In times of turmoil
In times like these
Beliefs contagious
Spreading disease
This wretched mischief is now coursing through your soul
Never to let go
Never to let go
Rats
Rats
Rats
Rats
Into your sanctum
You let them in
Now all your loved ones
And all your kin
Will suffer punishments beneath the wrath of God
Never to forgive
Never to forget (?)
Rats
Rats
Rats
Rats
This devastation left your cities to be burned
Never to return
Never to return
And filfthy rodents are still coming for your souls
Never to let go
Never to let go
Them rats
Ah-oh wa-oh
Rats
Ah-oh wa-oh
Rats
Ah-oh wa-oh
Rats
They're still coming after you
(rats)
And there's nothing you can do
(rats)
They're still coming after you
(rats)
And there's nothing you can do
(rats)
In times like these
Beliefs contagious
Spreading disease
Never to let go
Never to let go
Rats
Rats
Rats
You let them in
Now all your loved ones
And all your kin
Will suffer punishments beneath the wrath of God
Never to forgive
Never to forget (?)
Rats
Rats
Rats
Never to return
Never to return
Never to let go
Never to let go
Ah-oh wa-oh
Rats
Ah-oh wa-oh
Rats
Ah-oh wa-oh
Rats
(rats)
And there's nothing you can do
(rats)
They're still coming after you
(rats)
And there's nothing you can do
(rats)
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I think it's multi-layered.
The first is the literal interpretation: it's about the plague.
The second, it's about organized religion and/or political regimes controlling the masses and, on the face of it at least, being used as a political tool for destroying others (Christian religion colonizing the world; the rise in Islamic terrorism; Isreal vs Palestine; the Ottoman, Nazi, Fascist, Khmer regimes and dictators etc). The "Into your sanctum...never to forgive" verse might be a nod to terrorist atrocities caused by refugees of war, but could equally refer to atrocities caused by home grown radicalists of the far right, or perhaps clandestinely supported by the governments.
The third (for which I have to don my tinfoil hat) is about government surveillance in conjunction with technology and social media. We're living in "times of turmoil" where state sanctioned misinformation is contagiously "spreading disease". Through our smartphones, our computers, apps, social media and emails, we "let them in" to the most private parts of our lives, where they can come "for our souls" by mining our data and keeping tabs on us. They come after us relentlessly and mercilessly, and except for going completely off grid we have no way of escaping from them.
I could be completely off the mark.
(PD: This is a copy-paste from a reddit I replied to, in case anyone came across it and took me for a plajorist, hahaha.)
@apugalypse You are an idiot. The far left are the ones burning down cities. If you actually ready the meaning of the song from the guy that wrote it it is a perfect description of the left.
@apugalypse You are an idiot. The far left are the ones burning down cities. If you actually ready the meaning of the song from the guy that wrote it it is a perfect description of the left.
@apugalypse You are an idiot. The far left are the ones burning down cities. If you actually ready the meaning of the song from the guy that wrote it it is a perfect description of the left.
@apugalypse You are an idiot. The far left are the ones burning down cities. If you actually ready the meaning of the song from the guy that wrote it it is a perfect description of the left.
Here's the answer from the bands lead singer Tobias Forge 'It's actually not technically about rodents. It's about something spreading as wildfire and completely destroying things quicker than you know. It was how the plague started in Europe. It was basically a couple of merchant ships that had been over in Crimea. A few of them sailed into the port of Messina in Sicily, and according to the legend, from the ship came rats and they were carrying the fleas that had this bubonic plague. Almost everyone on the ship was dead and dying.'
First impression of the lyrics is that it's about religion and how it's being spread by the followers (the rats). Change my mind. :)