Song Meaning
The scene opens with a disorienting, almost suffocating atmosphere, described by a "blind sky" and "shadows draped in vapor." There's a primal, almost animalistic energy in the "dancing 'round the pillar" and "grunting in euphoria," suggesting a raw, uninhibited experience. This initial burst of sensation is immediately contrasted with a sense of entrapment and decay, as the "place is like a big mouth" and the "field moans with million diseases."
The core tension seems to lie between this ecstatic, perhaps desperate, pursuit of pleasure and the grim, inescapable reality of the environment. The repeated phrase "Take your share of the night" acts as both an invitation and a grim imperative, urging participation in this fleeting, possibly destructive, revelry. It suggests a limited window of opportunity within a fundamentally diseased or decaying space.
The imagery of the "big mouth" and the "mire" creates a visceral sense of being consumed or stuck, while the "million diseases" and "doors that lead nowhere" amplify a feeling of futility. Despite the "euphoria," the setting is depicted as inherently hostile and offering no true escape or resolution, only a temporary indulgence.
This juxtaposition of intense, almost frenzied, experience against a backdrop of decay and futility is what makes the lyrics so potent. The insistent repetition of "Take your share of the night" underscores the urgency and perhaps the tragic nature of seeking pleasure in a place that offers no lasting solace, only a temporary reprieve from an overwhelming sense of dread.