Lion's Share

Lyrics from the digital booklet (layout and use of caps as per booklet) :

I FIND YOU HIDDEN THERE A VEILED CREATURE OF THE DEEP, WAIFISH AS A WIDOW AND WITHOUT SUFFICIENT SLEEP, OH WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO THINK? DO I PULL YOU OUT OR DO I LET YOU SINK?

I WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE WOOZY, I LAY LOW UNTIL YOU'RE LAME, I TAKE YOU IN MY MOUTH LIKE A LION TAKES HIS GAME, I LOVE YOU ALL THE MORE FOR EVERY FAULT, THEY'RE HOW ID GOTTEN IN, THEY'RE HOW I CRACKED THE VAULT

'CAUSE IT'S A TERRIBLE SCARE, BUT THAT'S WHY THE DARK IS THERE, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN'T BEAR, THE LION'S SHARE

LION'S SHARE, I TOOK THE LION'S SHARE, NOT 'CAUSE I DIDN'T CARE, JUST 'CAUSE I KNEW IT WAS THERE

BOY WHAT YOU RUNNING FROM?... BOY?

to me, it's about being let down by someone close, and then having ones revenge on said person.

I FIND YOU HIDDEN THERE A VEILED CREATURE OF THE DEEP, WAIFISH AS A WIDOW AND WITHOUT SUFFICIENT SLEEP, someone confesses the betrayal, being vulnerable

OH WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO THINK? DO I PULL YOU OUT OR DO I LET YOU SINK? story teller being confused, did not see it coming and don't know how to react

I WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE WOOZY, I LAY LOW UNTIL YOU'RE LAME, I TAKE YOU IN MY MOUTH LIKE A LION TAKES HIS GAME, it all starts to sink in

I LOVE YOU ALL THE MORE FOR EVERY FAULT, THEY'RE HOW ID GOTTEN IN, THEY'RE HOW I CRACKED THE VAULT storyteller rages over the betrayal and confusion turns into anger (or even hate). gets over it and the "betrayer" is now the one left hurt.

This song uses the metaphor of the lion claiming its prey for a sexual predator picking up a vulnerable victim.

In the first verse he zones in on a seemingly defenceless, tired "creature" - presumably in a club or a bar but this could happen anywhere. The line "wait until your woozy" suggests plying the victim with alcohol - or perhaps something more sinister - and waiting for it to take full effect. The predator is an opportunist, chancing upon the victim and seeing through the act of manipulation because he "knew it was there".

The predator has choses victims due to their "faults" - social awkwardness, uncontrolled inebriation, a confused state, an inability to resist unwanted attention, things which allowed him to "crack the vault" or get the victim home.

The "Cause it's a terrible scare..." chorus seems to refer to the realisation of the victim that the seduction has taken place and that they are in the process of being violated. But the predator has the kindness to at least keep the lights off during the act, perhaps to reduce the stress for the victim of viewing it and putting it to visual memory.

The title of the track, Lion's Share, refers to the strength of the predator, in relation to his vulnerable prey: like a lion in the wild having first pickings of a fresh kill, free to devour the entire carcass if it so chose. This is not an act of love with the victim, it is an act of lust, fulfilling a physical desire and rolling over when spent.

The mantra "Boy what you running from?" suggests a homosexual aspect to the song, reinforced in the line "take you in my mouth" (a term usually applied to the male member). The line is asked to the victim as he tries to get away, either before or after the act; much as a wounded or young gazelle has no chance of escape, the lion merely watches amused as it hobbles away, only to saunter after it and have his way. The line could be read as "Relax, just let me get this over with. You're not going anywhere..."

All in all a very dark song. Musically it has Wild Beast's characteristic elegance and beauty, with the two vocalists complimenting each other perfectly.

"THAT'S WHY THE DARK IS THERE, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN'T BEAR."

That is so good.

There's something about this band that's so gripping. I've been hopping from song to song, looking up bands, just kinda cruising all the music review sites. This is definitely one of the few that actually made me stop and listen, and not wanna go on to another video. It was starting to feel like a chore till this :)

Guilt at having taken something he shouldn't? Shagged someone vulnerable when they were asleep? Engrossing song.

This album is brilliant and is so deserving of a mercury prize, hope you get nominated and win this time like how you should have won with Two Dancers. but this is my favourite song on the new album,