In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I forgot to thank you for the blood you shed,
And your obligatory contribution to the community.
Are you just dense or so fuckin' inbred
You think that all is forgiven and all is forgotten?
But forgive them of nothing, despite their impunity.
Oh how the system fails you completely
When monstrous children get treated so sweetly.
The violence is praised, the decision cemented
(they seem like nice kids).
Crimes go committed, but never lamented
(that doesn't change what they did).
That's when they lock up an innocent victim.
The only thing that's more broken than her spirit is the system.
They lock up femininity, infected with the illusion that choice is free.
You made your bed when you were born in your bones,
So lay back, sweetheart, in a body you only sometimes own.
Lay back upon cold concrete floors and rest your drunken soul.
What more could a lady ask for than to be treated like a hole?
Oh how the system fails you completely
When monstrous children get treated so sweetly.
Standing before you in suit and tie,
Don't they just look so nice? (So nice)
Well-practiced tears come to their eyes,
"I guess their remorse will suffice." (Will suffice)
That's when they lock up,
That's when they lock up your bones,
That's when they lock up,
Femininity infected with the illusion that choice, choice is
Freedom is delicate, cracking under abject catastrophe.
Stronger than his prison bars are the bars around her memory.
[x2]
It's irrelevant, her relation to me.
No one is innocent if they go free.
No one is innocent if they go free.
When we hand raise the beast, and the beast runs wild,
We must speak of our own involvement in the rape of a child.
It's irrelevant, her relation to me.
No one is innocent if they go free.
No one is innocent if they go free.
That's when they lock up,
That's when they lock up your bones,
That's when they lock up,
Femininity infected with the illusion that choice, choice is
And your obligatory contribution to the community.
Are you just dense or so fuckin' inbred
You think that all is forgiven and all is forgotten?
But forgive them of nothing, despite their impunity.
Oh how the system fails you completely
When monstrous children get treated so sweetly.
The violence is praised, the decision cemented
(they seem like nice kids).
Crimes go committed, but never lamented
(that doesn't change what they did).
That's when they lock up an innocent victim.
The only thing that's more broken than her spirit is the system.
They lock up femininity, infected with the illusion that choice is free.
You made your bed when you were born in your bones,
So lay back, sweetheart, in a body you only sometimes own.
Lay back upon cold concrete floors and rest your drunken soul.
What more could a lady ask for than to be treated like a hole?
Oh how the system fails you completely
When monstrous children get treated so sweetly.
Standing before you in suit and tie,
Don't they just look so nice? (So nice)
Well-practiced tears come to their eyes,
"I guess their remorse will suffice." (Will suffice)
That's when they lock up,
That's when they lock up your bones,
That's when they lock up,
Femininity infected with the illusion that choice, choice is
Freedom is delicate, cracking under abject catastrophe.
Stronger than his prison bars are the bars around her memory.
[x2]
It's irrelevant, her relation to me.
No one is innocent if they go free.
No one is innocent if they go free.
When we hand raise the beast, and the beast runs wild,
We must speak of our own involvement in the rape of a child.
It's irrelevant, her relation to me.
No one is innocent if they go free.
No one is innocent if they go free.
That's when they lock up,
That's when they lock up your bones,
That's when they lock up,
Femininity infected with the illusion that choice, choice is
Lyrics submitted by TUNDRA35, edited by wolfblitzer, Mellow_Harsher
Plato's Tripartite Lyrics as written by Cameron Mclellan Arif Mirabodlbaghi
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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This song is clearly about cases like the one regarding Daisy Coleman, where the victims of rape are turned into the villains and the monsters that commit the act aren't held responsible for their actions.
First he calls out the community of Maryville for their blatant and disturbing idea that what they did was right and that everyone should "mind their own business."
Then he calls out the failure of the legal system to uphold justice. The children, the ones who were responsible for the rape of Daisy Coleman, are presented as putting on their sunday best and playing to the crowd. They act like they're sorry, but they clearly are not. They play to the jury with fake tears and they decide that they have learned their lesson and their remorse is a good enough punishment.
He refers to the result of all the attention that the case got and the subsequent "running out" of the victim's family from their own town. It also mentions her spirit which I will get into later, regarding the title of the song. Then, they get to the main overarching point which is: this kind of system works against women because it's under the illusion that choice is something that everyone is granted freely, fairly and consistently. This is not true. The whole idea of rape is that you are taking the choice away from the victim. It is EVERYONE'S responsibility to ensure that men, women and children are continually granted the freedoms that they have a right too. And the only way we can do that is by changing the way we behave and how we treat women as a society.
