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Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Mikael Akerfeldt
Mikael Akerfeldt
Lead Vocals
Fredrik Åkesson
Fredrik Åkesson
Guitar
Waltteri Väyrynen
Waltteri Väyrynen
Drums
Joakim Svalberg
Joakim Svalberg
Background Vocals
Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson
Flute
Joey Tempest
Joey Tempest
Background Vocals
London Session Orchestra
London Session Orchestra
Strings
Martín Méndez
Martín Méndez
Bass
Mia Westlund
Mia Westlund
Harp
Mírjam Åkerfeldt
Mírjam Åkerfeldt
Spoken Word
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Mikael Akerfeldt
Mikael Akerfeldt
Songwriter
Dave Stewart
Dave Stewart
String Arranger
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Opeth
Opeth
Mixing Engineer
Mikael Akerfeldt
Mikael Akerfeldt
Producer
Stefan Boman
Stefan Boman
Mixing Engineer
Miles Showell
Miles Showell
Mastering Engineer
Dave Stewart
Dave Stewart
Additional Producer
Joe Jones
Joe Jones
Recording Engineer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Starless
And darkness waning slowly
A cold enigma
Would move me forward
[Verse 2]
O hapless life!
Now I pledge to you
All secrets revealed now
In paragraphs
[Verse 3]
Trust me
Over time you will heal
Spit on or tend to my grave
A man saved from a damnation's winter
[Verse 4]
And the corpse of your father was entombed
He is my haunting phantasma and my plague
Conjured up persecution of my virtue
My internal collapse and spiritual leprosy
A Lord Juggernaut
Like the bearer of death
Waiting
Decrepit strategies set
Contaminating
Eating bits of my wretched throne
Forevermore
[Verse 5]
I found no traction in this haze
Defiled, I'd long for sleep
A tainted family
In a tainted sanctuary
How could I justify my reasoning?
[Verse 6]
A grave mistake
I sunk in cold black light
[Verse 7]
He was of inferior class
A servant to me
Ha! The irony in this perverted odyssey
[Verse 8]
If our father's word is true, we're are bastards too
It's a riddle?
No!
Or a caper?
No!
A mockery?
No!
A deception!
No!
[Verse 9]
And my sickly daughter looking on bewildered
A jewel in our hierarchy
My exalted successor
Rise!
[Verse 10]
In my life
I've asked of you
Take care of your kin, child
And her blood runs in mine
[Verse 11]
Post scriptum:
Over time you will kneel
(Heal- crossed out)
Over time you will kneel
[Verse 12]
Rid your throes from this coronation in reverence
Uprooted you are
[Verse 13]
And in the summary coming
The proverbial sanctum of mine is up for debate
The execution of will
The crowning of an heiress
[Verse 14]
You are tethered to command
A requiem devised and signed by hand
You are tethered to command
A requiem devised and signed by hand
Written by: Mikael Akerfeldt
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