HIM Discography Project - Part I: Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666

This past week, I was reintroduced to cento poetry, which, as Wikipedia puts it, "is a poetical work wholly composed of verses or passages taken from other authors disposed in a new form or order." A fellow writer in my writing group had brought a few pieces she'd composed using the lyrics of one of her favorite bands, and the idea delighted me so much that I decided I'd starting experimenting with cento poems.

As a teenager I discovered the band HIM, and I've been a devoted fan ever since. To these day, I still rank them in my top 3 artists, and much of that I can attributed to the beauty of their lyrics, primarily composed by frontman Ville Valo.

My intention is to create a poem inspired by each of their albums, working through their discography to tell new stories with Valo's words. So, of course, that brings us to their debut studio album: Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666.

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All I want is you; it’s strange what desire will make foolish people do. Oh my god you’re so lonely, I’d never dreamed that I’d need somebody like you. If you’d only see in my heart, I’m for you and I’m dying for your love.

You’re the one. I’m killing myself for your love, and again all is lost. I just want you to know I’ll always be waiting. Heavenly flames I’ve already scorched in - don’t you know it is wrong? In the grace of your love I writhe in pain, what a wicked thing you do. A drop of your blood tastes like wine today, and you’re begging for more though the end is getting near.

I’m losing my faith in you. And you’re crushing my heart - your pain is not love. The distance between us seems to grow. I’m for you and my heaven’s wherever you are, so we open the door and we die a bit more. All our times have come, your world is coming to its end. For love is fading so slowly, t’s all tears and it will be ‘til the end of your time. To you all is lost; will you let it rain, when love and death embrace? 

Save your happiness for tomorrow; I’m waiting for you to drown in my love, and today we’ll drown in your tears. We’re in love with death and we die on and on, so open your arms.

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Tracklist (all works written by Valo, except where noted):

1. Your Sweet Six Six Six

2. Wicked Game [lyrics by Chris Isaak]

3. The Heartless

4. Our Diabolikal Rapture [lyrics by Valo, Linde Lindström, & Teemu Järvinen]

5. It's All Tears (Drown in This Love)

6. When Love and Death Embrace

7. The Beginning of the End

8. (Don't Fear) The Reaper [lyrics by Buck Dharma]

9. For You [lyrics by Valo & Lindström]

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Sources:

• Cento (poetry) - Wikipedia

• HIM discography - Wikipedia

• Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 - Wikipedia

• HIM lyrics - Dark Lyrics