Being born as a female into a body that you only own when others don't take it from you by force. It's intercut with lines like "lay back, sweetheart" which is something that might be said to one during rape. They also satirically ask the question, "What more could a lady ask for, then to be treated like a hole?" And the sad thing is, some men truly think this way.
Jadea's bridge talks about how delicate freedom is, being lost during the worst kinds of catastrophes. And worse than any jail time, is how this poor girl's mind is locked up by these events.
This last part with Rody lays it out clearly (and it's my favorite): It doesn't matter who this girl is, no one is innocent if the ones guilty go free. When we collectively raise these kinds of beasts through our own lack of proper instruction, then we have to take responsibility collectively for things like the rape of this child.
The title of the song refers to Plato's theory of the soul tripartite. In his theory he has the three parts of the soul: Logical, Spirited and Appetitive. The logical should rule with support from the spirited and the appetitive should obey.
A case like this clearly lays out what happens when the three parts are not in proper balance. In this case, the legal system is spirited, but not bound by the logical, or perhaps the logical is misguided. The spirited could even be helping the appetitive and it's love of money-making. The perpetrators clearly let their spirited soul give fuel to the flames of their appetitive and the result was the ruination of the victim.
Isn't that quite recent though? This was probably written about half a year ago. If I were to guess this song is about Rehtaeh Parsons, a Canadian case that involves the same circumstances as Maryville. In this case though the girl was seventeen years old and raped and video was circulated of said rape. The people who committed the rape got off with probation or something along those lines. She later committed suicide.
While it might not be based off the Maryville case directly (the Nova Scotian one being more likely, as JustinNickers pointed out, especially since the band's Canadian), similar stories are popping up all over Canada and the US.
Great point JustinNickers. I suppose the sentiments are the same regardless of the case. One question though, do you know who exactly the first two lines are referring too? It seems to be military types? "the blood you shed" but I'm not sure. I don't know of a case specifically where military types are involved.
I think Justin is wrong, and the OP is right in that it deals with the "Maryville Rape Case." Although it makes sense as to why you'd think it's Canadian-related due to the band's location, but the facts show other wise.<br /> <br /> Via Wikipedia: "The 14 year old girl was found outside her home after two to three hours in freezing weather while her friend had gone inside. One of the alleged rapists is the grandson of a former longtime member of the Missouri House of Representatives."<br /> <br /> this song clearly points both things out; the girl was waiting on the cold "concrete floors" and the first lines "i forgot to thank you for the blood you said and your..." are clearly referring to the fact that one of the teenagers has a father working in government and probably has a military record.
May I say that wolfblitzer as really caught the meaninng of it all, and it would seem theres' not many room to many others interpretations.
Just a though, it feels like they have return to the sound of Kezia with a new and different style in there choice of melodies ( still alot of progressive riffs and PTH rythms), wich is great ! Really a great album !
I really appreciate the explanation of wolfblitzer too! Out of the 11 tracks, this one has caught up my attention and that's why I checked song meanings to see what people have posted so far. Anyways, I can hear a Kezia sound return and topics like this and the pitbull makes me wonder if they're returning to the idea of what their name actually means...you know...protesting for things...LOL Great album, as usual, the first times I hear it I don't get much, however, after several times, I get to like it even more!<br />
I can add one thing (which can also be seen in another reply to a different comment).<br /> <br /> Via Wikipedia: "The 14 year old girl was found outside her home after two to three hours in freezing weather while her friend had gone inside. One of the alleged rapists is the grandson of a former longtime member of the Missouri House of Representatives."<br /> <br /> this song clearly points both things out; the girl was waiting on the cold "concrete floors" and the first lines "I forgot to thank you for the blood you shed,<br /> and your obligatory contribution to the community" are clearly referring to the fact that one of the teenagers has a father working in government and probably has a military record.
Great explanation of Rody on this interview about this song! killyourstereo.com/interviews/692/protest-the-hero/
In an interview with "Needle" magazine, it reads...
"Plato's Tripartite - the philosopher's theory of soul, or as Walker explains , the three part's of the human psyche: reason will and desire - is about rape culture. Specifically the Steubenville , Ohio case involving a drunk high school girl raped by her peers with the violation documented on social media, mobile texts and recordings. Similar horrors have happened in Halifax and Nashville and are far more common than just the ones that reach the media. "When the justice system fails a young girl like that, the justice system fails us all" says Walker. "We have to take some responsibility for the existence of these little ,monsters on our society because we've raised them to be immoral, and those rapes become our fault through rape culture. You're either doing something to provide against it or you're part of the problem. These are important values to instill in people before they reach their sexual age and alot of our fan base are that demographic"
so a few of your theories were right in a sense. This song speaks volumes on the subject. and the bastards that get away with shit like this.