This song is about the whole Israeli/Palestinian conflict. First, a "hexagram" is a shape that looks a lot like the Star of David. I'll talk about some key parts:
"Paint the streets in white!
Death is the standard breach for a complex prize!"
Suicide bombings (death) can bring a liberated Palestine (the complex prize)
"But I would expect it from anyone now to protect life's indigenous sound!"
Life's indigenous sound is just people living, and while Chino respects one's choice to martyr themselves, he exects everyone to protect life.
"And the crowd goes wild! And the camera makes you seasick! God it's so sweet of you and I know you're proud"
The crowd is not going wild in joy, but fear. This is the panic after a bombing. And if you were looking at a film, how would it make you see sick? If the camera was in the panic as well. We have all seen the news where the "crowd" runs in panics as does the cameraman. The part about God, in the whole song, is from an extremist view. Its almost ironic when he says that it sweet of God to kill "innoncent" people and that he is proud of Him.
"And the car bomb tick ticks with the same sound! Its the same sound! With the same sound..."
The "same sound" is Chino's point: all life is the same. The Palestinian bombings, the Israeli raids, they all kill the same thing: people. This song almost becomes an anthem for life. Great song. A lot of passion went into this song, and it can be heard. Sorry for taking up the page. I am also sorry if my post seemed one-sided, I tried to present my view of the song without adding my political views. Ask any questions if you have them, say I'm wrong, this is only my interpretation. But the title convises me I'm on to something. Thanks
I thought, perchance, by "same sound" Chino could mean a camera click. Along with "paint the streets in white", when a camera's flash goes off it's a white light. I do agree with everything though. "How the streets they swell, while the animals make there way through the crowds" I interpret that as a street swells with people running from and to the action, the animals are people going to the explosion to take photos and video's of it. I just add that I think it has to do with one half Israeli- Palestinian conflict and the other half...
I thought, perchance, by "same sound" Chino could mean a camera click. Along with "paint the streets in white", when a camera's flash goes off it's a white light. I do agree with everything though. "How the streets they swell, while the animals make there way through the crowds" I interpret that as a street swells with people running from and to the action, the animals are people going to the explosion to take photos and video's of it. I just add that I think it has to do with one half Israeli- Palestinian conflict and the other half how the people use death to make money and publicity.
WoW I can't believe so many people misinterpreted the first few lines of this song. "Death is the standard breach of a complex prize" is not about liberation and complex prize is not the afterlife. Focus on the word "BREACH" its a violation. Death breaks the unsaid law of preserving life. That is what that line means. When you kill yourself you are in breach of that law of preserving your own life which is the complex prize. Life itself is the complex prize.
WoW I can't believe so many people misinterpreted the first few lines of this song. "Death is the standard breach of a complex prize" is not about liberation and complex prize is not the afterlife. Focus on the word "BREACH" its a violation. Death breaks the unsaid law of preserving life. That is what that line means. When you kill yourself you are in breach of that law of preserving your own life which is the complex prize. Life itself is the complex prize.
This is through the eyes of a man on his deathbed of a car collision he intentfully caused to end his life because he's grown tired of the world. The song happens in his last moments of consciousness, where he is in between life and the illusion he imagines taking its place. On the pavement, a crowd of paramedics, police, and onlookers grows. People pushing each other aside like 'animals' to get a better view. He looks around and sees all the faint smiles and expressions of disbelief and 'trusts' each of them more as the signify he truly is dead. He begins fading in and out of his fantasy world that is his last lie before death. His "complex prize" is the brief moment before he is fully gone that time stops and lifetimes pass in a pindrop of a second. He envisions himself as somebody loved. Somebody rich and famous. "the crowd goes wild" and "the cameras make you seasick. It's so sweet of you, and your parents are proud."
His last thought is the bittersweet realization that the car explosion and the cameras make the same sound.
The theme of this song is that even death can be beautiful
My interpretation of the song is that is 100% about Islamic suicide bombers from their perspective. I mean the name is Hexagram...It's the star of David. That's a great place to start as an overall vibe for the song, but I'll break it down even further and tell you what I take each line to mean.
Paint the streets in white (I take this to mean two things...predominantly I take it as white being the symbol for purity...so he is in a rather hard to explain way...make even the dirty ground pure and holy...it also could mean with ashes. When you burn something for a long time the ashes become white.)
