The Second Stage Turbine Blade
1. The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Finally, we begin Coheed and Cambria's debut album. The Second Stage Turbine Blade, takes it's name from several factors. Namely, that this part in the story highlights the "second stage" of Wilhelm Ryan's plans for Heaven's Fence, and that a turbine blade is a part that Claudio Sanchez' father used to work on in a factory. The album's name hints at the dualistic nature of the music. It is both a presentation of the story, which is in turn, is a presentation of Claudio's life.
The song has an audio filter over it that makes it sound like it's being played over an extremely scratchy record player. The song contains a string section, followed by a piano progression. Althroughout the song, buzzes and hums of distortion play.
While not published yet, Claudio had the story covered in Year of the Black Rainbow plotted out, as evidenced in the first few pages of The Amory Wars Sketchbook, which contains a manuscript for a comic covering the first few years of existence on Heaven's Fence. On one page, there is a clear reference to the advent of the Mage War.
Using this information, it is easy to assume that The Second Stage Turbine Blade was composed as a song designed to link events of the past, to events yet to unfold. The distorted nature of the song is a musical reference to The Mage War, and the events of Year of the Black Rainbow. The song itself represents the passage of time between YotBR and The Second Stage Turbine Blade. It's tense tone and pensive atmosphere signifies Wilhelm Ryan putting the second part of his plan into action, and the fatal repurcussions this will have for the Kilgannon family.
2. Time Consumer
Set at least two decades after the events of Year of the Black Rainbow, Coheed and Cambria now have a life with Josephine, who is now all grown up, Claudio, a moody teenager and his fraternal twin siblings Matthew and Maria. The album spearheaded Coheed and Cambria into the progressive genre, and they were quickly becoming a sensation among fans, selling most of their merch and CD's at shows, and with tours lined up as far as the eye can see. However, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, while representing the birth of one of the greatest prog bands in history, the album and comics weave a tragic tale of galactic proportions.
The song opens with a calm plucked melody on guitar with accompanying drums and bass, until the breakdown is brought in by a distorted scream and Claudio begins singing. You can really hear the youth in his voice, it is much higher-pitched than his voice on their other albums. The song fast-paced and jumpy, with a dramatic chorus and sombre bridge, that ends with the same energy it carries throughout.
Coheed and Cambria's earlier albums are extremely tricky to decode, as they are steeped like strong tea in metaphor, hyperbole and indirect references to characters and events. Time Consumer however, contains one extremely distinct reference to a major event in the second chapter. The words “Maria my star, Matthew
Lyrics:
The young stale memories of, play the role to your part. Librarian find me the pole the one that kicks your head in.
To my own time role your own innocence by.
Grab on to my sleeve the one that grabs at your ankle. Debate to understand that we all have a flaw.
Then fail to represent your life as you know it.
God grant you one wish to turn back the time.
Correct and create, making sense of,
Chorus
Me and my star, Matthew good night.
You know by law, when you'll be forgiven.
Maria my star, Matthew good night
You know my Lord, when you'll be forgiven.
So they pulled your confidence down,
with those verbal discrepancies.
Now and then you'll gain what they've lost,
through a challenge of unpronounced.
Pain is only a pulse if you just stop feeling it.
You might be able to use the very thing that makes us up.
Chorus
Wait, now, here when will you believe,
Me? I'm merely asking you to help me.
When did I say to murder?
Wait, now, here. Please hear me out.
Time consumer, time consuming, consume me.
Down, and out. Now.
Chorus
Na-ha-ha-ha-ha
Na-ha-ha-ha-haaa
You know, good night. And I'll promise you that. x2
goodnight” are a direct quote from Coheed, as he holds his children's blistered bodies in his arms, a side-effect of the poison he was forced to feed them.
From this quote, it is assumable that the song tells the story of Coheed killing his children. However from research on the internet, it's been put forward by a fan that it is the story of Coheed killing time (or consuming time) until he actually goes through with it.
