Miseria Cantare - The Beginning
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Miseria Cantare - The Beginning is the first track on Sing the Sorrow, the first major-label release by the rock group AFI (A Fire Inside). The song is 2 minutes and 56 seconds long. It is an introductory track to the album, and is perhaps intended to serve as something of a call-to-arms among AFI fans. AFI have been known to do this on other albums as well, as evidenced by the songs "Keeping Out of Direct Sunlight (An Introduction)," "Strength Through Wounding," "Initiation," and "Prelude 12/21" on the albums Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes, Black Sails In The Sunset, The Art of Drowning, and Decemberunderground, respectively.
[edit] Description
It opens with a droning sound and some loud, echoing percussive noises that have the impression of being far away. The drone then transitions into a clearer, more melodic sound that seems to be an organ, though it was actually programmed by Jade Puget, the guitarist, in an electronic music production program. Static can be heard at certain points during this part of the song. The percussive bangs persist throughout this part.
The droning ends at 0:45, at which point the drums begin to play a recognizable beat that has special significance for many AFI fans. A woman's fleeting scream can be heard before the rest of the band begins to chant, "Love, your hate, your faith lost. You are now one of us."
Another verse begins at 1:27, where Davey Havok sings alone to Adam Carson's drum beat. The rest of the band then comes in, including guitar and bass. This verse repeats with these instruments playing along, and then repeats the first verse.
[edit] Miscellaneous
"Miseria Cantare" is a Latin phrase. When translated into Spanish and then to English, it yields the rough result, "of sorrow I sing." The name of the album is Sing the Sorrow.
AFI has opened numerous concerts with this song, and they play the first part directly from the source, before joining in at the second verse.
Professional wrestler CM Punk used an edited version of this song, with a longer introduction, as his entrance theme while wrestling in Ring of Honor. It has long been associated with him, even after leaving ROH.
