The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Dead but Rising" by the artist "Volbeat"

The lyrics of "Dead but Rising" by the Danish band Volbeat are filled with grief and hope. The lyrical hero addresses the Mississippi wind, asking it to call someone by name. This is probably a deceased loved one, possibly the father, considering the line "Dear son" at the end of the song.

The hero follows the "wings" of the departed on a "sunny day," which could be a metaphor for death and the transition to the afterlife. He is torn between the belief that the departed was "chosen" or "fallen," but constantly repeats the phrase "Dead but rising," expressing hope that death is not the end.

The raised fist with "strength and fortune" symbolizes the struggle and the desire to reunite with the departed, likened to an eagle ("talons").

The song features a motif of Native American culture, expressed in the address to the Mississippi wind. The words "I have been where the waters end… where the earth ends… ridden the storm" refer to shamanic journeys and trials that the soul undergoes after death. The father's voice promises to guide and direct the hero, promising to return home.

In the finale of the song, the hope for resurrection is intensified: "The rebirth of man heals the bleeding heart. My father’s soul is in the eagle divine." The image of an eagle soaring above the earth symbolizes freedom, greatness, and the immortality of the soul.