10 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A

The Malkin Jewel Lyrics

I must have crawled through your bedroom door
in a fit of jealous breath

Perched upon the Bacchus foot
of your unsuspecting bed

From the blossom rags in my jackal croon
to the stems of this cinquefoil

I give to you the shrapnel
with which to sprinkle in her soil

Because...

All the traps in the cellar go clickety clack
because you know I always set them for you

Yeah, for you!

And all the rats in the cellar form a vermin of steps
Yeah, you know they're gonna take me to you

Yeah, to you!

Wash it down with harlot soap
Well, is this what you want?

I'll paint your steps with the lilac stains
of smelter revenant

My cutlery is rattling
in the dormant wooden drawers

From the palm of my throne I beckon you
to cut the orchid cord

Because...

All the traps in the cellar go clickety clack
because you know I always set them for you

Yeah, for you!

And all the rats in the cellar form a vermin of steps
Yeah, you know they're gonna take me to you

Yeah, to you!

I know a girl that was woven
in spindle and thread

Wrapped in a bivouac of taffeta
scaffolding web

She tosses and turns
and wakes all the children in nest

Yawning with hunger
they take turns of nourishment

She says...

Somebody, somebody help me
Is there anybody that can set me free?

From the mountains of avarice this I beg to you
My ether turns flesh to gravel

And all the traps in the cellar go clickety clack
cause you know I always set them for you

Yeah, I set them for you!

And all the rats in the cellar form a vermin of steps
cause you know they're gonna take me to you

Yeah, to you!

And all the traps in the cellar go clickety clack
cause you know I always set them for you

Yeah, for you!

And all the rats in the cellar form a vermin of steps
Yeah, you know they're gonna
10 Meanings

Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.

Add your thoughts...
Cover art for The Malkin Jewel lyrics by Mars Volta, The

Correct lyrics:

i must have crawled through your bedroom door in a fit of jealous breath perched up on the bacchus foot of your unsuspecting bed from the blossom rags of my jackal croon to the stems of this cinquefoil i give to you the shrapnel with which to sprinkle in her soil because all the traps in the cellar go clikity clat because you know i always set them for you all the rats in the cellar form a vermin of steps yeah you know they're gonna take me to you

you wash it down with harlot soap well is this is what you want? i'll paint your steps with the lilac stains of smelter revenant my cutlery is rattling in the dormant wooden drawers from the palm of my throne i beckon you to cut the orchid chord all the traps in the cellar go clikity clat because you know i always set them for you all the rats in the cellar form a vermin of steps yeah you know they're gonna take me to you

i know a girl that was woven in spindle and thread wrapped in a bivouac of taffeta scaffolding web she tosses and turns and wakes all the children in nest yawning with hunger they take turns of nourishment and she says somebody help me is there anybody that can set me free from the mountains of avarice this i beg to you my ether turns flesh to gravel all the traps in the cellar go clikity klat because you know i always set them for you all the rats in the cellar form a vermin of steps yeah you know they're gonna take me to you

Lyric Correction
Cover art for The Malkin Jewel lyrics by Mars Volta, The

This song is about Evgeni Malkin and how he dominates the NHL

Cover art for The Malkin Jewel lyrics by Mars Volta, The

Agreed, it is a little too early to really give this a good prodding.

First things I noticed from this song (I am a synesthete, so this part is subjective) are the colours and the mood. I feel lots of organic colours in this song, lots of brown and green throughout, green more-so near the end. Setting feels secluded like a cabin... :/ What is obvious is the recurring flower theme. I also feel that the first eight lines of this song (this is how I feel) are hinting towards some type of sleeping disorder, sleep paralysis namely.

Cover art for The Malkin Jewel lyrics by Mars Volta, The

I believe the title refers to the Empire State Building in New York City which is (or was) owned by the Malkin family. It seems like this song alludes to the inequity of the people on the streets to the people who live and work in these skyscrapers. There is also an irony in the fact that these buildings were built by the wealthy to keep themselves further away from the common man, but they were built with blood and sweat of the common man.

Cover art for The Malkin Jewel lyrics by Mars Volta, The

I remember hearing something about this being a "crout Rock inspred album so im think about WWII though this whole album and when I hear cellar I think wine and then I think france during WWII

Cover art for The Malkin Jewel lyrics by Mars Volta, The

I think it might have something to do with the flower Hyacinthus turns into when he dies and the Benjamin Heath Malkin piece about a father (apollo) missing his child.

