The Vaulted Lead Ceiling - What does it all mean
For those who missed it - I wrote about the meaning behind Rorschach a few days ago.
Today, let's talk about the Vaulted Lead Ceiling, the second track on the Whisper & the Hurricane is a blues-rock song in 4/4 in Ebm.
The eagle-eared among you may have noticed similarities between this track and The Vampyre of Time and Memory by Queens of the Stone Age. I didn't realise how close I had come to stealing their song until after I had recorded mine, but it's different enough to avoid any real accusations of plagiarism.
Simply, the song is about depression. In my original concept, it was sung from the point of view of a woman suffering from post-natal depression, and under such pressures, she could have committed the crime that happens in London Will Fall. However, I revised that idea down, realising it would be hard to write about post-natal depression when I have never had it and can be reassured by the knowledge as a man, I never will.
Compositionally, I decided to employ the descending bassline, obviously to indicate stepping down in mood, but also the increasing intensity which gives way to an unsatisfactory key change (and later back to the original key) symbolises being unable to meaningfully escape depression.
The title refers to the sky during a storm.
Don't worry, this is probably the most somber track on the album (and possibly that I have ever written) and the tone will remain considerably lighter until we get to the Science of Attachment...