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Animal Bones Lyrics
Why do you torture me so?
You sit across the table with both eyes closed.
You speak in myth and fable, and stand unopposed.
The animal bones reveal themselves from deep within your mane.
They reach for ethereal light.
The ancient spears rise from her shoulders and riddle your frame,
marking the first time it was done right.
And that’s not all that haunts me - the death by fire of a child
who waits so patiently. And we are the ones
who set the standard by which we are to be measured.
Measured, measured!
Some things can never walk again cause sometimes a step is all too vile.
The path of five innocent men who are only capable of walking one last mile.
If I could live another day over again, I’d choose not to.
The successes and failures of days passed are constant.
The horizon promises days ahead.
If you won’t quit, then I won’t.
And this I swear to you tonight
upon these former embers
you fanned until they were fire.
We are nothing without the thousands of voices that make the choir.
Nothing without the thousands of voices that make the choir.
We are, we are, we are still life.
(We are, we are, we are still life)
We are, we are, we are... still life
Begging and pleading, not dying, but bleeding out. (Still life, still life)
Begging and pleading, not dying, but bleeding out. (Still life, still life)
Oh, the chemical reaction, the chemical.
Oh, the chemical reaction.
When the walls fell, with arms wide.
You sit across the table with both eyes closed.
You speak in myth and fable, and stand unopposed.
The animal bones reveal themselves from deep within your mane.
They reach for ethereal light.
The ancient spears rise from her shoulders and riddle your frame,
marking the first time it was done right.
who waits so patiently. And we are the ones
who set the standard by which we are to be measured.
Measured, measured!
Some things can never walk again cause sometimes a step is all too vile.
The path of five innocent men who are only capable of walking one last mile.
The successes and failures of days passed are constant.
The horizon promises days ahead.
If you won’t quit, then I won’t.
upon these former embers
you fanned until they were fire.
Nothing without the thousands of voices that make the choir.
We are, we are, we are still life.
(We are, we are, we are still life)
We are, we are, we are... still life
Begging and pleading, not dying, but bleeding out. (Still life, still life)
Oh, the chemical reaction, the chemical.
Oh, the chemical reaction.
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This song is about the successes of their past albums, Kezia and Fortress, and how they're tired of being defined by these albums. Yes, they are proud of their creations, but it shouldn't define who they are today.
The song has 2 reprises (from what I've noticed).
"The path of five innocent men who are only capable of walking one last mile." (Divine Suicide of K.)
"We are still life" (Sequoia Throne)
Their albums don't define them, and they shouldn't define the genre, because they are nothing without the thousands of voices that make the choir (the fans).
And to add to this, "The ancient spears rise from her shoulders and riddle your frame, marking the first time it was done right."
And to add to this, "The ancient spears rise from her shoulders and riddle your frame, marking the first time it was done right."
Look at the album cover to fortress.
Look at the album cover to fortress.
"You sit across the table with both eyes closed. You speak in myth and fable, and stand unopposed. The animal bones reveal themselves from deep within your mane. They reach for ethereal light. The ancient spears rise from her shoulders" I just love how it's referencing Fortess. In the album cover Flidais has both eyes closed with spears rising from her shoulders and animal bones around her. Also Fortess' lyrics are mainly about mythology and fable, Irish to be exact IIRC. "We are still life" is a reference to Sequoia Throne and "you sit across the table" might be a reference to The Dissentience (?)....
"You sit across the table with both eyes closed. You speak in myth and fable, and stand unopposed. The animal bones reveal themselves from deep within your mane. They reach for ethereal light. The ancient spears rise from her shoulders" I just love how it's referencing Fortess. In the album cover Flidais has both eyes closed with spears rising from her shoulders and animal bones around her. Also Fortess' lyrics are mainly about mythology and fable, Irish to be exact IIRC. "We are still life" is a reference to Sequoia Throne and "you sit across the table" might be a reference to The Dissentience (?).
Didn't even realize it was also referencing Kezia in the lyrics, I always preferred Fortress. But I think you got it right Syco, good thinking.
Also,
Also,
"Sitting across tables spending nights talking about other nights Our eyes unclose like books we've read twice" from The Dissentience.
"Sitting across tables spending nights talking about other nights Our eyes unclose like books we've read twice" from The Dissentience.
"This I swear to you" is also a key line from Led Astray, not sure if it's an intentional reference though.
"This I swear to you" is also a key line from Led Astray, not sure if it's an intentional reference though.
i saw an interview about this song. this is way of saying he knows that the fans enjoy the other albums better and hes trying to regain their love after not having the same support for the last album. the entire first stanza is describing the cover of fortress.
could you post a link to this interview? :)
could you post a link to this interview? :)
This songs pretty obvious. Look at the picture of Fortress and it explains all: both eyes closed > album cover goddess eyes are closed myth and fable > song lyrics about Goddesses, the Golden Horde, ect. animal bones...mane > album cover goddess antlers ancient spears rise from her shoulders> once again the picture
the death by fire of a child > referencing Kezia
These 2 lines are key though: Marking the first time it was done right + And that’s not all that haunts me
He's basically saying that it might suck for him that no matter what they put into their music, they will always be compared to Kezia and Fortress. Which don't get me wrong, are awesome albums, but I think he is expressing is frustration in the fact that people looked down on Scurrilous saying it was too different from their previous releases. Which it and the new album Volition certainly were, but they are gems in their own right and deserve credit
I was guilty of this as well, I didn't like Scurrious as much when it was first released, however when I went back to it later I feel in love with it. But I also see what Rody is saying, that it sucks that his new work is always compared back to those 2 albums, despite the fact that they are trying to progress as musicians. What is even more frustrating is that they are their own pieces of work "setting the standard for which they are measured" if you will
"When the walls fell, with arms wide"
I had no idea what this lyric meant for years, but now I do after watching S5E02 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, 'Shaka, When the Walls Fell'.
The language used by the fictional Tamarian race explored in the episode is made up purely of allegory (referencing mytho-historical people and places from their culture) and as a result, this makes it very hard for any other race to understand them. To give a relatable example, when announcing the subject of love, a Tamarian might communicate this by saying "Juliet, on the balcony" (but obviously, an allegoric equivalent from their mythology/history). The typical result is confusion from any other race, but it makes for a very interestingly layered and cryptic method of communication; I believe adding some fantastical feeling of grandeur to it all.
Specifically, they use phrases like "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra" (meaning 'co-operation') and "Uzani, his army" (meaning 'fight together'), but the ones that caught my ear were: "Shaka, when the walls fell" and "Temba, his arms wide".
"Shaka, when the walls fell" - 'failure' "Temba, his arms wide" - 'signifying a gift'
Therefore I would guess this lyric roughly translates to: 'failure, but with a gift', but note that the very nature of communicating through using Tamarian language should not be taken literally - it stimulates a person to use their imagination through associated imagery, and so communicates more than just this basic, skin-deep translation.
To illustrate the point, this lyric makes me think of more: I imagine the band (given the lyrical fourth wall breaks throughout the song) has had some failings in their songwriting (or at least, what they believe to be shortcomings and failings) but every effort and song they have written was meant as a gift, presumably for followers of the band, and indeed any other listeners, to enjoy.
This was extremely interesting to delve into and I certainly appreciate the depth behind this lyric's very specific and very niche reference.
@Galuppi correction: the episode is titled 'Darmok'
@Galuppi correction: the episode is titled 'Darmok'