“Hellraiser” by Illiterate Light – A Song Feature

 

      The staccato delivery of lyrics in “Hellraiser” artfully invites the listener to piece together the references that might otherwise seem disjointed, although interesting. The beginning is a coherent, but choppy, description of the setting and perspective on watching the horror film from which the song borrows its title. But a listener is unlikely to put in any effort if not for the instrumental creativity and the dynamic intensity of “Hellraiser.” Illiterate Light seamlessly progresses from a reflective and quiet start to a rhythmically energized conclusion.
 
     Illiterate Light is the duo of Jeff Gorman (vocals, guitar) and Jake Cochran (drums). They are based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, but Cochran has his roots in Nashville, Tennessee. “Hellraiser” is on their album “Sunburned,” which was released on January 27 via Thirty Tigers. Gorman said, “On our first record, we were very live-focused and wanted to make sure whatever we were writing was translated in person. Without that crutch, we could be more adventurous and take more risks. We definitely weren’t timid in the studio.”
 
     Regarding the single, Gorman added:
  “‘Hellraiser’ is not an autobiographical song. Much of our new record is autobiographical and emotionally intimate, but ‘Hellraiser’ is a different beast. It came about while I was conducting a series of psychological experiments on myself after reading a chapter of the ‘Red Book’ by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. The song is a voodoo gumbo of my own subconscious grappling with uninitiated masculinity, pain vs pleasure, and a childhood love of horror films. I wrote the form and lyrics, Jake played keys and drums, and we embraced the studio in a new way, rejecting previous limitations we’d put on ourselves.”
 
     Jake Cochran directed the lyrical video for “Hellraiser.” He also played the male role. The female part is Eliza Eaton. Regarding the video, Cochran said:
  “I decided to shape the imagery and emotion of the lyrics into a haunting story of regret. Pulling from the horror roots of the song title, it is a tense look into a failing relationship from a creepy, voyeuristic perspective. From the shadows, the main character haunts his past self, peeking through windows and reliving the meaningless victory that ruined his life.”
 
     “Hellraiser” by Illiterate Light

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Lyrics of “Hellraiser” by Illiterate Light
Summer night
Hellraiser
The horror film
At your brother’s
Rocky road
I hate the sight
Of Butterball
And the cenobites
 
Torture scene I start to curse
I shield my eyes with your sweatshirt
 
Let's get real with one another
Let's go drive out past the suburbs
 
Are you a Gemini?
Or a Scorpio?
I'm a virgin
I mean Virgo
 
You ran a red light
And then another
In the backseat
In the backseat
 
Somethin' startin’ to not feel right
We turned left we should've turned right
 
Open lament configuration
Mother Mary invocation
 
We're goin’ faster now
Than I thought we would
It's getting late and
You're givin' out ultimatums
 
Like a samurai
With a sharp sword
But you ain't got the trainin'
So you're just goddamn dangerous
No you ain't got the training
So your just goddamn dangerous
No you ain't got the training
Yeah you're just goddamn dangerous
 
Back to Jake's
Blowout basement
Party time
Time to erase it
 
You with your boys
Startin rumors
Ten shots of wine
Wanna feel it sooner
 
Torture scene I start to curse
You better get those paws out of my purse
(We never even nearly kissed
You little lyin’ hedonist)
 
I never said that I'd go home with you
I never said that I'd go home with you
I never said that I'm in love with you
I never said that I, I, I, I...
 
We're goin' faster now
Than I thought we would
It's getting late and
You're givin out ultimatums
 
Like a samurai
With a sharp sword
But you ain't got the trainin'
So you're just goddamn dangerous
No you ain't got the training
So you're just goddamn dangerous
No you ain't got the training
So you're just goddamn dangerous
 
I'm ready to fast forward
Past this scene
 
We're goin' faster now
Than I thought we would
It's getting late and
You're givin out ultimatums
Like a samurai
With a sharp sword
But you ain't got the trainin
Yeah you're just goddamn dangerous
No you ain't got the training
Yeah you're just goddamn dangerous
No you ain't got the training
So you're just goddamn dangerous
 
Nah nah nah
Nah nah nah nah
[Repeating]