This approach allows a little more wriggle room for analysis. The first line “The young stale memories of,” could be a reflection of Coheed remembering the time that he's had with Matthew and Maria – memories which are now stale because he has to “play the role to [your] part”. Deftinwolf has convinced Coheed and Cambria that their children carry a virus called the Sinstar which will eventually become airborne and destroy Heaven's Fence. Thus he gives Coheed some vials of poison to feed to his children to stop this happening. Coheed interrupts the “young stale memories” of his youngest children, so he can “play the role” he's been given and kill his children. The second line “Librarian find me the pole, the one that kicks your head in” proves difficult, especially since there is a pole used specifically for combat at a later stage of the series:
However I believe that the “pole” being spoken about here, is a metaphor for Coheed from the perspective of his children. While it sounds funny at first, a pole is often used as a support for a structure of some sort, and Claudio has himself expressed that Coheed was based on his father, who he always viewed as a man who looked after his family, despite an addiction to heroin. The “Librarian” mentioned in this line, could be the children referring to Claudio Sanchez, as he is essentially a record and book-keeper for The Amory Wars mythos. Essentially this makes him a “Librarian” of sorts. Matthew and Maria ask Claudio (the “librarian) to find their support (Coheed the pole) to protect them (“kick your head in”). Essentially, the children are berating Claudio for forcing the cruel fate that it was their father who had to kill them, rather than protect them as he should have. They want Claudio to find them their old father, the one who would have kicked Claudio's head in at the mere suggestion of killing his children. The phrase “To my own time, roll your own innocence by.” Is a response from Claudio as the writer of The Amory Wars, assuring the children that it was their time to die within the story, to “roll [their] own innocence by.” through their death. The story has no place for their innocent young minds. “Grab on, to my sleeve, the one that grabs at your ankle.” With this line, Matthew and Maria seem to almost accept that their time within the story is over, and they move on into death by grabbing onto Claudio's ankle (exiting the story) and imploring him to assist them out
of their fictional existence.
The phrase “Debate to understand, that we all have a flaw.” reflects on what the children's death represents – that there is no plot armour within The Amory Wars. Everyone can die at any time, depending on their “flaw”. This line highlights Claudio Sanchez' decisions on who dies when. Matthew and Maria were the first to die, because their “flaw” of innocence held no place within the story. “Then fail to represent, your life as you know it” is representative of the process of Claudio turning his life into fiction. Though based on real events that he has experienced, because The Amory Wars is a story, it has to be fabricated, and fails to “represent” an actual re-telling of events. “God grant you one wish, to turn, back the time.” references both Coheed's anguish at having to kill his children, wishing to God he could turn back time so he didn't have to do it, and Claudio re-living his life through writing the story. “Correct and create.” highlights Claudio's control over The Amory Wars mythos, as far as it is relatable to his real life. Through the story Claudio can “correct” mistakes he's made in his life and “create” an entirely new story as a result. The line “Making sense of” is a hook to the chorus.
“Me and my star, Matthew goodnight.” is a revised a more personal version of “Maria my star, Matthew goodnight.” from Coheed's perspective, with “Me” representing Coheed Kilgannon as he holds the dead bodies of his children in his arms, whispering his last words to them. The chorus also reflects on the dualistic nature of Coheed's crime. “You'll know, by law, when you'll be forgiven” states the illegal nature of what he's done, the literal crime of Infanticide, while “You'll know, my lord, when you'll be forgiven” is a personal message from Coheed to Claudio, stating that forcing him to commit this act is unforgivable. He references Claudio's God-like control of the story, by calling him “my lord”.
“So they pulled your confidence down, with those verbal discrepancies” is Claudio Sanchez, speaking to Claudio Kilgannon. Specifically, it references a section in the first chapter of The Second Stage Turbine Blade, where Claudio is being bullied at school for drawing The Prise.
The bullies – understandably - make Claudio feel less confident because of how they tease him (a.k.a “their verbal discrepancies”). Claudio Sanchez hints at the journey ahead of Claudio Kilgannon through the line “Now and then you'll gain what they've lost, through a challenge of unpronounced.” Claudio (S) assures Claudio (K) that though challenging, “now and then” Claudio will “gain” part of the lives that the bullies are probably going to lose in the coming wars – which also alludes to his powers as The Crowing, and the fate of the Keywork.
Before I go on, there is a point here regarding some word-play. If you remember in my analysis of Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute, there is the line “Oh oh, you've taken the fall, for them to walk all over, you've made your bed” where “you've” serves as an anchor between two sentences, making them “You've taken the fall for them to walk all over you” and “you've made your bed.” by using a single word. Within Time Consumer, Claudio does something similar. He says “A challenge of unpronounced.” with the next line being “Pain is only a pulse.” In this respect, “Pain” is an anchor word, making the two sentenced “A challenge of unpronounced pain.” and “pain is only a pulse.” This allows the former sentence to be completed properly and make sense within the story.
