| Tristania – Wormwood Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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My interpretation has always been that this is the Christian-defined end of the world (The Battle of Armageddon) seen through the eyes of an athiest, or someone who has turned their back on God. The song is filled with a lot of anti-Christian imagery and emotion, but takes the classic philosophical standpoint of "What if I'm wrong?". "As I watch the sun go out My loss of faith replaced by doubt" This line very distinctly catches the theme of the song, to me. Someone who has lost their faith in God suddenly being struck with the very real end of the world, and coming to doubt their belief that God does not, in fact, exist. The first verse also points to this line of interpretation, specifically: "The stars are falling from the sky And I know why" This seems to be the reaction of someone who once believed or, like many athiests, is well-versed in Christian mythology and knows what the end of the world is "supposed" to look like, but never thought they'd see it. The rest of the song contains some of the most powerful imagery in modern songwriting. The sun goes black, the Earth is in flames, and while all this is going on, all that's left is for the unfaithful to drink a toast to it all, seemingly welcoming the end, possibly mocking God in one final act of defiance. Regardless of interpretation, this is one of my favorite songs of all times, easily my favorite by Tristania. Their lyrics and storytelling are always powerful and full of imagery that causes you to actually visualize the song as if its events were unfolding right in front of you, and their combination of heavy guitars and drums, almost violent vocals, full orchestration, and choirs makes for amazing music. |
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| Fair to Midland – Walls of Jericho Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I think the song is about Hiroshima/Nagasaki, but more about the aftermath rather than the actual event, and about how, after what is arguably the most horrific act of violence in the history of mankind, the Japanese accepted help and alliances with the U.S., the perpetrators of the act. "(What dreams) splendidly weaved from an atom bomb Retrieved from a teleprompt Practical you are not" The first line is a note of how the world has become a "better place" after the bombings. "Retrieved from a teleprompt" would be an observation of America's media-obsessed culture, especially during WWII. And I think it could be considered impractical to respond to the bombing of a military outpost by wiping out the population of two cities. "Break the ice with a cotton swab A fever that cools us off, a handshake's a contact sport" This one's a little metaphorical, and ironic. Imagine trying to use a cotton swab like an ice pick. The Q-tip bends and breaks, right? Possibly a reference to the Kamikaze pilots, killing themselves to take out the enemy. "A fever that cools us off" is pretty self-explainatory: the bombs were the signal of the end of the war, and thus, peace. "A handshake's a contact sport" refers to Japan pulling America into the war by bombing Pearl Harbor, the first relations between Japan and America during the war, which evetually lead to Hiroshima & Nagasaki. "No one was waiting to throw out the pilot We'll float on the back of the winds that you send us" This is a reference to the concept that no one in America was thinking "Maybe we shouldn't do this". No one protested or attempted to stop the bombing. They just accepted that the U.S. was doing what was right. "Another tomorrow Shedding the shade we made yesterday Disguised as the lightning Dissolving all of the thunder there Appeasing our monsters Under the acryllic skies Another tomorrow..." The chorus is the main reason I think this song is about the aftermath. After the bombs were dropped, it was like there was a new world (another tomorrow). The U.N. was formed, and many of the countries that were at war (especially the U.S. and Japan) were now coexisting, "shedding the shade we made yesterday". "Disguised as the lightning, dissolving all of the thunder there": Japan was a very militaristic nation, pre-WWII. They had a warlike outlook on the world that spread down even to the civilian populous. In a bright flash of white light, it's as if that militaristic bent was gone, dissolved. "Appeasing our monsters under the acryllic skies": In the aftermath of the bombs (the acryllic skies is a referrence to the observations by many that the sky around a nuclear explosion looks surreal, like someone painted it), the U.S. began giving money, support, and exclusive trade pacts to Japan, appeasing our monsters (both making amends for what was done, and to "make ourselves feel better" for dropping the bombs) "(So fly) Grab my hand, here comes the crash I live for the strong impact, that renders both our airbags (Seven folds) Takes every letter you send Don't fold if you're made to bend, rekindle the feud again" This almost sounds like a call for Japan to attack the U.S. This is a bit of a stretch, because Fair to Midland doesn't seem to be "that kind of band", but the evidence is there. Sort of like "Plant your feet, brace for impact, and throw caution to the wind". "Takes every letter you send, don't fold if you're made to bend": Japan has, historically, been one of the most adaptive countries in the world. They take everything that has come their way and recover. "Rekindle the feud again" is almost self-explainatory in this context. "Did you recognize your next-door neighbor today" Japan and the U.S. are neighbors, separated by the Pacific Ocean. Would someone who died in the atomic bombs, who had been raised in wartime Japan, who had called for Japan to attack the U.S. in the first place, recognize the world and Japan's relations with America in the modern day? "String up your harps Play like today will last five minutes This won't take long Sing us a song to stop the silence" This seems like another call for Japan to attack the U.S. again. Raise your arms, fight like there's no tomorrow, and bring an end to peace. Again, this is all a bit of a stretch, but it's how I interpret the song, anyway. Certain lines just don't seem to make sense talking about the bombings themselves ("Rekindle the feud again" especially). Then again, FtML deals very heavily in metaphors, and I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the reference to the Atom Bomb is just another metaphor that's getting drastically missinterpreted. |
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