My Curse (song)
Encyclopedia
"My Curse" is a song by American metalcore
band Killswitch Engage
, the song is released as the first single from their fourth album As Daylight Dies
. It reached #21 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, surpassing the band's last breakthrough single The End of Heartache
. The music video was directed by Lex Halaby, who has also directed videos for Hoobastank
and Mudvayne
. My Curse, along with the rest of the album, has been generally praised by critics but has received substantial criticism for breaking away from the style established in preceding albums, toning down their previously "harder" sound.
One book in particular is picked up as the scene transitions to a man dressed in black in a small, dimly lit study with only a little sunlight shining through the slightly open drapes; the mood of the room juxtaposes the mood of the bright and open field. As he flips through the book, Howard Jones is shown singing, and then the rest of the band members appear playing their instruments. The mysterious man in black continues to pull books from the shelves and continues to flip through them; whenever the contents of a book are shown, members of Killswitch Engage
are shown.
The man gazes upon an empty bookcase as the scene transitions again to the field. The woman in white and the stacks of books are shown again.
The man, still in his dimly lit room, begins to return the books to the bookcase, and unrolls a large sheet of paper that contains plans for the arrangement of the books on the bookcase. The man painstakingly reorganizes the books on the shelf according to his messily drawn plans. Still, all the while books are shown being flipped through, exposing the band singing or playing their instruments, and the man continues to draw plans and scribble out sections of the bookcase. He stares out of the window and then sits on a chair, presumably thinking of the woman standing in the field.
The empty bookcase in the field continues to stand before the rolling hills and bright blue sky. The case is then shown completely filled with the organized books, and the scene shifts back to the man whose eyes then look back up, staring at a vacant section of the bookcase. His head turns to look at a black book with the letters "KSE" (which stands for Killswitch Engage) printed on the cover and spine. He retrieves the book, causing other books to fall, and flips through it. This time, it is the woman who is seen in the pages staring back at the man. The man places the book in the vacant space on the shelf, at which point white beams of light emit from the shelf as the man steps backward.
When he removes the KSE book, he is able to peer through the bookcase and into the yellow field and see the woman. He reaches out through the bookcase and into the field, and the woman in the white dress takes his hand. The dark study is now empty with a vibrant light glaring through the empty section of the bookcase. The man in black is now lying in the field next to the woman in white as they gaze into each other's eyes; they are then seen standing side by side, staring off into the blue sky beyond the hills.
The man in black is then seen back in the study, lying dead under the fallen bookcase and atop a scattered stack of books on the floor, holding the KSE book, which falls from his hand. The plans are shown once more with a bold red circle around an "X" at the center of the bookcase where the KSE book was previously placed as the video fades to black.
singles, "Rose of Sharyn" and "The End of Heartache
" from The End of Heartache
album, "My Curse" pertains to the theme of dwelling on a passed loved one. The woman in the white dress in the field represents the man in black's life with her when he felt happy and free. The dark study is an embodiment of his depression after her metaphoric death (To see you again/Dying, inside, these walls/ Dying, inside, these walls), and the books the man flips through throughout the video represent his memories of her. After her death, he dwells on her passing (I strain my eyes, hoping to see you again) and tries to find a way to be with her again (There is love burning to find you / Will you wait for me? / Will you be there?). Ultimately, his memories consume him; however, as his memories finally kill him, he is finally able to reunite with his love (And I see your face). The man's "curse" is that he is trapped in a life where he is unable to be with the woman he loves (This is my curse, the longing / This is my curse, time / This is my curse, the yearning).
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
, the song is released as the first single from their fourth album As Daylight Dies
As Daylight Dies
As Daylight Dies is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on November 21, 2006 through Roadrunner Records. It was produced by Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel.- Background and release :...
. It reached #21 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, surpassing the band's last breakthrough single The End of Heartache
The End of Heartache
The End of Heartache is the third studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on May 11, 2004 through Roadrunner Records. It is the first album to feature lead vocalist Howard Jones from the mathcore band Blood Has Been Shed after Jesse Leach's departure from the band...
. The music video was directed by Lex Halaby, who has also directed videos for Hoobastank
Hoobastank
Hoobastank is an American rock band, best known for their 2004 hit "The Reason" and other hits "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away". They formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, with singer Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist Markku Lappalainen. They...
and Mudvayne
Mudvayne
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
. My Curse, along with the rest of the album, has been generally praised by critics but has received substantial criticism for breaking away from the style established in preceding albums, toning down their previously "harder" sound.