The next two lines join similarly, only there is an anchor phrase rather than word. The line “Pain is only a pulse, if you just stop feeling it.” connects to “you might be able to use, the very thing that makes us up.” The “pain is only a pulse” line refers to Claudio's emotional pain of being ostracised at school and misunderstood at home. The song continues “if you just stop feeling it, you might be able to use the very thing that makes us up.”, meaning if Claudio stops allowing his pain to control him, he can unlock the full potential of The Crowing. The “us” in this sentence refers to the KBI, as Claudio (K) is sometimes referred to as “The Son of Three”.
The power of The Crowing utilises Coheed's strength, Cambria's psychic abilities and Inferno's nouse for strategy and fighting. Essentially, this sentence is from the KBI to Claudio, telling him to stop doubting himself, and use (or at least discover) the power of The Crowing, the “thing” that makes them up.
The bridge largely expresses Claudio using Deftinwolf and Ryan within the story to advance the plot through Matthew and Maria's death. “Wait here, when will you believe me?” introduces Claudio's dialogue as the writer to the antagonists of the story.
He continues on to say “I'm merely asking you to help me, when did I say to murder?” which seems to be a claim that Claudio doesn't want the bad things that happen to his protagonists to happen, but that they are simply a chain of events within the story itself – he gives the story it's own life. He says “I'm merely asking you to help me.”, which is representative of Claudio creating his characters to help him tell a story, “when did I say to murder?” represents Claudio Sanchez bearing no ill will against the characters made to suffer within The Amory Wars, and that it is simply a result of Mayo and Ryan's characters. He further begs the patience of his protagonists saying “Wait now, please hear me out.” and refers to Coheed as the titular “Time Consumer” (as he consumes time thinking about the loss of his children), while continuing “time consuming”, reflecting on the nature of writing the story, “consume me”, which reflects on Claudio Sanchez' emotional involvement within the story. The final line of the bridge “Down and out, now” refers to Coheed and Cambria's emotional states after the forced murder of three of their four children.
The outro consists of the chorus, with the lines “You know, Goodnight, And I promise you that.” which I believe is Claudio Sanchez talking to the deceased characters Matthew and Maria, bidding them “goodnight” from the story, and promising them a conclusion worthy of their deaths. However as the sentence is not properly finished, I can't say for certain. Claudio likes to tease us Children of the Fence doesn't he?
3. Devil in Jersey City
Lyrics:
Hee, Hee, Shabutie!
New Jersey bound
Sound asleep they'll find you
At your most vulnerable poll position
Speak up, let out.
Down the street
The corner boys fuck shit up
Scream loud, scream Sayonara, oh, oh, oh
Sweet Josephine, will you follow me home?
Scream loud, scream Sayonara, oh, oh, oh
Sweet Josephine, will you fuck me back home?
Chorus
Let's fire it up. Haha! Now!
Let's fire it up. Haha! Now, Sayonara!
Don't let them scare you
When you're down on the floor bleeding, bastard.
You'll be getting home real soon
And I'll pray for you I will
Don't let them scare you
When you're down on the floor bleeding, bastard.
You'll be getting home real soon.
Speak up, let out.
Caught in the crossfire
Compared to the step to the bone that might break
It's too late to find a better way out of this
With the finest regards that I lost
In the cracks of this street
Scream loud, scream Sayonara, oh, oh, oh
(Wide open. Now you're dead and gone)
Sweet Josephine, will you follow me home?
Scream loud, scream Sayonara, oh, oh, oh
Sweet Josephine, will you fuck me back home?
Chorus
Don't let them scare you.
(Take me home)
When you run they'll follow you x3
The Second Stage Turbine Blade continues with Devil in Jersey City. The song is one of the most popular songs written by Coheed and Cambria to date, and has it's roots in a significantly dark part of the story.
After saying “Hee hee Shabutie” (referencing both Coheed and Cambria's old name and the joyful cry of celebration that the characters Matthew and Maria let loose with when they're happy)guitars start playing a simple rhythm progression while Claudio sings dramatically and almost with enthusiasm. The song sounds energetic, and the occasional slow part of it build a certain sense of drama, especially towards the outro of the song.
In doing my research I actually found a really good explanation for the song which I think, despite a few niggles actually has it down to a tee.
The opening line “Hee, hee Shabutie” is a simultaneous reference to the band's old name, and the celebratory phrase Matthew and Maria say together, even though only Maria says it in SSTB it is said by both children in The Amory's Wars' initial form, The Bag.On.Line Adventures: The Second Stage Turbine Blade.