Cover art for The Malkin Jewel lyrics by Mars Volta, The

This song likely comes from "The Man of Law's Tale" by Chaucer. There are two primary passages, I'm including the "translated" version as the middle English is difficult to read:

Here is the paragraph that includes the word "malkin:"

""Well can Seneca and many philosophers bewail time lost more than gold lost from a treasure chest, for, as he said, "loss of goods may be recovered, but loss of time ruins us.". Surely, it will not come back any more than Malkyn's maidenhead," - Chaucer (Translated) http://machias.edu/faculty/necastro/chaucer/translation/ct/06mlt.html

And, here is a scene where a Knight tries to frame a murder on a Christian woman, the heroine of the story, Constance:

"Satan, who always watches in order to beguile us, saw all Constance's perfection and plotted how he might pay her back. He caused a young knight of that town to love her with such foul lust, that he truly thought he should perish unless he could have his will. He wooed her, but it did not matter: she would commit no sin. Then, for cruel hate, he composed a plan to make her die a shameful death. He watched for a time when the constable was away and one night crept secretly into Hermengild's chamber. Weary with vigils and prayers, Constance and Hermengild were sleeping. Tempted by Satan, this knight went very softly to the bed, cut Hermengild's throat in two, laid the bloody knife beside Lady Constance; and then went his way. May God give ill-fortune to him!" - Chaucer (Translated)

The song is a parody of the arbitrary nature of justice in my view. As is the whole album. And, it is also a challenge to the legal establishment on whether the basis of Western Culture is Christ's blood or not (In Absentia). The entire album centers around the nature of "law" and, therefore, it is not surprising to find that he has rewritten a part of the Man of Law's Tale.

Cover art for The Malkin Jewel lyrics by Mars Volta, The

It is obviously about some sort of prison or concentration camp, like the german nazi camps or north korean labour camps. See:

When all the traps in the cellar go clickety click You know I’m gonna set them for you

  • It means the clickety click when the rats step onto them.

And all the rats in the cellar full of vermin and steps You know I’m gonna set them for you

Yeah, for you *Means that they eat rats, since there is limited or no food availability for prisoners to eat or get proteins. In Escape from camp 14, it is explained how people ate crude rats to get proteins and ironically avoid a type of bacteria that kills from lack of proteins in the body as the only food provided was a piece or two of corn kernels and a salted cabbage soup.

This is all confirmed with the following verse:

She tosses and turns And wakes all the children in bed Yawning with hunger They take turns of nourishment

Concluding with:

And she looks at me in the great outdoors And you know what she tells me?

Somebody help me Is there anybody out there that can set me free?

Very interesting sad and interesting lyrics, cedric/omar you are a brilliant.

Read Escape from camp 14 from Blaine Harden.

Cover art for The Malkin Jewel lyrics by Mars Volta, The

Cedric has stated that this song is about a dude whose mother is a stripper who is often very cruel to her son. However, when I read the full lyrics I felt that it was about a woman who cheats on her man. Or maybe the son has an Œdipus complex, (he wants to fuck his mother) as can be interpreted in the line about being jealous at the foot of the bed. Strangely , at this time in my life I can completely relate to these lyrics; my abusive, cruel bf of 2 1/2 years is constantly accusing me of cheating on him, although I am innocent, and even stranger is the fact that he definitely has an Oedipus complex, (if only you guys knew!!) But it even gets stranger, because the first time I listened to this song I was in the shower, and I used to be a stripper when I was younger and had recently really missed "dancing" only because it is a really good workout. Keeps your body tight, and it makes me happy to dance to good music like this (I am also a musician) and when I heard it in the shower I just automatically started dancing and thought "wow- this is like, the perfect song to strip to"!! ForREALS, if you just listen to the beat you can close your eyes and my hips just started swaying, and I got all hot, lol. Cuz I used to dance to untraditional stripper music, like Modest Mouse and Skinny Puppy. Anyway, makes me wonder if the tempo was done that way intentionally since it's about a stripper. As usual The mars Volta provide us beyond genius and deeply emotional lyrics. I really dug everyone else's interpretations of this song, but still think it is about a cheating woman!!

Song Meaning
Cover art for The Malkin Jewel lyrics by Mars Volta, The

A little early to be analyzing these songs, no? We don't even know some of their names, let alone the correct lyrics.

Not analyzing anything, just submitting them. The titles and lyrics can still be edited...

 
Questions and Answers

Ask specific questions and get answers to unlock more indepth meanings & facts.

Ask a question...