The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Killer" by the artist "Van Der Graaf Generator"

The lyrics of the song "Killer" by Van Der Graaf Generator paint a picture of a tragic creature doomed to loneliness by its very nature.

The protagonist is a predator living in the depths of the ocean. It is forced to kill to survive, and this repels everyone else from it. The hero is lonely and craves closeness, but his nature makes it impossible to find "his own" - a friend, a lover, a fellow creature.

The tragedy is heightened by the story of the hero's birth. His mother, also being a "killer", dies in childbirth, realizing that two predators cannot coexist. This detail emphasizes the inevitability of the hero's loneliness, inherent in him by nature itself.

The second part of the song is a cry for help, a plea for salvation. The hero compares himself to a fish unable to fly, emphasizing his helplessness in the face of his own essence. He confesses to killing love, perhaps pushing away someone dear to him, and repents of his deeds.

The image of "murdered love" is symbolic. The hero, like a predator from the depths, destroys the very possibility of intimacy, "vulnerable emotions", and remains completely alone. The repeated "We need love" is a desperate appeal addressed not only to the listener, but also to himself, a plea for forgiveness and hope for salvation from a self-destructive nature.