Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: grindcore
Song Meaning of “On the Gallows” by Tombthroat
This hard-hitting track by Tombthroat speaks to the sadness and despair that can haunt us in the most terrible of moments. Through dream-like imagery, the song paints a vivid picture of despair, of being suspended between life and death. In it, the lyrical persona speaks of being bound and trapped in a darkness that comes closest to a living death. The chorus of the song serves to deepen the sense of impending doom, with a stark declaration of being “on the gallows, awaiting the noose/ waiting to meet my doom.” While the music is ominous, the despair of the protagonist shines through it. As they face their unknown fate, there seems to be a sense of resignation that permeates the piece- a recognition that death awaits them, and that they cannot escape it. In this way, ‘On the Gallows’ speaks to the chilling but all-too-real fear of living in a world where it is impossible to escape death.