The host of the show comes down
To collapse on the ground
And the crime scene revisits me
This body shut down in Bordeaux
And the shores of gold coast on the balcony
I search for sleep
The future has fallen short
When the sun sets north
And the clouds fall from the mirrored walls

Words speak and choose
Make sense and lose
Capsize the tall tale, but always fail
Words speak and choose, make sense and lose
Forfeit the tall tale, I always will

The host had his mouth sewn shut
All in the name of trust
When the blood goes thin, he's given in
You can spare us the formal toast
The drunken anecdotes
From this day on, goes on and on,

You know when he falls apart
He listens in the dark to records turn
I'll never learn

To set it down
You'll set it down
You'll set it down


Lyrics submitted by replaced

Collapse Lyrics as written by Matthaeus Guenther Miller Jim Ward

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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26 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    this is easily sparta's best song on either album. i love it so much i dont even want to care what its about.

    PS mars volta are better though

    atthedrive-inon November 16, 2004   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    I agree with the person that said they thought it was about alcohol.

    I’ve always taken this song as a struggle with addiction. Like the beginning of the song is the person as the host for abuse as they come down off their addiction (whatever that may be). They collapse and begin to pass out as they see “I search for sleep, the future has fallen short.”

    They speak and choose the words to justify their actions. The can get it to make sense to continue their addiction but still always lose. When they see their tale coming apart for what it is they fail and abandon it to continue their addiction.

    The people around them no longer want to listen to their tale. The person’s mouth is sewn shut. They start to realize trust is falling apart and their drunken tales are not even paid attention to anymore and it goes on and on.

    When they finally fall apart there will be a crossroads of will they ever learn and set it down. To me it ends open ended of did they set it down or just fall apart.

    I like the other meanings posted here too. I think the same song can mean different things for different people.

    vernashon December 16, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i cant beleive no one has commented on this this song is beautiful, when the bridge kicks in with "to set it down" its the most beautiful thing ive heard, i couldnt stop listening to this song

    ok my attempt at interpretaiton: it must have something to do with international hardships when he talks about bordeaux and the gold coast (in africa for those who lve in a cave)

    the host of the show could mean god who hosts our lives if you want to get all gayly religious about it. and hes saying that he doesnt do much to help everyone in hard times he just comes to collapse on the ground.

    then hes saying"the future has fallen short when the sun sets north and clouds fall from mirrored walls" like our days are being cut before the sun can set west, like were shortening our own future and oppurtunity

    the chorus is saying that you can try to stop words and gossip and lies but youll never overcome them and iyou need to understand it and accept it

    the host could also be just a hero figure and when his mouth is sewn shut he gives in cause he cant fight with words any longer. and you can spare the world of his eulogy because its the same old story, that the hero is defeated in our world.

    and when it all falls apart he just has himself and escapism. then he says "ill never learn to set it down" which means hell never give it up and give in.

    i dunno im just guessing you should try too instead of saying "OmGz this song totally rox my sox off" cause this is song meanings after all

    thisisnotnexit200on March 12, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Hmm I never understood what bordeux was. I always thought this song was about a man battling his faith, questioning it, and maybe dying and not experiencing what he was looking forward too, which is the afterlife. That the singer realises its all some fairey tale thats not true. Maybe he is trying to figure out the answers for himself, but I just never understood what the song was trying to say, just always had a feeling on the topic, which is mostly relegion and putting faith in it, to have it fail. I always looked as the gold coast as heaven, and I never understood bordeux, so it might actually help for me to understand the geography. Anyways your interpretation seems to make more sense to me then my own.

    And yes man more people need to comment on this song, This is the correct title of the song, everyone is posting comments for this song under the song "the host" (including myself) which is incorrect. This is the best sparta song, and i usually feel dumb listening to a song on repeat, but this song is way different, and makes me think of my own struggle with god, even if thats not the songs meaning, thats the meaning i put to it.

    To set it down You'll set it down You'll set it down

    Carlsbad Driveon March 18, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Simply Superb. . I have NO idea what it's about, but I bet you guys are right about on. .

    Jessica05on March 21, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this song is about two people killing somebody..........but I must admit I am on acid. The host of the show must be his partner in crime. He collapses from guilt, he revisits the crime scene in his mind. When his body is shut down in Bordeaux and on the Gold Coast, he is trying to run away. He cant sleep from the guilt, and the guilt has ruined his life(future fallen short). Then the chorus might have something to do with how pleads of innocence always fail to erase the guilt, but capsize the tall tale to others (alibi). Then it talks about the host having his mouth sewn shut, which means he swore to secrecy, but he gave in which is why he eventually collapsed. Fuck i dno? maybe not.

    broksteadyon April 21, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i don't know what's it about and it doesn't really matter much because i love the song no matter what...it's so sad and yet i can't get enough of it

    snazzola05on May 01, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    anyway, what's with sparta and songs about guilt and running away from nightmares of murders and stuff? cause cut your ribbon also touched on dat stuff. did jim kill someone in real life or what?

    RaZoR|yNeon June 19, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Maybe this song is about an assasination. The host could be an important leader who keeps everything running and organized and without him the future seems to have "fallen short" and all hope appears to be lost. I can't think of someone who was assasinated in that part of Africa though.

    Listen-upon June 26, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this is probably my favorite song on the cd, it is so beautiful. i love the way his voice sounds with the music... it's just beautiful!! i didn't use to like sparta, but one day this guy at my work put it on and i was forced to listen to it and this is the song that caught my "ear", so to speak.

    iappreciatebrandnewon April 11, 2004   Link

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