I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
We are not the sons of God
We are not his chosen people now
We have crossed the path he trod
We will feel the pain of his beginning
Shadow fingers rise above
Iron fingers stab the desert sky
Oh, behold the power of man
On its tower, ready for the fall
Knocking heads together well
Raze a city, build a living Hell
Join the race to suicide
Listen for the tolling of the bell
Out of the the universe
A strange love is born
Unholy union
Trinity reformed
Yellow sun, its evil twin
In the black the winds deliver him
We will sleep to souls within
Atom seed to nuclear dust is riven
Out of the the universe
A strange love is born
Unholy union
Trinity reformed
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Burying our morals and burying our dead
Burying our head in the sand
E equals MC squared, you can't relate
How we made God with our hands
Whatever would Robert have said to his God
'Bout how he made war with the Sun?
E equals MC squared, you can't relate
How we made God with our hands
All nations are rising
Through acid bells of love and hate
Chain letters of Satan
Uncertainty led us all to this
All nations are rising
Through acid veils of love and hate
Cold fusion of fury
Divide and conquer while ye may
Others preach and others fall and pray
In the bunkers where we'll die
We're the executioners, they lie
Bombers launched with no recall
Minute warning of the missile fall
Take a look at your last day
Guessing you won't have the time to cry
Out of the the universe
A strange love is born
Unholy union
Trinity reformed
Out of the darkness
Out of the darkness
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousands suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousands suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousands suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousands suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousands suns
Holy Father, we have sinned
We are not his chosen people now
We have crossed the path he trod
We will feel the pain of his beginning
Shadow fingers rise above
Iron fingers stab the desert sky
Oh, behold the power of man
On its tower, ready for the fall
Knocking heads together well
Raze a city, build a living Hell
Join the race to suicide
Listen for the tolling of the bell
Out of the the universe
A strange love is born
Unholy union
Trinity reformed
Yellow sun, its evil twin
In the black the winds deliver him
We will sleep to souls within
Atom seed to nuclear dust is riven
Out of the the universe
A strange love is born
Unholy union
Trinity reformed
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Burying our morals and burying our dead
Burying our head in the sand
E equals MC squared, you can't relate
How we made God with our hands
Whatever would Robert have said to his God
'Bout how he made war with the Sun?
E equals MC squared, you can't relate
How we made God with our hands
All nations are rising
Through acid bells of love and hate
Chain letters of Satan
Uncertainty led us all to this
All nations are rising
Through acid veils of love and hate
Cold fusion of fury
Divide and conquer while ye may
Others preach and others fall and pray
In the bunkers where we'll die
We're the executioners, they lie
Bombers launched with no recall
Minute warning of the missile fall
Take a look at your last day
Guessing you won't have the time to cry
Out of the the universe
A strange love is born
Unholy union
Trinity reformed
Out of the darkness
Out of the darkness
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousands suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousands suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousands suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousands suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousands suns
Holy Father, we have sinned
Lyrics submitted by loc4485, edited by panayiotist
Brighter Than a Thousand Suns Lyrics as written by Bruce Dickinson Adrian Frederick Smith
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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Ironed Maidens: There is no Robert in the Bible. The name originated in proto-Germanic.
"Robert" is most likely Julius Robert Oppenheimer, who headed the team who designed the first nuclear test and was greatly troubled by what he was doing.
The title of the song comes from a line from the Bhagavad Gita that Oppenheimer said he recalled as he watched the Trinity explosion: "If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendour of the mighty one". He also quoted "Now I have become Death, the destroyer of worlds".
Seems the concept of "playing god" with nuclear weapons is based on Oppenheimer's ideas.
The "iron fingers" are not missiles, they are the steel pylons they built in the desert, both to hold the warhead (simulating an above-ground explosion), and to support the cameras and other instruments used.
I think it's "raze [destroy] a city" not "raise a city", but if it is "raise" then I think it refers to the large-scaled mockups of cities that were built for later tests to see what the Bomb did to buildings. Some of these even had human-shaped dummies inside - really creepy.
Also, might "We will feel the pain of his beginning" be about the vengeful old-testament God?
The line "We are not his chosen people now" is also a reference to Oppenheimer since he was Jewish.