Seventh Circle
In the dawn light the scars look pretty
Rain is falling and I can’t sleep
The morning I left
The most beautiful I’ve ever seen
Seagulls crying in the morning
Siren voices, hear them calling
Choirs of angels
So long Marianne
My soul ascends from the realm
Spheres of planets, the soul, four levels
Nine choirs of angels
Christ sits enthroned above them all
The stars glitter from afar
Feel their beauty pierce the heart
I dreamt about you long before we met
Tide of forgetfulness in the bloodstream
Slip between consciousness
Fade in and out dreams
And across the dark Atlantic Belfast lies asleep
And the River Quoile still winds it’s way down to the sea
She is star whose beauty is fading
In her blue eyes her luck is waning
She opened my arms to a million scars
I drift Lethe-wards on the current
I look beatific in the torrent
The rain blowing in my face down the avenue
Tide of forgetfulness in the bloodstream
Slip between consciousness
Fade in and out dreams
And across the dark Atlantic Belfast lies asleep
And the River Quoile still winds i’s way down to the sea
I dreamt about you
Did you wake me?
Was I dreaming?
You were in my dreams
You gave me shelter
Took care of me and set me free
Song Notes
“Seventh Circle” was debuted at the London Astoria in January 2000, under the working title “Singapore Song” and was also played at London’s Water Rats a few months later. It featured former Ash member Charlotte Hatherley on keyboards.
The song was written in a hotel room whilst the band were on tour in Singapore in 1999, Tim explained in an interview with Steve Lamacq in January 2000 that the title is only a working title for the song and it will change as it has nothing to do with the lyrics. The song was worked on during the Free All Angels sessions but left off the album as the band went for a more uptempo pop rock feel on that album and it didn’t fit in. It was again worked on during the Meltdown sessions and a version was recorded however again it was left off, this time because the band went with a more heavier album.
Even though a finished recorded version existed, the song was not used as a B-side to any of Meltdown’s singles. Despite numerous fans protests, “Singapore Song” remained unreleased for over seven years, until it was announced that it would appear as the B-side to the bands “End of the World” single under the title “Seventh Circle”, the version recorded during the Meltdown recording sessions was used.
Rick talking about the song back in 2007:
It was one of those songs that we could never find a home for. It was written back in 2000, before the recording sessions for Free All Angels, but it just didn’t fit the mood of that album. We gave it another shot on the Meltdown sessions, but again it felt out of place with the new rockier material. We had to settle for it being a B-side which is a shame, ’cos it’s such a great song. You can’t hold onto a song forever though.