| Mastodon – Trainwreck Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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It bears reminder that the first four albums of Mastodon each represent an element. Remission represents fire, Leviathan represents water, Blood Mountain represents earth, and Crack The Skye represents Aether or Air. A lot of people already know this; but what many don't realize is that the progression from Fire to Aether actually represents the features of the earth from most inwards to most outwards. It begins in earths fiery core, then as you continue up you reach the water and the oceans, above the water you reach the land and earth, and above the earth is the air. The mythological elements of Mastodon suggest that they are probably drawing correlation with the earths fiery core and hell itself. This would be in line with the flat earth religious ideas that hell is down and heaven is up. Because Remission, the fire album, is probably associated with hell, we get lyrics that match it. Some of the most hopeless, tormented, and damned aspects of the human condition; As if they were roasting in hell. This album is defined by key traits of a fiery hell; Fury, Anger, Suffering, Hopelessness. Every trait associated with hell's circles. This particular song is about life-breaking nostalgia. 'Trainwreck' is likely an allegory for the fixed, progressive (train) track of life, and how the train can be obliterated in a mangled catastrophic mess. "life's changed yet remain the same" This is a common sentiment of people that have a depressive nostalgic mental condition. The things and feelings that made their childhood and early years magical and vibrant just sort of disappear and things go dry. But there are also constants from that carry over from childhood that only serve to confuse and blur the victims perception. They can't decipher if they changed, if their surroundings changed, or if their very memories of the past are even real or just idealized. "basking in an afterglow" The character is fixated on the vibrance and color of the past. Nuanced kinds of perception and feelings that he lost. "i did not know i am here in shadows island" In his extremely cognitively dissonant introspection he's reconsidering the past and his memories. He didn't know that he's always been alone (island) and that life has been meaningless from the very beginning. "lying hopeless wondering all questions exhaust me" He's physically incapacitated by the circular thoughts in his mind as he introspects about the past. He's simply stuck lying there, thinking in hopeless circles that lead to no answers. It's a chemical-emotional and cognitive trainwreck. The questions exhaust him. "running screaming chanting" The thoughts are driving him completely insane. It's like a never-ending splinter in his mind, beneath his skull. This is basically a meltdown. Instead of lying down thinking in hopeless circles he goes berserk and tries to free himself of his chains physically. "for all this land i've seen its worth" One of the many ideas floating around in his cognitive dissonance-wracked brain takes precedence. He is struck by the conviction that his dark feelings about the present is all there is and ever will be. A similar sentiment is the primary theme of "March of The Fire Ants" "helping all for times sake it brings me work" In his depression and lack of meaning he tries to distract himself by finding a cause and helping others. "pinned to this world" This is prefaced by suicidal thoughts because of his condition. He is afflicted by suicidal thoughts but he knows he won't follow through with them, so he's pinned to the world and his soul can't break free. He's also probably burdened by the thought that there is no soul or afterlife to be had anyways, and the material that makes up his body, skeleton and being is just as pinned to his world as he is. |
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| Mastodon – Hearts Alive Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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I think it goes without saying that this is supposed to be a dark but awe-inspiring song. A lot of dark songs tend to be more abstract and ethereal in nature. They're coming from the opposite polarity of man's primal, lizard-brained, animalistic features. This song is different. It's a grim reflection filled with very sensory, primal details of the experience of the obliteration of the Pequod by Moby Dick. Like a lot of Mastodon's songs, this songs lyric style seems to be very similar to a kind of word association. There aren't really ideas being strung together or communicated in any way, it's almost like the narrator is just recalling things in brief bursts and stating them. Speaking of the narrator: It seems to switch between Ishmael, the sole survivor of the shipwreck, recalling the events; Ishmael possibly seeing the events from Ahab's perspective; and