I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I vent my frustration at you old man, after
Years your ears will hear..You screamed that you
Tried, but it's words of a weakling and promises made
By a drunken liar [fucking liar]. Now you pick up that splintered
Chair, that was aiming for your head. A head that should
Have been long ago kicked in by me. Alone.
I won't lose a second of sleep for this...Don't touch me.
Orphaned to the dope and drinks, I learned my lesson well,
Somehow(?), from you. No tears. Can't clutch my regrets.
But these years of detachment have left me with
Demons now surfacing. But I'm becoming more than nothing.
You never knew the answers to any of my questions, did you?
You made up all the answers to my unimportant existence.
But now you don't have to dump me off, not again...
Don't touch me again.
I vow, lest I die tomorrow...
You'll never be the father I am. The bastard father to
The thousands of the ugly, criticized, the unwanted. The
Ones with fathers just like you. We're fucking you back.
I'm shoving my life right down your throat. Can I
Find the guts? Can I feel the heart? Look at the
Ground as you choke me up, does it taste like tequila?
Or failure?
We're fucking you back.
Years your ears will hear..You screamed that you
Tried, but it's words of a weakling and promises made
By a drunken liar [fucking liar]. Now you pick up that splintered
Chair, that was aiming for your head. A head that should
Have been long ago kicked in by me. Alone.
I won't lose a second of sleep for this...Don't touch me.
Orphaned to the dope and drinks, I learned my lesson well,
Somehow(?), from you. No tears. Can't clutch my regrets.
But these years of detachment have left me with
Demons now surfacing. But I'm becoming more than nothing.
You never knew the answers to any of my questions, did you?
You made up all the answers to my unimportant existence.
But now you don't have to dump me off, not again...
Don't touch me again.
I vow, lest I die tomorrow...
You'll never be the father I am. The bastard father to
The thousands of the ugly, criticized, the unwanted. The
Ones with fathers just like you. We're fucking you back.
I'm shoving my life right down your throat. Can I
Find the guts? Can I feel the heart? Look at the
Ground as you choke me up, does it taste like tequila?
Or failure?
We're fucking you back.
Lyrics submitted by screwi
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Zombie
Cranberries, The
Cranberries, The
"Zombie" is about the ethno-political conflict in Ireland. This is obvious if you know anything of the singer (Dolores O'Riordan)'s Irish heritage and understood the "1916" Easter Rising reference.
"Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
-
Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over"
Laments the Warrington bomb attacks in which two children were fatally injured on March 23rd, 1993. Twelve year old Tim Parry was taken off life support with permission from his mother after five days in the hospital, virtually braindead.
"But you see it's not me
It's not my family"
References how people who are not directly involved with the violence feel about it. They are "zombies" without sympathy who refuse to take action while others suffer.
It sounds like it's about Phil's abusive father, he puts so much emotion and feeling into it.
For a long time, I hated my father, because I never knew him. I've gotten to know him a lot in the past couple years, and we have a good relationship now. But, this song has always meant a lot to me for that reason.
Yeah..well in this song Phil is shoving it in his father's face that he actually became someone. Someone that other people who were shit on like he was look up to. We're fucking you back!!!
Yeah, that's right. Another great song by Pantera.
I can somehow relate to these lyrics, though I must be honest I've never listened to that song.
I agree with shan_cfh on the meaning. Phil has never said much about his early life, but he burned his parents' house down and went to live on the streets when he was 15. Doesn't seem like he liked his father too much. Marquez, dude, you should listen to it, it's a great song, it's a shame it's so under-rated.
I can really relate to these lyrics... Phil speaks his mind and I like that...
i as well grew up withoutmy father and am bitter and question why he was never there. this song means to me a source of revenge, for so many years i have been angery and now am 26 and am so filled with hate toward my father. the day i become a father, i will fuck him back by not being the person he was to me. this song even tho its filled with rage relaxes me.
Even though I love my father anybody can hear the pain in Phil's painful voice.At least Phil is becoming more than his father ever was.
Well, I know the song know and I like it, like I said a lot ago I'm somehow connected emotionally to this song, but if you have a selfish, arrogant, or even abusive father it can get painful to digest all this ferocity, Phil sounds pissed off as hell in here, killer performance from the guys.