The first line “New Jersey bound”, simply sets the scene for the events covered in the story, as Josephine and her fiance` Patrick were parked somewhere either in or near New Jersey. “Sound asleep, they'll find you at your most vulnerable.” refers to the nature of the attack of the New Jersey Devils, a bikie gang which attacks the couple. They lie in wait (sound asleep) waiting for the perfect chance to strike (find you at your most vulnerable). “Poll Position” is a term used in racing to denote the racer in first place at the beginning of the race – I believe this is merely used as a reference to the New Jersey Devils' organisation as a motorcycle gang, while “speak up, let out” is a reference to Josephine telling Patrick that she doesn't want to be where they are.
The phrase “Don't let them scare you, when you're down on the floor bleeding, bastard” Seems to be a further taunt from the Devil's, however it's third person nature leads me to believe it's more an assurance from Claudio Sanchez to Josephine and Patrick. However, I'm really not sure what he's assuring them of, as their fate is pretty much sealed at this point. “Bastard” could only logically be directed towards Patrick, as he ignored Josephine when she said she wanted to go. It appears as though the writer blames Patrick for what is happening to Josephine. “You'll be getting home real soon, and I'll pray for you, I will.”
The phrase “Down the street the corner boys, fuck shit up.” is merely a references to the Devils' violent nature.
“Scream loud, scream Sayonara” is a representation of the gang's taunts while they attack the couple. While it's not a direct reference, it has a malicious, arrogant tone which is nearly identical to the Devils' tone when they attack Josephine and Patrick. “Sweet Josephine, will you follow me home.” references Patrick and Josephine's trip, they were most likely one their way home from celebrating their recent engagement. “Sweet Josephine, will you fuck me back home.” is a perversion of the previous line, alluding to the Devils' raping Josephine on their turf, their “home”.
The line “Let's fire it up.” is never actually directly references in The Amory Wars, however I believe it is merely a nod to the 1994 movie adaptation of the comic book The Crow, which serves as a major inspiration for many people within the comics industry. The line is said by the satanist motorcycle gang who rape a woman and kill her boyfriend at the start of the film as they celebrate “Devil's Night”. Due to the near-identical nature of their crimes, it is safe to assume that this line is a nod to whatever role The Crow may have had on the story of The Amory Wars.
seems to be further assurance from Claudio the writer, almost as though he's saying that Josephine and Patrick should take refuge in the fact that they won't be suffering much longer as they'll both be dead soon. This is indeed the case for Josephine, as when she gets home, her father will kill her.
The song continues “Speak up, let out.” which although repeated from the first verse, at this point in time it would refer more to the actual attack itself, and is reflective of Josephine's protests as she is being raped. The next line “Caught in the crossfire”, according to the explanation I mentioned earlier, hints that Josephine may have just been an accidental victim and not a target. Later in the story it's revealed that Patrick has a somewhat sketchy past.
Part of this past may have involved Patrick being in a rival gang at one point, meaning that if the Devils recognised his car, they may have just been trying to attack Patrick, and Josephine was “caught in the crossfire.”. The next line “Compared to the step to the bone that might break” references the beating that Patrick is taking at the hands of the Devils. While Josephine is just an accidental victim, Patrick is directly attacked. He is stepped on and the beating threatens to break his bones. “It's too late to find a better way out of this” is simply a reflection that it's now too late to escape the Devils, they've already won. The explanation I found on the internet speculated that “With the finest regards that I lost, In the cracks of this street” refers to Josephine's virginity being taken by the Devils via their rape. Unfortunately I don't have a better idea of what it could mean, but if I had to take a wild swing my guess is that it would be Patrick blaming himself for not being able to protect Josephine. He has lost Josephine's “finest regards in the cracks of this street” by putting her in danger.
The phrase “Wide open, now you're dead and gone” refers to the Josephine's rape by the Devils and subsequent murder by her father.
“Take me home” is a direct quote from Josephine. “When you run, they'll follow you.”
draws parallels between the New Jersey Devils and The Onstantine Priests. The biker gang likes to chase down their victims, while The Onstantine Priests continuously hunt down Claudio due to his nature as The Crowing.
The explanation that allowed me to decode this song with relative ease can be viewed here:http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/76198/
4. Everything Evil
Lyrics:
Wait for
Everything evil in you comes out
I'll stay when we'll only motivate sound instead, Sergeant.
Make for the table
In hopes that I won't be afraid again
Call when enabled
And send the leader out against
I will
Stage a reenactment in a false pretense
Exist inflict
Unworthy unconsciousness
Why debate when the actions suppressed,
Then kill the acquitted?
Listen to the sounds that remain in question
In hopes to solidify a truce
Amongst the children and the jury that stands the verdict alive
Here among the dead
Chorus
Evolve Monstar
Show me the things that I've never wanted done.