the general third person narrator that dictates Mastodons lyrics. "Taken down with hearts alive Our hearts alive" The crew of the Pequod were drowned alive in the ocean with their hearts still beating. Drowning being possibly the most brutal, primal ways to die. They were taken down by Moby Dick "Lurking dark underground Descend to the bottom Swim below eternally Into the deep blue sea" The crew will sink to the deepest pits of the ocean. Possibly a metaphor for hell, and ergo possibly an implication of Ahab and the crews sins, as Moby Dick was a book of which the most powerful themes were religious ones "Time and space All alone It can be a lonely place" A shared sentiment of Ahab, Ishmael and the crew. This takes place right before the emergence of Moby Dick from the ocean. They had been at sea for a very long time seeking the white whale, and this is the kind of introspection you can expect from that. Feeling small and alone in the universe when at sea. "There it goes Opening up I can't stand I can't breathe Rolled fin out Oil stripped Hold is filled" Breaking those introspective thoughts is the sudden and shocking emergence of Moby Dick. Ahab and the crew are petrified by the size being created in the water by Moby Dick. His fin emerges, and then some more of his body. Moby Dick then holds position as the onlookers are in awe "Ocean coil Water boils He swims to the surface Flame from mouth Smoke he breathes Enter the caverns of the deep" The water begins to make a spiral (coil) as Moby Dick fully emerges to the surface. The crew is witness to an absolute monstrosity of nature. So monstrous in fact that he's compared to a dragon of hell, with water boiling in his emergence and flames from his mouth. The crew has the consequences of this beast in mind, and are contemplating death and fear ("enter the caverns of the deep") "Time and space All alone It can be a lonely place There it goes Opening up I can't stand I can't breathe Terrified Ghastly cry Spiraled lives Taken down Taken down" The quote from before now changes context. Their feelings intensify, feeling even smaller in the presence of the behemoth whale, and feeling true fear and separation from their loved ones. So petrified are some of the crew members as they try to conquer the white whale that they are absolutely speechless and short of breath. Their lives spiral into nonexistence in the literal spiral vortexes created by Moby Dick as they cry out in agony. They are taken down. "The iron side Bucket of lead Battle is she Not for defeat The iron side Bucket of lead Battle is she" The Pequod is a whaleship, Old Ironsides (AKA The HMS Britannia) is a warship http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Britannia_(1762) In other words, they're outclassed. I'm not sure about the bucket of lead, but I think it has to do with the weight of Moby Dick. ("Battle is She") Moby Dick is war incarnate ("Not for defeat") Despite Captain Ahabs monomaniacal vindictive intentions, there was no chance to kill Moby Dick in the first place. He was never for defeat. Many would say the primary theme of Moby Dick is the power of nature over man, and how if man attempts to conquer nature there will always be consequences. |
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| Mastodon – March of the Fire Ants Lyrics | 11 years ago |
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The song is written from the darkest, most depressed and hopeless place imaginable "as passion encircles the daily storm the heart bleeds and droughts do not" Through the chaos and darkness of what the individual perceives to be life, he still has a passion and an ambition. But no matter how hard he tries and how passionate he is, he gets nothing in return and reality doesn't reciprocate. A drought of reward and feelings of success "bone grave bone engraved stone grave stone engraved" Bone grave: I'm dead inside Bone engraved: I'm destined for failure and mediocrity, it's the fate carved into my bones Stone grave: After my drought and failure I'll die Stone engraved: I'll be remembered as a failure, it'll be on my tombstone "all circles created with intention" I'm fairly certain one of the boys had a bad acid trip when writing this song This at once alludes to cycles, and the cyclical nature of the individuals perceived failure, as well as his perception that a higher power or nature itself designated despair and failure as hit fate. As if it was designed that way "an ocean turns yellow it soothes the eye" An ocean turning yellow isn't an allusion to how pissy life is. Water turns yellow when sand is very close to the surface of the water. The allegory being that the ocean is life He perceives life as extremely shallow and simple. There's nothing else to life, he's figured it out. It soothes the minds eye that he doesn't need to search for further complexity Very. Dark. Shit |
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