Lyric discussion by amnislupus 

Cover art for Askepios lyrics by Mars Volta, The

The lyrics are:

"I'll be there waiting with a hook in your neck is the contact you've made deficient and your hand will break if you touch this fence please them till they're blind with cleft lens"

"i'll never perish with the albino horns of a thousand young born will you drink from the depths of my sea

and your hand will break if you touch this fence please them till they're blind with cleft lens"

"i might not make it back again the vervain is on the rise got to open wide you got to open wide might of a serpent swallowing tail cycle recycled and i'm next to nothing"

"place your ring finger on this debt am I living or am I dead do what thou wilt tell them what i've found the steps of a ladder from a diamondback mouth"


The first thing that came to mind for this song was when I heard the lyric "might of a serpent swallowing tail, cycle recycled and I'm next to nothing". It's an obvious reference to the ouroboros and perhaps how humanity seems very little in the scheme of the universe.

Of course, this song can easily mean a million different things. But it's definitely a good precursor to Ouroboros and a great ending to Cavalettas and Agadez.