Curl of the Burl

"The burl is the knot that’s found in various trees – it’s almost like a cancer of trees. Within that burl are unique swirls or curls. A lot of people will cut those down and sell them to wood-makers, wood sculptors, and furniture makers because it’s got a unique design to it. And this is a true story which happens in the Pacific Northwest – a lot of people go out in the woods with chainsaws, they find these burls, they cut them down, they load their pickup trucks with these burls, take them in to town sell them to various wood-makers, take the money from that, purchase more meth, go back in the woods and continue that circle of insanity. So it’s based on a true story. People will steal your cars, steal copper…and people will go out there in the woods and steal burls." - Troy Sanders

I am 99% sure these are the correct lyrics:

I killed a man, cause he killed my goat I put my hands around his throat He tried to reason with the sky and the clouds But it didn't matter cause they can't hear a sound

Chorus

It's just the Curl of the Burl (x2) That's just the way of the world It's just the Curl of the Burl

Splinters in my skin, just like needles and pins I cut through the pine, love the feeling it gives Been out here for days, running through these trees I'm using my hands, cutting through the disease

Chorus

I feed the powerless. Chew it up, spit the rest. x2

Chorus

Oh and of course I forgot about the oooooohhhsss.

If you don't agree, look up a vocals only video on youtube. It's pretty clear what the lyrics are (unlike many Mastodon songs).

for some reason the mood and lyrics give me thought of some kind of forest spirit similar to a werewolf lol. mastodon is known for writing songs about monsters ^_^

I wondered why it seemed like goat didn't fit... gall is a better word but I definitely hear 'goat" in the first line, and way of the world could symbolize a life for a life, regardless of what shape that life takes. and I think it's "I feel the powerless" not I feed the powerless.

The first line definitely says "I killed a man 'cause he killed my GALL"...not goat or gold. A gall is an infection that causes a wood deformation on plants. They are usually created from wasps laying their eggs in developing fruits. A gall is almost like a small version of a burl and logically fits this song. I hope not too many people have wasted energy trying to interpret the meaning with goat or gold.