Drink Deep

Song Meaning

The narrator ventures into a wild, ancient landscape, seeking out mythical "hidden folk." They are offered material wealth – gowns and riches – and an endless night of revelry. This initial encounter feels like a dream, a seductive escape where the narrator forsakes sleep for constant indulgence, urged by the mysterious hosts to "drink deep." The allure of this otherworldly experience quickly turns sinister. Time distorts drastically, with a single night stretching into a millennium and a mere sip becoming a torrent of sorrow. The narrator's physical self deteriorates, their eyes hollowing and skin fading, suggesting a profound, unsustainable cost to this pursuit. Yet, the command to "drink deep" persists, a relentless pressure despite the evident decay. The true horror is revealed in the final verse: the luxurious gifts and the intoxicating drink are not external offerings but derived from the narrator themselves. The "gowns" are stitched from "tenderest flesh," and the thread is spun from "a woman's hair" – implied to be the narrator's own. The realization hits: the act of drinking deep is an act of self-consumption, a draining of their own essence. This self-devouring cycle, even when recognized, continues. The narrator acknowledges the source of their depletion – "Yes, it came from me, it was made from me" – but still succumbs to the urge, repeating "Still I drank deep." This highlights a tragic compulsion, an addiction to a destructive pleasure that ultimately erodes the self, even after the illusion of external reward has shattered.