Rites of Investiture

I believe this song is about how in order to exist on some elevated level in society nowadays often we must endure some form of social distortion, bullying or soul selling (an unfair exchange rate in order to remain relevant). On a broader level, from the day we are born we are subject to some form of judgement or scrutiny in some shape or form you could say. Furthermore, no matter what sex you are, there's often times an indelible price to pay for fame or success. This song is a cautionary tale, saying your investment (whatever it may be for) may end up costing you more then you think in the long run. Many will end up buckling under the weight of it all and very few will likely thrive.

Lots of undertones of overcoming horrendous things. A lot of those lyrics seem to point at least my wild mind to letting out therapeutically of abuse whether It be sexual abuse, verbal abuse bullying. And it hits home resonates. I’m a psychologist and I’ve had numerous clients who have over come rape via someone of authority whether that be police, priests, teachers this album is great! Also a reason I got into psychology, I was abuse/ kidnapped and I needed to learn why my brain wouldn’t let it go I thought I was crazy for a long time. So happy to see an artist with lyrics like this. It takes stones to let things out like this whether they are real which I’m inclined to thing so in one facet or another big props to Circa survive!

I just read a chapter from a book online called “The Symbolism of Freemasonry” speaking of the “rites of investiture” in Judaism and Free Masonry being a ceremony of coming of age. To quote the text, “The rite of investiture, called, in the colloquially technical language of the order, the ceremony of clothing, brings us at once to the consideration of that well-known symbol of Freemasonry, the LAMB-SKIN APRON.

This rite of investiture, or the placing upon the aspirant some garment, as an indication of his appropriate preparation for the ceremonies in which he was about to engage, prevailed in all the ancient initiations...In all these modes of investiture, no matter what was the material or the form, the symbolic signification intended to be conveyed was that of purity...”.

The symbol of the white lamb skin apron was that of innocence and purity. My interpretation of this is the ceremony is to exemplify the beginning of adulthood in a sense. An unscathed white apron is given to the participant and will eventually tarnish just as the beings mind soul and body. The beginning and the beginning of the end. Loss of innocence, growth, change, rebirth, a main motif of this entire Album. Accompanied with lines like “crawl out my shell”, and “change, will I ever get a chance”, one can see this motif.

As you can see in the music video it’s an old home movie that Anthony made with his cousin or something, it’s posted online somewhere. He is at the cusp of his teenage years about to bloom into the human he has become and is becoming. Idk I found this interesting.