The Writing On The Wall

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I thought this would be an interesting discussion, and I'd really like to hear some more enlightening opinions on the matter. If it isn't, just throw some pie at me [!--emo&:P--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'tongue.gif\' /][!--endemo--]


I recently noticed that many songs, particularly in the Heavy Metal genre, mention the "Writing on the Wall" in their lyrics. Now, forgive me if it's a common proverb in the English language I know nothing of, but I couldn't help but wonder about it.

A quick glance into the Bible (Daniel; 5:25) reveals that the cipher read "mene mene tekel uparsin". Daniel translated this as "God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

First of all, this can't be explained without the context: An invisible hand wrote the inscription on the wall during a banquet of Belsazar, the last king of Babylon (according to the Bible; historically, the last Babylonian king was Nabonidus). Belsazar is described as a very sinful character who is not worthy of his kingship. Soon afterwards, Babylon is given to the Mede-Persian King Darius (of whom history knows nothing of; Babylon was taken in 539 BC by Cyrus the Great), Belsazar had already been killed by his own people.

On a small side note, I honestly recommend you to read this passage. The Bible (the Old Testament in particular) contains some really great stories which are a worthwhile read even if you don't believe in it.

Now, here are some song lyrics that refer to this episode:

"He's the one who must decide,
Who's to live and who's to die,
And he never sees the writing on the wall."
-Buffy Sainte-Marie, "The Universal Soldier" (more famous by Donovan)

"She was the princess of the night
We saw the writing on the wall
She was the princess of the night
I'd take a ride across the sky"
-Saxon, "Princess Of The Night"

"Die young, die young
Can't you see the writing on the wall?
Die young, die young
Someone stopped the fall"
-Black Sabbath, "Die Young"

"We'll seize the day
So stay with me we'll carry on
We'll seize the day
See the writing on the wall"
-Demons&Wizards, "Seize The Day" (rather faint towards the end, and it doesn't appear in the printed lyrics)


Now, we have four songs (there are certainly lots of others that contain the phrase) with pretty different meanings:

"Universal Soldier" is an anti-war song which basically criticizes the notion that war is fought to bring peace; read the lyrics [a href=\'http://www.creative-native.com/lyrics/univelyr.htm\' target=\'_blank\']here[/a].

"Princess Of The Night" is, unless I got it wrong, a song about an old locomotive that the narrator loved for some reason, and that isn't in service anymore ([a href=\'http://www.saxon747.com/frame.html\' target=\'_blank\']lyrics[/a]).

"Die Young" basically tells you to break out of this life and live for today ([a href=\'http://www.black-sabbath.com/discog/heavenandhell.html#lyrics\' target=\'_blank\']lyrics[/a]).

"Seize The Day" has a similar message to "Die Young", but it is a much more positive and, dare I say, romantic approach.

Needless to say, all four songs are really great (two of them are among my current favourites) and you should listen to them, even if they vary a bit in style.

Now, as I stated, the four topics of the songs are pretty different from each other (except the last two), and to return to the original topic, this means that the "writing on the wall" can and must be interpreted in different ways.

Originally, this writing stated a punishment- a judgement, if you like. God said that Belsazar's time is up, his punishment will (his empire will fall to the Medes and Persians).

The "Universal Soldier" seems to see the writing as some sort of morale- like the Ten Commandments. This interpretation does not make very much sense to me, as Belsazar could not get around what the writing said, while the Soldier apparently can. On the other hand, it could also mean that the writing never appears to the Soldier, which could be a reflection on society which just tolerates the Soldier's deeds.

With the "Princess Of The Night", I can't really make out a deeper meaning of the song at all, so I'll just skip it.

Now, "Die Young" and "Seize The Day" seem to use the same interpretation. The writing is now a menace. Basically, what the songs seem to say is that you should die before the writing can appear for you- and that you should make the best of your life before that. Of course, "Dying" doesn't need to be taken literal here. It could just mean to enjoy your youth until you have grown older and settle down (which most of us will inevitably do).


