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The Beast Lyrics
Pack up your things
Your work here is done
A slave to the beast
No mercy with time
No mercy with time
They brand you with the fire,
Then push you into the sun.
They want the free land to expire,
They want everyone to be numb.
The worlds drinking from a cup that no one wants to share
Words from the king that no one wants to hear
Don't be running late are you on time today (x4)
Retrench me because of machines
Kids trading roses for guns
Track mark under the sleeve
I can't talk I need to run
Loves thrown away the ring
Not knowing what to say
Mama won't you sing
It's like you're cut by the blade
Don't be running late are you on time today (x4)
Don't be running late are you on time today (x4)
(Don't be running late)
Don't be running late (till the end)
Best song ! i loveeeeeeeeeeeeeee it so much !
i fugured it to be about, like the world is turning into a horrible place basically and there are certain people responsible for it. (im not sure who) and 'they want the free land to expire' like, they want the world to work for them and no one else. they want to own it.
thats the gist i get.
its obviously has something to do with heroin seeing as the title is the beast, and "Track mark under the sleeve, I can't talk I need to run" makes it pretty obvious
this song is amazing. effing love it.
i agree with both the above comments. i think the first verse/s is about what _ofSimone said: society, & it's expectations, & what the world is becoming.
the second verse, minus the first two lines, is quite obscure. it could be about heroin, as tonyflow said, but "the beast" could also be society's expectations, the way that the world is becoming (or has already become). maybe the second verse is about angus' views on the situation, he feels he can't do anything about it, he can't take action or bring about change ("i can't talk"), he just wants to get away from it ("i need to run").
sounds sooooo super when played live.
genius in lyrical form.
but yes, firstly i thought it was about cows, hence the "branded with the fire" comment, yet i was clearly very very wrong.
i percieved this song as slavery- i had to read ROOTS by alex haley for ap history and escape from slavery by francis bok and, this song reminded me of those book as soon as i heard "brand you with the fire"
"retrench me because of machines"-- there was a time during the middle 1900s where the jobs for slaves were cut down due to the production of machines, especially on farmlands..
"Pack up your things Your work here is done" - refer to the constant slave trading and auctioning
It could be any substance , not just heroin. Song is definatly about the disease of addiction ie the beast and its progressive nature
First off. Amazing song. Great opener to the album.
I think this song is about becoming a slave to corporations, "the man". Just the whole idea that corporations are an evil, living breathing thing: "the beast". And working for it, you couldn't be "late". It's demanding. Just how money driven our world has become and the evil things in the world.
Oh yes i also just love this song!
Yeah, I think that this could refer to drugs or becoming a slave to society.
The song plainly says "track marks under the sleeve", which is quite obvious.
If you interpret it as becoming a slave to society, then i associate it with the novel 1984. Becoming controlled by a higher power, and having no control over it.
i think this song could also be about self injury? "Track mark under the sleeve" and "It's like you're cut by the blade" seem to suggest this. and being a slave to the beast is like the addiction.
the "kids trading roses for guns" lyric is quite a powerful great song