LYRICAL LOITERINGS OF A LISTENER Series
Thoughts, ideas and reactions provoked by song lyrics. The series is also featured on Clink Music Magazine.
One of the most disturbing stories to emerge in the last decade is that of the infamous Josef Fritzl and his daughter Elisabeth. A brief summary: Josef Fritzl kidnapped his daughter Elisabeth and held her captive in the basement of his house for 24 years. Fritzl physically abused, sexually abused and raped his daughter, who birthed seven children, one of whom died three days after birth – his body was incinerated by Josef Fritzl on his property. Three of the children were imprisoned along with their mother for the whole of their lives and the other three children were raised by Fritzl and his wife Rosemarie in the upstairs home. German metallers Caliban have captured the heart-breaking hell of Elisabeth’s experience in the song “24 Years”.
24 Years
Tell me!
How will I ever forget this
24 years of isolation?
24 years of black.
I will never forget this
24 years of separation
24 years of pain?
I will never forget this
24 years of ignorance
24 years of hate.
How will I ever forget?
Raped and used with my own blood
You stole my life and dreams.
You are my darkest fear.
I will never be the same
I will never smile again
You brought the darkness into my life
You taught me how to cry.
Why?
Why?
My inner struggle will just end when I
Take my last breath
And I will see you suffer
Until you close your eyes.
I’m just an empty shell.
I will never forget this
24 years of trepidation
24 years of lies
How will I ever forget?
You stole my innocence
And gave me living death.
Just an empty shell
I’m just an empty shell.
SHELL!
My inner struggle will just end when I
Take my last breath
And I will see you suffer
Until you close your eyes.
I will never be the same
I will never smile again
You brought the darkness into my life
You taught me how to cry.
Why?
Why?
Joseph Fritzl is unquestionably a sick sick individual and Elisabeth’s story serves as a shocking reminder of how sadistically cruel human beings can be. Caliban’s song exposes the raw hurt of Elisabeth at the hands of her father. The brutal ‘metal’ telling of “24 years” reflects not only the physical pain Elisabeth endured but the torturous mental agony to which she was subjected. She was physically raped but Joseph Fritzl also raped his daughter’s soul – he stole her life, dreams and her innocence. The lyricist describes Elisabeth as an “empty shell”.
The Fritzl story is extreme in its horror – it is a real life story of despicable theft… the left of a life and a soul through physical, mental and emotional rape and torture. But, without minimising Elisabeth’s story, this kind of theft is not uncommon – it occurs the world over but in a more subtle manner. Parents thieve from children, friends thieve from friends, employers thieve from employees… and the list could ramble on – it is an emotional theft that occurs through manipulation, harsh words and unfair expectations. Joseph Fritzl’s disgusting treatment of his daughter is a physical representation of the destructive nature of many relationships that successfully rob individuals of their passions, dreams and innocence, leaving empty shells to roam the earth, merely existing as opposed to living.
The dark and very real tragedy of Elisabeth’s life makes it so difficult not to just do the ostrich thing and bury… far and deep. The lyricist screams “I will never be the same/ I will never smile… Why?/ Why?” – the words render into poignant being the grievous nature of a metaphorical death; the complete annihilation of a life. I’d like to say that Joseph Fritzl is a far worse a human being than I am. I’d like to think of myself as good and moral because I have never been involved in rape, murder or torture. Practically speaking yes, the aforementioned may be true, but philosophically… can I be so certain? Not actually. And this is a dead scary thing to take cognisance of. How do I know that I haven’t robbed someone of their dream, or crushed a spirit so intensely that it died – one word, one look, one phrase or thoughtless gesture could have done all the damage. And so while I am traumatised by the Fritzl story, it serves as a stark reminder of my responsibility as a human being; to be consistently and consciously aware of the fact that my actions and words impact others… maybe not all the time but maybe one significant instance is all it takes. The moral? Offer the world generous compassion and understanding rather than selfish, thoughtless egotism.
