Swedish metal band Ghost has long been celebrated for their macabre pageantry, theatrical costumes, and deeply conceptual storytelling.
With the release of their sixth studio album, Skeletá, on April 25, 2025, the band has ushered in a new chapter under the visage of Papa V Perpetua, the latest incarnation of frontman Tobias Forge.
The second single from the record, “Lachryma”, is quickly emerging as a fan-favourite — not just for its lyrical weight but for its haunting video, which reveals something fans had never seen before: the unmistakable facial expressions of Papa Perpetua. This small but powerful visual detail has ignited discussion and enthusiasm across the fanbase, underscoring the emotional resonance of the song.
Exploring the Meaning of Lachryma’s Lyrics
The word lachryma, Latin for “tear,” immediately positions this track in a place of sorrow, catharsis, and vulnerability. While Ghost is known for its grandiose occult theatrics, “Lachryma” takes a far more personal turn – diving deep into the decay of a relationship and the self-empowerment that comes from emotional detachment.
“Ripping through every poem / Like a vampire should” opens the song with vivid imagery – poetry being a metaphor for vulnerability, intimacy, and beauty, while the vampire represents a figure that exploits and drains. The line “And it takes one to know ‘em / Like I knew you would” cleverly frames the narrator as both victim and reluctant participant, suggesting self-recognition in the toxicity.
The pre-chorus, repeated like a chant throughout the song — “In the middle of the night, it feeds / In the middle of the night, it eats you” – refers not only to the other person but also the parasitic nature of grief and obsession. This nocturnal feeding evokes insomnia, dread, and emotional vulnerability that haunts even in solitude.
The Skeletá album, whose title hints at mortality and what lies beneath, marks a tonal shift for Ghost – from apocalyptic prophecy and blasphemous satire to something more internal and reflective. Lachryma fits perfectly into this arc: it is a song about rot, not just physical but emotional. “Now that sweet’s gone sour / Seeping down the cracks” paints the relationship as something once good turned poisonous – an inevitable collapse accelerated by denial and decay.
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the Lachryma video is how it visually echoes this narrative. For the first time, Tobias Forge, as Papa Perpetua, is only partially obscured, his facial expressions raw and human. The typically masked or heavily painted character is suddenly laid bare – a subtle but powerful parallel to the emotional unmasking that happens lyrically. Fans have widely praised this choice, noting the impact of finally seeing the emotion in his eyes, the strain in his jaw, as he sings “I’m done crying over someone like you.” The mask has always been a symbol of Ghost’s mythology – removing it, even partially, adds intense emotional weight and vulnerability to the story.
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Ghost Lachryma’s Lyrics In Full
Verse 1
Ripping through every poem
Like a vampire should
And it takes one to know ’em
Like I knew you would
Pre-Chorus
In the middle of the night, it feeds
In the middle of the night, it eats you
Everybody knows, everywhere I go
I can never run and I cannot hide
Chorus
I’m done crying over someone like you
I’m done crying, I hope you’re feeling it too, now
I’m done
Verse 2
Crying, crying
Now that sweet’s gone sour
Seeping down the cracks
Mm, getting worse by the hour
The vile rot attacks, oh
Pre-Chorus
In the middle of the night, it feeds
In the middle of the night, it eats you
Everybody knows, everywhere I go
I can never run and I cannot hide
Chorus
I’m done crying over someone like you
I’m done crying, I hope you’re feeling it too, now
I’m done
Crying, crying
Pre-Chorus
Everybody knows, everywhere I go
And I cannot wait until the day
Chorus
I’m done crying over someone like you
I’m done crying, I hope you’re feeling it too, now
I’m done crying (crying) over someone like you
I’m done crying (crying), I need somebody new now
I’m done
Where Theatrics Meet Truth
Ghost’s Lachryma is more than a breakup song, it is an exorcism. Through ghoulish metaphors and visceral emotion, it charts the corrosive nature of attachment and the liberation that follows release. It’s a bold and intimate entry in a discography often shrouded in metaphor and mask – both literally and figuratively.
With Skeletá, and Lachryma in particular, Ghost dares to peel back the layers. And in doing so, they have gifted fans not only a deeply relatable narrative but an unprecedented glimpse of Papa Perpetua’s true emotional face – a symbolic moment of vulnerability that makes Lachryma one of the most important and transformative songs in Ghost’s catalogue to date.
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