Learn English – What does this quote by Johnny Quid mean

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What does this quote mean:

Oh, beauty is a beguiling call to death and I'm addicted to the sweet pitch of its siren."

The quote is attributed to Johnny Quid in the movie RocknRolla.

Best Answer

The "sweet pitch of the siren", refers to Greek mythology where shipwrecks were attributed by the enchanting song of the sirens who would attract them to the dangerously rocky shores.

The sirens were mythical female "water nymphs" that were variously described as mermaid-like or winged. They lived on dangerous rocky outcrops and their song was considered irresistable to sailors. As such their song was said to lead the sailors to their death, by bringing the ships too close to these dangerous shores.

So the quotation you've written is simply a reference to this ancient Greek mythology, that is still often referred to in popular culture. A few that spring to mind below:

If you saw the Coen Brothers movie 'Oh brother, where art thou?', based on Homer's 'Odyssey', there was a moment in the movie where George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson are drawn to the river by the song of three mysterious sirens:

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