Square Hammer

I think that Joe 164 got it right with the Freemason allusions and it makes perfect sense, let me elaborate, starting with the chorus:

„Are you on the square? Are you on the level?“

These questions basically ask „Are you a Freemason“ ? Because as Joe pointed out level probably means equality (equal level) among members and square means being morally and mentally fit enough to be a building block of the better new world Freemasons believed to be building.

„Are you ready to swear right here, right now Before the devil“

This one has several explanations while all of them may apply at the same time:

1. This may be a parody of American vows „I swear before the God“ - I swear before the Devil
2. It could play with a popular trope in conspiracy theories that secret societies worship the devil and are inherently evil through and through
3. It could point to the fact that Freemasons were progressives of their time, standing in stark opposition to the old world ruled over by religion (by the God) and celebrating values of Humanism and Enlightenment. In John Milton´s Paradise Lost, the Devil is exactly this – a tragic rebel figure representing human potential rebelling against the God. In Wiliam Blake´s books, the Orc, son of fire is associated with the spirit of rebellion (which sparked the great French Revolution). Given that the devil is also called Lucifer – the light bringer – he himself could be associated with enLIGHTment – thus the devil could be used as a metaphor for the spirit of Humanism – the potential of mankind (mainly in terms of scientific progress) + if you watch the video closely, you will notice that it is full of lightning (light + electricity = science) as well as with back-then-modern technologies like cars, first moving film etc.

„That you're on the square That you're on the level"

here we have an explanation of what is the listener supposed to swear: that he is a true stonemason AND

„That you're ready to stand right here, right now Right here, right now“

Standing probably alludes to each stonemason „cutting“ himself to become perfect „stone“, fitting into „square“ that Joe wrote about. Such perfect stones (members) will be used in building the better future – so are you ready to stand probably means „are you ready to play your part in building the better world? „Right here, right now“ – meaning in this world and now, not in afterlife and after we die – again standing in opposition to Christianity.

So, we have analyzed the chorus, now lets analyze the rest

Living in the night – without the light of the LightBringer – Lucifer – the Devil? Or perhaps it is simply a metaphor for dark age? Not sure.

'Neath devils torn asunder - These are in fact flawed lyrics as they clearly sing „Neath heavens torn asunder“ – So we live under heavens, meaning under the sky – under the sky but why is the heaven torn asunder? I have two possible interpretations:

1. It alludes to religious wars and disputes – one heaven torn asunder as a metaphor to one Church being torn asunder into Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox which further fell apart into thousands of denominations – imagine heaven being parceled for every denomination...
2. If heaven is clouded and clouds are torn asunder, light can reach us with light being a metaphor for knowledge (Lucifer - the lightbringer)

"You call on me to solve a crooked rhyme As I'm closing in Imposing on your slumber You call on me as bells begin to chime"

To be honest, I don´t have an interpretation for this one yet but here we see that the listener is supposedly calling on the singer but who does the singer represent? It is someone who: a) is supposed to be able to solve a crooked rhyme b) is being called when bells begin to chime c) is closing in d) imposes on listener´s slumber e) holds secret powers (last line of the next verse: You call on me for powers clandestine)

I don´t see who could that be a master Freemason, lecturing a novice?

„Hiding from the light Sacrificing nothing Still you call on me for entrance to the shrine“

Here we see two statements of what the listener does: a) Hides from the light b) Sacrifices nothing It seems to me that hiding from the light and sacrificing nothing is a bad/wrong conduct despite of which the listener calls for something - asks for something (still you call). Hiding from light might mean a) Ignorance if light is indeed a metaphor for knowledge? b) Secrecy – if light is to be understood as a metaphor for publicity?

Still you call for entrance to the shrine – for an access to something deeply valued? Shrine can be a metaphor to many things like the sacred knowledge, the contact with the sacred – some sort of divinity, it can be a font of power etc. Not sure...

"Hammering the nails Into a sacred coffin"

This part is very interesting for two reasons

1. It is probably an allude to Friedrich Nietzsche´s famous statement „The God is dead, and it is you who killed him!“ – so Freemason with their hammers (their actions) build a better world as well as hammer nails into a sacred coffin – God´s coffin – they want to make sure that the God stays dead, the Church won´t return to power and that Secularism (faith in man and science) will prevail.
2. At the same time the video says something very intriguing – it says that in that sacred coffin „our father takes his final rest“ – it could mean the Father-God but then something strange happens – once the coffin is opened, we can see the Stonemason Square Hammer lying there, charged with electricity, representing probably a power to create. It could be a beautiful metaphor of Nietzsche´s vision of what happens after the death of God – Over-man (Ubermensch) who is a slave to no God, who is truly Free replaces the God – in this case is the Overman the Freemason? And if so, is Freemasonry the Father that lies in the Coffin? Or is it recognized that from the death of a father (God) Freemasons arose?

And before you dismiss my interpretation as „reading too much into it“ let me tell you that every choice we make is motivated by something and the author of these lyrics certainly did some interesting choices – the question is why and no, „chance“ is not a good explanation :D