Vermilion

"Vermilion"
Single by Slipknot from the album Vol. 3: the Subliminal Verses
Released	October 16, 2004
Format	CD single
Genre	Alternative metal (Pt. I) / Acoustic Rock Power Ballad (Pt. II)
Length	16:41
Label	Roadrunner Records
Slipknot singles chronology
"Duality" (2003) "Vermilion" (2004) "Before I Forget" (2004)
Vermilion, Pt. 2

"Vermilion" is a single released by the band Slipknot. One idea about the meaning of the song is that it is sung from a stalker's point of view. Another view is that it is a song about unrequited love. Another is that it is simply a song about lost love, perhaps about a dead love. Another common view is that the song is a song sung from a suicidal person's perspective.

It should also be noted that the song is more of a two-part story than a self contained piece. Vermilion Pt. 1 has a heavier sound and its lyrics contain a much more psychotic and obsessive vibe than its counterpart, Vermilion Pt. 2. However, key lyrics, "she isn't real" and "I can't make her real" are used in both songs alluding to the duel nature of unrequited love, one being obsessive, the other melancholy. This concept is furthered with the two respective videos.

Track Listing

1. "Vermilion" (Single Mix) - 4:16
2. "Scream" - 4:32
3. "Danger - Keep Away" (Full-Length Version) - 7:53

The Music Video

In Vermilion Pt. 1, it shows a girl living a tortured life in a crowded city. She walks around in contortions and twists as people walk by in a blur, not noticing her pain at all. The only time she gets noticed is when she wears a Maggot Mask (a mask specially designed for fans of the band to wear) which makes the members of the band appear and dance with the girl. On the first time she puts on the mask, the band members appear in front of her and they put on a white mask which enables their true faces to be seen for a couple of seconds. Then the band members dance with her. A caterpillar is also seen growing in the video and at the end seen it turns into a butterfly. The video ends with the girl screaming and tearing her hair out in utter anguish. The Vermilion Pt. 2 video shows the same girl, but this time in a field peacefully sleeping. The wind begins to lift her and sway her back and forth. Eventually, the viewer realizes the girl is dead; however, she appears to be in a more peaceful state than when she was alive in the first music video.

The Vermilion Girl

The woman in the videos for Vermilion Pt. 1 & 2 has been rumoured to be a partner of one of the band members or in some way related to them. She is actually an actress, Janna Bossier in Los Angeles.

Song Meaning

The lyrics in Vermilion have been heavily influenced by the concepts of German philosopher Frederich Nietzsche and French philosopher René Descartes. "I'm a slave, and I am a master" refers to Nietzsche's master-slave morality theory, while "I exist through my need" and "She isn't real, I can't make her real" refers to Cartesian dualism.

It has been suggested that the title Vermilion comes from the word "Verisimilitude" which means "seeming to be real." This is supported by the lyrics "she isn't real", not to mention the fact that Vermilion itself is a colour, a shade of red implying the relations of the color red to the lyrics.

Live renditions

When the band plays the song live, they switch from their ordinary masks and wear "death masks".

External links

• Official Site
• Janna Bossier on IMDB

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