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The opening track (well, opening track with lyrics) on Witches is one of the more technical and original songs ever written for Elvira Madigan. The strange arrangements, the riffs together with the piano, the general (very) fast pace yet soft feeling makes "Lilliannah" extremely outstanding. The decision to put it first was by no means an easy one. It somehow felt too... well, not really weird, but original. However, the very high and tightly packed melodies provides something highly magical and the fact that it is an extremely good song helped a little bit. No other song on the album is really this "in your face", and because of it being so "strange" might help in getting those who only care for the absolute mainstream in metal to look elsewhere and catch the interest of those who really care about original music. Lilliannah is sort of divided into two parts with the first containing the entire storyline (and suitably named "Skogsfrun i bäcken" meaning "The woodwife in the stream"). As always, an original storyline unfolds to tell of "Samuel" - a lone wanderer who stumbles upon a wooden entity who lies just beneath the surface of a stream in a far away glade. This woodwife manages to bind his heart under her spell slowly luring him closer and finally drags him down below to devour him. The second part named "portal" (same in English as in Swedish) is basically just loads of different solos and arrangements. During this part it is impossible to catch ones breath! Being so different and strangely built surely didn't help much in making this song into a finished "product". When dealing with such original musical pieces it is always easy to take a "wrong turn" and finding it hard to make it completely satisfying. It took me three or four months to finish the recordings for this song! |
 Så mörkt och kallt, Samuel stannar vid vattnet Hon ligger blek och tyst med slutna ögon Med livet stulet, under ytan Naken med blomster kring sin byst Han kan dock inte slita sin blick Så grann är hon om blott han fick En dag hustru av denna kropp blott äkta Levande eller död Han fäller en silvertår För hennes själ, och hennes svunna liv Och som lovligt byte böjer han sig fram Över flickans nätta kropp Åh, han trånar så, finns det inget sätt Att henne som sin hustru få... ... Han vet så väl hur allt skulle bli ... Ty socknen så from Så gudlös och ond Där blott kristendom Låtit ondskan gro För att sedan få slå i blom Och se, nu framför Samuel i vatten kallt Hon öppnar ögonen och nu nalkas vandrarens fall För han ser blott slutet komma för sent Hon drar honom med sig ner Och snart finns Samuel ej mer Hon fäller en silvertår, för sitt bytes själ Och sitt offers svunna liv Ett sista bett En sista smak av blod Allt svartnar så fort När mängder av vatten han sväljer Och himmelens port försvinner bort ... |
 So dark and cold, Samuel halts by the water She lies pale and silent with eyes shut With her life stolen, below the surface Naked with fauna wrapped around her bussom He can not turn his eyes away So fair, is she, if but he could One day this body himself wed Living or dead He sheds a silvertear For the sake of her soul, and her perished life And like easy pray he bends forward Above the girls fair body Oh, he desires her so, is there no way To make her his wife... ... He knows so well how everything would be ... For the villagers try to be fair So godless and evil Where but chistianity Has let her evil grow Only to later blossom And see, now before Samuel in water cold She opens her eyes and now the travellers fall is at hand For he sees the end but far too late She pulls him down below And soon Samuel is no more She sheds a silvertear, for the soul of her prey And her victims perished life One last bite One last taste of blood It all turn black so fast When far too much water he swallows And the gates of heaven vanishes on the horizon ... |