Death is the standard (Everyone is doing it..it's common place) Breach for a complex prize (Breach could mean one of two things here...to breach, as in breach into America or breach as in breach a whole in the towers...for a complex prize...there heavenly eternal reward)
I think it's sweet of you (Chino understands why they are doing it) and your parents are proud (it brings a lot of honor to them...it's a big deal this is a big moment)
But I would expect anyone now to protect life's indigenous sound (BUT he would have thought that by now people the world over would be trying to protect life instead of killing people...indigenous sound meaning something similar to the circle of life... on the word choice of indigenous - 2. innate; inherent; natural (usually followed by to ): feelings indigenous to human beings. )
Worship. Play. (Pretty self describing here...that's there life. The reason it repeats so much is not only does it fit musically, but it also adds the idea that this is there life. Worship and play. And it makes you think too...they play. They are human just like we are.)
This second verse took me a while to understand or at least draw my conclusion in my mind. I have no way of knowing if it is right or not other than feeling. But this is the part where the moment starts coming together. They have been planning it for a while now and now there is a great celebration.
How the streets they swell (There are a lot of people in the streets...everyone is out to see this)
While the animals make there way through the crowds (the martyrs is what he is referring to here. Kind of comparing them to animal sacrifice which is funny because that was a big part of Islam. So they themselves are a sacrifice. and they are going through the crowds of people.)
If you keep listening you can hear it for miles (I think this ties in to the other parts of the song referring to sound...at the beginning with life's indigenous sound..land the end "It's the same sound"...he is referring to the celebration of people. Just crowds of people celebrating.
And trust everyone quicker with every faint smile (He is nervous about all of this but his friends, family, and people cheering him on reassures him that he is doing the right thing...peer pressure in a way. But it comforts him a little. He knows he is about to die and it will be scary but on the other side he is rewarded greatly for what he is doing. Every faint smile is his for sure and possibly the smiles of the people around him. It's a light and nervous smile.)
And the crowd goes wild (They praise and cheer him and his fellow martyrs)
And the camera makes you seasick (someone takes pictures of them and it makes him sick to his stomach...he thinks about a lot...this is probably the last picture anyone will ever take of him...these are his final moments...it all sinks in and hits him hard. Also when he hears the camera he hears the bomb going off and thinks about it. )
God it's so sweet of you and I know you are proud/ you know I'm proud (It's sweet...he thinks he is doing the right thing..it makes sense to him...He is proud..his family is proud..everyone is proud for him doing the "right" thing...and Chino commends him for the positive things because he understands the situation from his perspective. It is a brave and honorable act to them.)
And the car bomb hits quick click click click faint smile.. ( This is the moment where he dies. The smile is the kicker here. He has a faint smile...he is about to go to heaven and get his reward. He was so confused and now it's happening and in this moment he feels peace about his decision...and then he is dead...along with whomever else he died with and murdered.)
It's the same sound ( It's the same sound as the camera...and he just took lives that were the same as him...human...)
It's the same sound ...
We are human...they are human...we are killing each other...it's wrong. Chino does such a great job of getting you to think about the situation from their perspective. It takes a good deal of understand, heart, and empathy to write lyrics like these. It takes someone that cares a lot. And it's reasons like this that Deftones are my favorite band. I only hope I didn't butcher the meaning of the song.
Also...After listening to that song...think about the dark side and cruelty of religion. It really seeps in. Go look at a star of David while listening to this song and just think about this huge event unfolding and taking place from the perspective of a suicide bomber.
Best song on the new album. Easily.
wow that´s true man i didnt even think it was about that but that's true
elmo17 make no apologies because what you've said is so true! I couldn't have figured this one out but when you broke it down. Usually before I can give an interpretation to a song I try to understand the writer's style and I look for familiar elements. Chino's style can be so cryptic because he has his own terms for everything (like his use of "lung"), but if you break it down enough you can understand it.
Excellent Interpretation and I really can't add anything to it! I did get an idea of some sort of place where there is chaos as a way of life.
i think i agree with religious interpretation. it fits in perfectly with the lyrics and everyting. it's pretty new for chino to write about a subject like that, but who could blame him - it's a controversal topic.
at first i thought it was about music and how much it helps you out in situations, but i guess that's what the song will mean to me
great song with great vocals!
i think i agree with religious interpretation. it fits in perfectly with the lyrics and everyting. it's pretty new for chino to write about a subject like that, but who could blame him - it's a controversal topic.
at first i thought it was about music and how much it helps you out in situations, but i guess that's what the song will mean to me
great song with great vocals!
after hearing this song i went and bought the new cd...its so filled with emotion and chino sounds great on it. my fav on the new album
best song on the album
and to elmo- i think that its possible that the crowd is goin wild because of joy. the joy that there side has dealt a blow to those they deem as "inferior." many times on tv you see crowds cheering after a suicide bombing has occured...