To give this an appropriate close, here is a classic Rembrandt:

[img src=\'http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Rembrandt-Belsazar.jpg\' border=\'0\' alt=\'user posted image\' /]
 
In Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall, Part 3" there's another reference to the writting on the wall: 'I don't need no walls around me
And I don't need no drugs to calm me
I have seen the writting on the wall
Don't think I need anything at all"

The Wall is about this guy who, due to all the things that happened in his life, starts building a wall around him to protect himself from all other human beings. I think at this point he realises he doesen't need the wall and really wants to take it down. On my own, I don't see what the writting would mean in this context.

But doing a quick Google search on the topic "Writting on the wall" (without the quotation marks) would give you [a href=\'http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/563.html\' target=\'_blank\']this[/a] result. So, I see that it should be a warning to anyone. And I think Roger Waters just used it because it fit with the theme of "The Wall" album.

Blackmores' Night also has a song called exactly "Writting on the Wall" . Could be a cover though, as it doesen't really sound as the usuall Blackmores' Night songs. I'll do some more research. It's just a typicall love song in which one of the poeple deceived the other one and now he's pissed about it...

Also, in the same Google search, my first result was this: [a href=\'http://www.panx.net/ep/0077.htm\' target=\'_blank\']this][/a]

Why it is such a recurrent theme in rock music, I have no idea... Perhaps the TV-evangelists got it all wrong, and in fact, all rock music is God's music (including Dimmu Borgir, and the likes [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--])
 
There is also a Hammerfall song with 'Writing on the Wall' lyrics.

The opening lines to 'Hearts on Fire': "We saw the writings on the wall,
When heathens ruled above us all, Tormented, we still heard the call"

Mabye there is some Power Metal fans here who know what this song is about? e.g. The 7th Son?
 
[!--QuoteBegin-Black Ace+Nov 18 2005, 10:28 AM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Black Ace @ Nov 18 2005, 10:28 AM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]In Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall, Part 3" there's another reference to the writting on the wall:

'I don't need no walls around me
And I don't need no drugs to calm me
I have seen the writting on the wall
Don't think I need anything at all"

The Wall is about this guy who, due to all the things that happened in his life, starts building a wall around him to protect himself from all other human beings. I think at this point he realises he doesen't need the wall and really wants to take it down.  On my own, I don't see what the writting would mean in this context.
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I don't have much to say on the topic for the moment but I though I'd point out that the actual verse goes I don't need no arms around me, I don't need no drugs to calm me, I have seen the writing on the wall, don't think I need anything at all, and that what the song represents how all Pink's (the main character) repressed mental traumas culminate and he completes his wall and enters a state of perfect isolation.

The use of the phrase "Writing on the Wall" is explained on the excellent [a href=\'http://home.mchsi.com/~ttint/\' target=\'_blank\']A Complete Analysis of The Wall[/a] site:

Seeing "the writing on the wall" is a phrase often used when one believes to know the outcome of an event. This "knowing" is not necessarily in a psychic or premonitory sense but rather out of the belief that one knows how things will turn out based on what has happened so far. In an e-mail concerning the origin of this phrase, Robert Bell wrote the following: "the writing on the wall could be an allusion to writing that appeared on the wall at a feast of the proud king Balshazzar (The book of Daniel, The Bible). When the king's wise men failed to decipher the writing, Daniel was summoned and was able to read the inscriptions, which prophesied the King's ruin. That night, the King was slain and his kingdom divided. 'The writing on the wall' is now commonly used as an expression of a warning about one's fate." (Many thanks to Robert for sending this astute observation.) One can only assume what Pink believes will happen if he were to stay with his current course, though he most likely assumes that ultimately he will be devoured by the destructive world, crushed beneath the burdens that he believes are being unfairly placed upon him. As he sees it, the only way to survive is to sacrifice himself to his isolation and to complete his wall, swearing off anyone and everyone that might have been able to offer any amount of help.

Don't know if it's of any help but I thought I'd post it [!--emo&;)--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/wink.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'wink.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
I was thinking about the other day.. I think there is a Rainbow song which mentions the writing on the wall.
 
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