Here I lie, I'm staring at
Clouds and shapes of dogs and cats
I hear a woman, start to yell
"Oh dear God, I think he fell"

I'm the arrow shot straight to hell
From the bow of William Tell
My body lies kissing the ground
Like a cross turned upside down

A priest is rushing to my side
Begins to read me, my last rites
Father, you're too late, my faith is weak
So won't you save your half-hearted speech

I'm the arrow shot straight to hell
From the bow of William Tell
My body lies kissing the ground
Like a cross turned upside down

A man bends down and says
"Son, we're going to get through this one
Take my hand and let us pray"
I scream, "Please get the fuck away"

I'm the arrow shot straight to hell
From the bow of William Tell
My body lies kissing the ground
Like a cross turned upside down

The ambulance is singing
As cops push back the crowd
I start to take my last breath
As blood pours out my mouth

The medics walk in my way
I think this could be it
I hear 'em start to state
The time of death is half past six

I'm the arrow shot straight to hell
I'm the arrow shot straight to hell



Lyrics submitted by bloodstrike

The Priest and the Matador Lyrics as written by Garrett Michael Zablocki Daniel Gerard Trapp

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Priest And The Matador song meanings
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102 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    well this song doesnt anywhere near mean there satanist. i mean he just jumped off a builiding, therefore he must have been increadibly depressed and i mean it probably hurt so he was screaming cuss words at the preist and when they say "father your too late, my faith is week" he was probably thinking it instead of saying it. and william tell was a starter of switzerlands independance. he didnt bow to the king that was passing by at the time so the man in charge was going to kill his son, but to make it like a sick little game, he told william tell to shoot an apple on his head. but the man in charge didnt know that tell was an expert marksmen, so he shot it off his head without any real problem. the leader was quit impressed but he noticed that tell had another arrow in hand. the leader asked what it was for and william said that if he would have missed and killed his son, he would have killed the leader. so whem they sing," the arrow, shot strait to hell, by the bow of william tell," he means that he wanted to set himself free. so he ended it. its an amazing song

    somedude01on April 15, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i like the drum echo opening. just read the poem by Charles Bukowski. wow. that's deep

    my thoughts on the the song: i see it as a man, the singer or not, who as fallen and has lost faith in everything("Oh dear God, I think he fell" and "Father you're too late My faith is weak"). not just religion("So won't you save your half-hearted speech.") or God(""Son, we're going to get through this one take my hand and let us pray..." I scream, "Please get the fuck away."") but in life. this resulted in his death. the whole thing with william tell and being shot to hell, i see as his complete lack of faith. according to some christians hell is a place without God, faith or hope. also i find the line "Like a cross turned upside down" interesting because st. peter was crucified upside down(historical fact, i study history). so if you only know pop-culture then it looks like a sign of satanism, but it could also be a reference to someone whose faith was strong. the line maybe a sign of hope or loss. it's just basic look at the surface of the song.

    i liked the song because it's different from most of their songs.

    quick blurb on faith. it's only those with out faith that are truly lost. a man (women too for the PC crowd) must have faith in something. God, humanity, science, another person, or just this life. for me i put it in God because i've been hurt by people that i've put my faith in. and when it comes to God he only time he lets me down is when i stop thinking, focusing on him. someone once told me that "keep the faith" was another way of saying "fake it until you make it". either way i take it as dont give up just yet. so keep the faith!

    sorry i may have gotten carried away.

    darcstaron June 08, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Good song, great band. Obviously about him denying religion as he found it to be a lie. Dunno what William Tell has to do with it.. He was an expert x-bow marksman.. I guess it just flows with the song. But "My body lies Kissing the ground Like a cross turned upside down.". Just him showing his disbelief towards religion by his body resembling an upside down cross. The rest of the song just seems to flow with disapproval regarding religion.

    KrAzYArKaDeon September 27, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i feel like crying whenever i listen to this song.

    swallowyoursleepon July 29, 2010   Link
  • +1
    My Opinion

    I think what it is, is that A man and his wife kept fighting, and she just couldn't take it anymore, so she gave back the ring. And the man depressed and everyone wanted to help him. He was raised a cathloic or christan and as he grew older and as time went on and stuff happened, he started loseing his fath. Infact he lost all his fath (Take my hand to pray, I scream "please get the fuck away) and the part where he say's "an arrow shot straight to hell" Is him saying that he was a wast and he knows he's going straight to hell when he jumps. And without that singel girl he feels no need to live. I think A lot of people have gone through this, just not this far.

    Dannyk1995on August 07, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is about a man who committs suicide which is why hes laying on the ground staring at clouds. The woman screams "i think he fell" then the priest comes to try to pray for him but he says my faith is weak so get the fuck away i dont care about it.

    About William Tell he is a man who had to shoot an apple of his sons head with a bow and arrow

    "The time of death is half past six" this represents both hands of the clock pointing down to hell which is where he will go for killing himself.

    "My body lies kissing the ground, like a cross turned upside down" im not sure but i think this could represent a contrast to Jesus saving all humanity by dying on the cross while the main character kills himself while only thinking of himself and being very selfish which is why the cross is upside down (opposite)

    blink182usa1on September 29, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think this one is about being in pain and how everyone wants to help u but u dont need anyones help to get through the pain. the best line of the song is when he says take my hand and let us pray..." I scream, "Please get the fuck away." i love it

    bloodstrikeon September 03, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I kind of think it's a commentary on religion.

    He says "get the fuck away" to the man (presumably the priest) who tries to pray for him. The "straight to hell" part and the reference to Satanism ("cross turned upside down") make me think that as well.

    But the entire second verse pretty much says it blatantly ("My faith is weak" etc.). So yeah.

    noseovertail711on September 04, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Well he deffinently fell off something and layed there looking at the sky and the shapes the clouds were making. And as a priest and some other guy tries to help him he rejects their help. I don't understand all of the chorus though.. I have no idea who William Tell is, but he shot the character from hell.

    Anti-Heroon September 04, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm sure you've heard the story of William Tell, you just probably don't remember the name.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tell

    noseovertail711on September 05, 2006   Link

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