Description
In the music video, the vast majority of the lyrics are sung cleanly (not screamed), however on the album much of the lyrics including the chorus are screamed. The music video opens in a golden field with hills in the background, focusing on a woman in a white dress with the sun shining bright in the serene blue sky. Numerous stacks of books are also present in the field; some are scattered and messily thrown about, some have insects crawling on the pages. The woman is also shown lying on top of the books.One book in particular is picked up as the scene transitions to a man dressed in black in a small, dimly lit study with only a little sunlight shining through the slightly open drapes; the mood of the room juxtaposes the mood of the bright and open field. As he flips through the book, Howard Jones is shown singing, and then the rest of the band members appear playing their instruments. The mysterious man in black continues to pull books from the shelves and continues to flip through them; whenever the contents of a book are shown, members of Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
are shown.
The man gazes upon an empty bookcase as the scene transitions again to the field. The woman in white and the stacks of books are shown again.
The man, still in his dimly lit room, begins to return the books to the bookcase, and unrolls a large sheet of paper that contains plans for the arrangement of the books on the bookcase. The man painstakingly reorganizes the books on the shelf according to his messily drawn plans. Still, all the while books are shown being flipped through, exposing the band singing or playing their instruments, and the man continues to draw plans and scribble out sections of the bookcase. He stares out of the window and then sits on a chair, presumably thinking of the woman standing in the field.
The empty bookcase in the field continues to stand before the rolling hills and bright blue sky. The case is then shown completely filled with the organized books, and the scene shifts back to the man whose eyes then look back up, staring at a vacant section of the bookcase. His head turns to look at a black book with the letters "KSE" (which stands for Killswitch Engage) printed on the cover and spine. He retrieves the book, causing other books to fall, and flips through it. This time, it is the woman who is seen in the pages staring back at the man. The man places the book in the vacant space on the shelf, at which point white beams of light emit from the shelf as the man steps backward.
When he removes the KSE book, he is able to peer through the bookcase and into the yellow field and see the woman. He reaches out through the bookcase and into the field, and the woman in the white dress takes his hand. The dark study is now empty with a vibrant light glaring through the empty section of the bookcase. The man in black is now lying in the field next to the woman in white as they gaze into each other's eyes; they are then seen standing side by side, staring off into the blue sky beyond the hills.
The man in black is then seen back in the study, lying dead under the fallen bookcase and atop a scattered stack of books on the floor, holding the KSE book, which falls from his hand. The plans are shown once more with a bold red circle around an "X" at the center of the bookcase where the KSE book was previously placed as the video fades to black.
Interpretation
Much like the previous Killswitch EngageKillswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
singles, "Rose of Sharyn" and "The End of Heartache
The End of Heartache
The End of Heartache is the third studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on May 11, 2004 through Roadrunner Records. It is the first album to feature lead vocalist Howard Jones from the mathcore band Blood Has Been Shed after Jesse Leach's departure from the band...
" from The End of Heartache
The End of Heartache
The End of Heartache is the third studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. It was released on May 11, 2004 through Roadrunner Records. It is the first album to feature lead vocalist Howard Jones from the mathcore band Blood Has Been Shed after Jesse Leach's departure from the band...
album, "My Curse" pertains to the theme of dwelling on a passed loved one. The woman in the white dress in the field represents the man in black's life with her when he felt happy and free. The dark study is an embodiment of his depression after her metaphoric death (To see you again/Dying, inside, these walls/ Dying, inside, these walls), and the books the man flips through throughout the video represent his memories of her. After her death, he dwells on her passing (I strain my eyes, hoping to see you again) and tries to find a way to be with her again (There is love burning to find you / Will you wait for me? / Will you be there?). Ultimately, his memories consume him; however, as his memories finally kill him, he is finally able to reunite with his love (And I see your face). The man's "curse" is that he is trapped in a life where he is unable to be with the woman he loves (This is my curse, the longing / This is my curse, time / This is my curse, the yearning).
In popular culture
- The song is featured in Guitar Hero III: Legends of RockGuitar Hero III: Legends of RockGuitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
. - The song is also featured as downloadable content for Rock BandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
as part of the "Roadrunner 6 Pack". - The song is featured in Burnout Dominator and in Burnout ParadiseBurnout ParadiseBurnout Paradise is the seventh game in the Burnout racing video game series. It was developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. It was released in January 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and on February 5, 2009 for Microsoft Windows...
. - The song was used as the entrance song for Tim HagueTim HagueTimothy Edward Lee Hague is a Canadian mixed martial artist. He is a former Heavyweight Champion of King of the Cage.- Biography :...
at UFC 102UFC 102UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 29, 2009 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon...
.