| Coheed and Cambria – Key Entity Extraction III: Vic the Butcher Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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The story of Afterman is about Sirius (SY-russ) Amory. The story is set in the same universe as the rest of Coheed's stuff, but does not tie in with the other characters. Sirius is a scientist who goes to discover how the Keywork works. The Keywork (the triangle in their logo) is a network of energy that encompasses the 78 planets of Heaven's Fence (the circles). He goes with an A.I. called the All-Mother to assist him. She's the female voice you hear in the spoken parts. When Sirius gets to the Keywork, he finds that it is basically a destination for souls that have died, like an afterlife. In the Keywork, different souls (or Key Entities) basically tries to possess him, and he experiences their lives, beginning with Domino, then Holly Wood, and then Vic the Butcher. Vic was a brutal general that committed terrible war crimes, but was never brought to justice because he intimidated those who knew. There was one who stood up to him Sentry, but he was hanged by Vic. (We meet Sentry in Afterman: Descension) This song is about when Vic was finally exposed, and was going to be punished for his crimes, so he burned his building, number 184 to the ground, which contained a nursery school on the ground floor. When Sirius experiences his life, he chooses not to burn the building down, and that attracts Evagria, a benevolent entity who protects him. "You made this harder than it had to be The absolute marker, etching into me You flashed your colors at me, way prematurely Now I know what you're up to and it feels so good It's right" This is Vic saying that the courts should have just left well enough alone, but now that he knows what they're up to, he's going to commit suicide. "We've got your number written Reset the system screaming Hang your secrets, hang em' up, hang em' up now These sitting ducks in season The march of little children Hang your secrets, hang em' up, hang em' up now" This is the chorus. Vic knows what he's going to do: burn the building, and the sitting ducks are the children that will die in the fire. "Hang your secrets" refers to the death of Sentry. "I listened to them chuckle as they eat Their judgment hiding behind eyes and dirty teeth You think I care for all these phony pleasantries when I want nothing to do with, I want nothing to do with your life" This is referring to Vic's life as a general, when he saw all those men who pretended to be pleasant, when he knew that they hated him for what he did. He doesn't care what they think, though. "The truth will cut you down to pieces One eighty four, lets burn it down If I can't keep from living with this regret I'll need to change the way I think about us" This is Vic saying that he refuses to accept the consequences of his actions, so he will burn his building (address number 184) to the ground. He won't face the shame of what he's done, so he's going to refuse to go to trial. "Baby, I'm bad company and you don't have a mark You're the prettiest thing I have ever seen Come with me, I want to make you dirty" When Vic burned his building down, his wife was with him. He says that she is pure, unlike him, but she will be an accomplice in this his final atrocity. Really a sick song, but that's why this guy is called the Butcher! And in Descension, you get to see the guy that actually stood up to him come in and save Sirius from him. |
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