| The Mars Volta – The Malkin Jewel Lyrics | 12 years ago |
| The song is a parody of the arbitrary nature of justice in my view. As is the whole album. And, it is also a challenge to the legal establishment on whether the basis of Western Culture is Christ's blood or not (In Absentia). The entire album centers around the nature of "law" and, therefore, it is not surprising to find that he has rewritten a part of the Man of Law's Tale. | |
| The Mars Volta – The Malkin Jewel Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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This song likely comes from "The Man of Law's Tale" by Chaucer. There are two primary passages, I'm including the "translated" version as the middle English is difficult to read: Here is the paragraph that includes the word "malkin:" ""Well can Seneca and many philosophers bewail time lost more than gold lost from a treasure chest, for, as he said, "loss of goods may be recovered, but loss of time ruins us.". Surely, it will not come back any more than Malkyn's maidenhead," - Chaucer (Translated) http://machias.edu/faculty/necastro/chaucer/translation/ct/06mlt.html And, here is a scene where a Knight tries to frame a murder on a Christian woman, the heroine of the story, Constance: "Satan, who always watches in order to beguile us, saw all Constance's perfection and plotted how he might pay her back. He caused a young knight of that town to love her with such foul lust, that he truly thought he should perish unless he could have his will. He wooed her, but it did not matter: she would commit no sin. Then, for cruel hate, he composed a plan to make her die a shameful death. He watched for a time when the constable was away and one night crept secretly into Hermengild's chamber. Weary with vigils and prayers, Constance and Hermengild were sleeping. Tempted by Satan, this knight went very softly to the bed, cut Hermengild's throat in two, laid the bloody knife beside Lady Constance; and then went his way. May God give ill-fortune to him!" - Chaucer (Translated) |
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| The Mars Volta – Dyslexicon Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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The melody for the line "A braided strand of children's mane acquired with impunity" is almost the exact same melody for the line from Heart: "Cold late nights, so long ago, when I was not so strong you know." In other words, you don't want to know what this song means. |
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| The Mars Volta – Zed And Two Naughts Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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You're wrong, he's saying the exact opposite. He is saying that the world is a Zoo, but he's stating, by alluding to St. Christopher, that the leadership doesn't submit to Jesus' teachings and therefore there is no point in putting faith in them. Remember that "no one's left to save" is said to him by a her, not said by the author of the lyrics. I think he's saying it tongue in cheek. Because he talks about firstborn death and says he's "hanging wreaths of cancer on every door where children sing," he is referencing the 10th plague of Egypt with the death of the first born of the Egyptian slavemasters. Those who smeared lambs blood on their door-frames were spared the angel of death who passed over Egypt, finally leading Pharaoh to release the Israelites when all the first born of the cattle and Egyptians were killed by God. Cedric's problem is that he seems to be mostly atheistic, but also believes in Christ's values. He also seems to believe that the church is run by frauds. In reality, he wavers back and forth between these views, at times quoting Christ to criticize American society, and other times, criticizing Christ as being the problem in American society. I think he's stating it in irony, that, simply because Christ doesn't run the world doesn't mean that nobody is worth saving. Remember, a lot of Cedric's lyrics are moderately mysogynistic, if there's a female voice in his lyrics, it's almost always one of deceit or naivety. Cedric brings back the "burden" in this album which is referenced in "Goliath" in The Bedlam in Goliath. This is a direct reference to John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. The motif appears here as an allusion to Pilgrim's Progress, because, when "Christian," the protagonist of Pilgrim's Progress sets out to escape the destruction of his town, his wife attempts to dissuade him from doing so and he leaves without her. The 2nd part of Pilgrims Progress consists of Christians Wife and Children journeying to the Celestial City. Anyway, to understand this song, you have to look up "The Legend of Saint Christopher" as well as the 10 plagues of Egypt, and the film "Zed and Two Naughts." |
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| The Mars Volta – Zed And Two Naughts Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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You're wrong, he's saying the exact opposite. He is saying that the world is a Zoo, but he's stating, by alluding to St. Christopher, that the leadership doesn't submit to Jesus' teachings and therefore there is no point in putting faith in them. Remember that "no one's left to save" is said to him by a her, not said by the author of the lyrics. I think he's saying it tongue in cheek. Because he talks about firstborn death and says he's "hanging wreaths of cancer on every door where children sing," he is referencing the 10th plague of Egypt with the death of the first born of the Egyptian slavemasters. Those who smeared lambs blood on their door-frames were spared the angel of death who passed over Egypt, finally leading Pharaoh to release the Israelites when all the first born of the cattle and Egyptians were killed by God. Cedric's problem is that he seems to be mostly atheistic, but also believes in Christ's values. He also seems to believe that the church is run by frauds. In reality, he wavers back and forth between these views, at times quoting Christ to criticize American society, and other times, criticizing Christ as being the problem in American society. I think he's stating it in irony, that, simply because Christ doesn't run the world doesn't mean that nobody is worth saving. Remember, a lot of Cedric's lyrics are moderately mysogynistic, if there's a female voice in his lyrics, it's almost always one of deceit or naivety. Cedric brings back the "burden" in this album which is referenced in "Goliath" in The Bedlam in Goliath. This is a direct reference to John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. The motif appears here as an allusion to Pilgrim's Progress, because, when "Christian," the protagonist of Pilgrim's Progress sets out to escape the destruction of his town, his wife attempts to dissuade him from doing so and he leaves without her. The 2nd part of Pilgrims Progress consists of Christians Wife and Children journeying to the Celestial City. |
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| The Mars Volta – Zed And Two Naughts Lyrics | 13 years ago |
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You're wrong, he's saying the exact opposite. He is saying that the world is a Zoo, but he's stating, by alluding to St. Christopher, that the leadership doesn't submit to Jesus' teachings and therefore there is no point in putting faith in them. Remember that "no one's left to save" is said to him by a her, not said by the author of the lyrics. I think he's saying it tongue in cheek. Because he talks about firstborn death and says he's "hanging wreaths of cancer on every door where children sing," he is referencing the 10th plague of Egypt with the death of the first born of the Egyptian slavemasters. Those who smeared lambs blood on their door-frames were spared the angel of death who passed over Egypt, finally leading Pharaoh to release the Israelites when all the first born of the cattle and Egyptians were killed by God. Cedric's problem is that he seems to be mostly atheistic, but also believes in Christ's values. He also seems to believe that the church is run by frauds. In reality, he wavers back and forth between these views, at times quoting Christ to criticize American society, and other times, criticizing Christ as being the problem in American society. I think he's stating it in irony, that, simply because Christ doesn't run the world doesn't mean that nobody is worth saving. Remember, a lot of Cedric's lyrics are moderately mysogynistic, if there's a female voice in his lyrics, it's almost always one of deceit. |
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| The Mars Volta – Televators Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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I think the lyrics are incorrect at several points... I believe Cedric's "Riddle" goes like this: "Riddle me this: Three half-eaten corneas who hit the areole." Which, would be a biohazard symbol, three crescents intersecting a circle which looks somewhat like a nipple. |
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