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Luciforms Lyrics

How much do you make
In that death factory
Severance hold in the chamber of revolvers

Empty jails fall from my scalp
Shaped the glove and let me out
Still I can remember the day
That they took you from me

Seems like I've been running
From your trenchant memory
Harpsichord will warn me when its over

'Cause if heaven breathes
Then someone trade places with me
Cause I don't want to tar feathers instead of rags

Instead of rags

When do I get to see the body preserved inside this brim
Sewn on the lips were her last words
I'll be damned I can still hear her laughing

Your angels have tangled their breasts again (lol)
The comfort of doubt, still it keeps you thin
And still I can remember the day that they took you from me

Seems like I've been running
From your trenchant memory
Harpsichord will warn me when its over

'Cause if heaven breathes
Then someone trade places with me
'Cause I don't want to tar feathers instead of rags

Instead of rags

Does your temperature ache?
Is your glass about to break?
Are you purple with currant?
Will you now become the serpent?

Gordian knots in the power lines
Sizes fill empty with pesticide
With a pharaoh to hold
Bury me in gold

Will your sun refuse to bite
In the Stockholm setting that we provide
If your heart does cease to speak
My fingernail claw will make your chalkboard sing
11 Meanings

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Cover art for Luciforms lyrics by Mars Volta, The

This album is supposedly a soundtrack to a kidnapping. Luciforms pretty well captures that feeling in both lyrics and tone. I hear this as a lamentation from the perspective of the parent/friend/relative/whoever of a kidnapped person. It goes through alot of the stages of thought that a loved one might go through. "How much do you make in that death factory? severance owed in the chamber of revolvers" Hating the kidnappers. "Empty jails fall from my scalp, shake the globe and let me out if still I can remember the day that they took you from me." Empty jails, as in they haven't been caught. shake the globe, as in shake my head, wake me up from this nightmare.

The chorus is essentially about how this event becomes a central part of their life against their will. they're haunted by it until they die, no matter how hard they try to escape it. If heaven is real (breathes) they don't want to go there,(trade places) because they're consumed with a violent urge for revenge.(don't want to tear feathers instead of rags, don't fight angels instead of demons)

the second verse is about remembrance as time goes on. They are still obsessed with the lost loved one while everyone else moves on and comforts you with menial things. (comfort of doubt still it keeps you thin. "maybe she survived?" "you look well")

The last verse is a lashing out at the kidnappers, as it was alluded to in the chorus. (if your heart does cease to speak, my fingernail choir will make your chalk board sing. fingernails on a chalkboard = torturous sound. if you die, I'll see you in hell, and make your afterlife miserable.)

My Interpretation

Nice work kantieb. I'm going to build off of your post, if I may.

A "Gordian Knot" was a part of Mediterranean(?) folklore concerning Alexander the Great... In the story, it was said that whoever could untie the knot would rule all of the known world. Alexander the Great, however, couldn't (or lacked the patience to) untie it, and cut it in two. If you guys are familiar with the history concerning Alexander the Great, I'm sure you can figure out the rest (Hint: he got fucked up).

So, when Cedric writes about "Gordian knots in the powerlines",...

Cover art for Luciforms lyrics by Mars Volta, The

the song title is obviously a play on "Lucifer", maybe it means the different forms a devil can take.

i think that maybe when it's saying "harp sickle will warn me when its over", it's harpsichord instead of harp sickle.

Cover art for Luciforms lyrics by Mars Volta, The

I think it's "Stockholm setting that we provide", not Stalk home setting.

Stockholm would be referring to stockholm syndrom in which the kidnap victim grows close and even starts to like/love their kidnapper...

This is from the official lyrics.

yo man a few corrections--

severance hold in the chamber of revolvers

shake the glove and let me out

harpsichord will warn me when its over

your angels have tangled their breasts again

sizes fill empty with pesticides

with a pharaoh to hold

will your sun refuse to bite

in the stockholm city that we provide

my fingernail claw will make your chalkboard sing.

some of those are wrong logano. what is posted are the official real lyrics.

Cover art for Luciforms lyrics by Mars Volta, The

I have no clue what it means, but the last 4 lines are some of my favoritee Cedric has written. especially the finger nail choir bit

Cover art for Luciforms lyrics by Mars Volta, The

It's definitely "In the Stockhom setting that we provide" referring to the Stockhom Syndrom referrenced above. The line just prior states "I'll make your son refuse to fight"

Cover art for Luciforms lyrics by Mars Volta, The

I spent a long time looking at this song and realized what it's actually about. The "death factory is his mind" (Idk who "he" is but let's just go with that). his severance is owed in the chamber of revolvers. He's going to end this relationship with someone by shooting himself in the head with a gun (revolver) The "empty jails" is his skull or brains. By shooting himself in the head he is "Shaking the globe" and releasing himself from the pain. Then he says after he's destroyed his brain, then he won't be able to recall his pain for the loss of a loved one. If heavan breathes, then someone trade places with me. If heavan was real, he wouldn't have to go through this pain. It's a pretty scary song.

Cover art for Luciforms lyrics by Mars Volta, The

sounds like if you sit and stare at a songs lyrics long enough you can pull out a bunch of rediculous stories

Cover art for Luciforms lyrics by Mars Volta, The

It's about a person who made a deal with a demon or asked for something from a demon and now has to pay the price "severance owed in the chamber of revolvers". If you're a fan you'll realize most/all of their songs are about demons.

Song Meaning
Cover art for Luciforms lyrics by Mars Volta, The

I also did a little research on currants, and how they could possibly be applied to this song...

The only really relevant data I could gather is that there is a currant plant, native to central and south america, known as the "purple plague". It is fast-spreading, and capable of destroying entire ecosystems. This could be another metaphor for the kidnapper: both completely destroyed lives.

It also definitely seems as if the first half of the song is of the loved one speaking toward the victim of the kidnapping, and then, for the last few stanzas, shifts his attention toward the kidnapper and speaks toward HIM.

Cover art for Luciforms lyrics by Mars Volta, The

Luciform is a play on the word cruciform. Cruciform is the shape of a cross or crucifix.

 
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