember them. I think that lyrics can be poems, though they usually lack the rhytm and feeling withour music but they are still poems, aswell as all poems can be lyrics in songs, just some poems do not need any music or do not fit well into songs or tend to lose the atmosphere etc. So in my opinion it all depends on the poems and lyrics.

As Tulkas mentioned Poe, then Annihilator's first album's song Ligeia seems to be inspired by a Poe novel, I think it even had a few direct quotes from that story, I know it can't be called a poem but still. And I like the song.

Thank you....Torelli already corrected me....I'm sorry...I just forgot, but I was right anyway that Blake took part in creating the poem as he did the illustrations to that piece of literature as he was also an artist....

Green Carnation use a Poe's poem, namely "alone" in the song they called "alone" on acoustic verses, its actually a very good song.

Written by Ernis on 04.05.2007 at 23:32

Thank you....Torelli already corrected me....I'm sorry...I just forgot, but I was right anyway that Blake took part in creating the poem as he did the illustrations to that piece of literature as he was also an artist....

im the one whos sorry, i even deleted the message i wrote before. I didnt read the torelli message before. But its good you talked about him

I just remembered Ulver's album "themes from william blake: the marriage of heaven & hell". Its based on his works of course.

No problem....anyway....Whatever thing Blake wrote...I think he was a distinguished artist and writer of his time....and perhaps he has influenced today's musicians....and he did marry a woman called Catherine...

Yes that is true. I do think he was a very special poet. I studied him last year. Its definately worth reading.

Written by tulkas on 03.05.2007 at 04:08

I actually have a question, any of you know if there's a song inspired by Poe's poem 'The Raven'?? it would be a very intersting song, considering the poem is really cool, and it's very well written... Also it's one of my favorite works of Poe

Many artists have been inspired by this poem actually. from Carpathian Forest(The Eclipse / The Raven) to Grave Digger(Raven). Infact, Grave Digger have done an album that is mostly inspired by Poe's short stories and poems, entitled "The grave digger". On that album There's a bonus track called "black cat", i suggest that you could read the short story first(if you haven't allready), as the song has interpreted the story instead of quoting it. Another song that is inspired by the raven is "My lost Lenore" by Tristania.

@torelli: wow man, thanx a lot, I'll check out those songs as soon as I can. they sound very interesting, specially the one you say about interpreting the black cat

Bruce Dickinson took influence from William Blake's poems for the album "The Chemical Wedding", you should check out at least "Jerusalem" and "Book of Thel". Awesome stuff.

Rammstein have a couple of songs inspired by poems. The ones I can remember offhand(not the poems, though) are Dalai Lama and Rosenrot.

Written by Elijah on 06.05.2007 at 15:12

Rammstein have a couple of songs inspired by poems. The ones I can remember offhand(not the poems, though) are Dalai Lama and Rosenrot.

Damn! That's what I wanted to say when I oppened this topic! Stealer!

I even quoted Rammstein's Dalai Lama song in a French essay, about literature and the different interpretations and uses of it in the cinema or music. I said that Dalai Lama was written from a poem by Goethe named Erlkoening if I remember well, and the french traduction is "Le Roi Des Aulnes". But it happened that "Le Roi Des Aulnes" was ALSO a novel by another french writer, and that bitch (the teacher) didn't want to believe me Rammstein had really wrote that song from Goethe's peom! DAMN! She gave me an 15/20 instead of 16/20!

Decapitated's A Poem About An Old Prison Man. It's a Charles Manson poem, pretty creepy.

Written by BloodTears on 04.05.2007 at 23:33

Green Carnation use a Poe's poem, namely "alone" in the song they called "alone" on acoustic verses, its actually a very good song.

I haven't heard the Green Carnation one, but Arcturus also did this on La Masquerade Infernale. Same poem (Garm actually used the exact words of it, only singing them instead of speaking them.)

Written by [user id=3312] on 10.05.2007 at 10:14

Written by BloodTears on 04.05.2007 at 23:33

Green Carnation use a Poe's poem, namely "alone" in the song they called "alone" on acoustic verses, its actually a very good song.

I haven't heard the Green Carnation one, but Arcturus also did this on La Masquerade Infernale. Same poem (Garm actually used the exact words of it, only singing them instead of speaking them.)

Almoust ewery early BM band also doom ha sinspirated from poems and lyrics and a lot of early 90ties BM bands use album covers famouse painter works, specely finland, swedisah, norwegain bands

In the spanish-speaking metal world, there are two songs written by Tierra Santa:
La Canción del Pirata Pt1 (The Pirate's song pt1)
La Canción del Pirata Pt2 (The Pirate's song pt1)
The lyrics are from "Jose de Espronceda", a XIX century poet
Its about the glory of being a pirate,
The lyrics (tranlated) are something like:
"Is my ship my treasure
Is my got my freedom
My law, the strenght and the wind
my only coutry the sea...."
Very epic song!!!!!

no-one mentioned maiden's "the trooper" which used to be opened up live by dickinson coming from backstage with a british flag shouting "into the valley of death rode the 600, cannon to the left of them, cannon to the right of them, volleyed and thundered" the video also has written narrative fragments from it(pretty cheesy, but very moving nonetheless, i get spine chills when i see it). so it could be that the song was inspired first from the poem, then the actual historical event.

another interesting fact is that nevermore took its name(from where else?) from 'the raven' by poe.

I think Amorphis' "Tales from The Thousand Lakes" album was inspired by the Finnish poem book, Kalevala (or whatever it is named). Maybe you'll find it of interest ?