Evolve Monstar
Do to me the things I never wanted done...
I, I felt much better than this before.
If they find out to avoid
Then the accidents kept hidden away
But if they stay
Blood hungry, cannibalistic unfit family ties
In a series of knocks
To the young girl's head side
Chorus
Come write me a letter and paste it on my refrigerator door
Inspected inspector,
I think we've found something over here
I, I felt much better than this before.
If they find out to avoid
Then the accidents kept hidden away
But if they stay
Jesse
Just come look at what your brother did here,
He did away with me. x2
Stay until Wednesday,
And write me a child-like letter, pretending.
At war here in Thursday.
Let's make this our last day at home by the fence.
Would you run? Would you run?
Would you run down past the fence?
Would you run? Would you run?
Would you run down past the fence? (FBI)
And she screamed,
Claudio! Dear Claudio!
I wish, God damn it, we'll make it if you believe!
And she screamed,
Claudio! Dear Claudio!
I wish, God damn it, we'll make it if you believe! (FBI)
Wow, its been a long, long time since I was last here. I'm really sorry about that everyone. Its been a crazy, crazy year, but I'm on the right track at the moment, and it seemed like a good time to get back into the swing of things. I am determined to finish this website (as much as I can without GAV2 materials) before the end of the year - hopefully I will have the available time to commit to this website. Anyway, I present you with the long overdue analysis of Everything Evil.
The song opens with with a drum beat and various sounds like doors opening, before a plucked guitar sequence joins the drum beats. Claudio half sings-half talks this song, creating a tense atmosphere, that is until "Evolve Monstar" are screamed out, breaking into a dramatic, anthemic chorus. The song constantly switches between tension and drama, and although it contains some of the more direct references to The Amory Wars saga, it is an extremely difficult song to decode purely because of the scope of its references - but overall, the themes within the lyrics sets the scene for the failure of the heroes of Heaven's Fence to avert disaster within The Second Stage Turbine Blade.
The song takes its title from the following panel, which pictures Keywork energy being fed directly into the House Atlantic at the end of Chapter 3 of the second volume of SSTB. In this chapter, the Monstar Virus has been triggered, starting the transformation of Coheed and Cambria into the Monstar and The White Ruineer respectively, while on Camp Si-Revody, an Onstantine Priest hunts Claudio. Wilhelm Ryan's plans are working smoothly - as expressed in the panel.
However, the quote in the song is rather different to how it is used in the comic. The line says "Wait for, Everything evil in you comes out." This difference of tone leads me to believe that this line comes from Claudio as The Writer. The term "wait for" signifies that the song takes place before the events of Volume 2, Chapter 3 - and through other references in the song, it seems clear that The Writer is encouraging Ryan to remain patient - almost reminding him that his victory in this saga is inevitable. He can afford to wait.
Going on, the next line states "I'll stay, when we'll only motivate sound instead, Sergeant." This line offers up some difficulty, as no characters within The Amory Wars (none named anyway) bear the rank of Sergeant within Ryan's army. This can only mean that this line come from someone within a position of authority - which only leaves three options. Wilhelm Ryan, Mayo Deftinwolf or Vielar Crom. In order to decipher which, the rest of the song needs to be looked at. The references in the song point several times to the activation of the Monstar Virus, and the deaths of the Kilgannon family - all of which was orchestrated by Ryan himself, so I am more inclined to believe that this line comes from Ryan more than anyone else. In the context of this particular quote, Ryan is giving orders to a subordinate. He says "I'll stay when we'll only motivate sound instead." This is an extremely subtle nod to the story of Year of the Black Rainbow. At the end of that story, Ryan is missing - and it is unknown how long he was missing for, before returning as the Supreme Tri-Mage. The term "I'll stay" - represents the acknowledgement that due to his abscence, Ryan's rule is shaky. People doubt him, This is reflected in one particular panel of SSTB, where it is acknowledged that Ryan has "non-believers."
The "second stage" (the first being YotBR) of Ryan's plan involves negating his military and social/political threats, namely the KBI and The Crowing, and the doubts of the people. This line, reflects the part of his plan relating to the doubts of the people. His plan is to use the Monstar to destroy Sector 12, so the Prise would have to sacrifice themselves to save it, and then using these events as propaganda to portray himself as a hero (this is confirmed in IKSSE:3). The phrase "motivate sound" is a metaphor for the spreading of this propaganda. All in all, the line states "My rule (I'll stay) will only be solid when the people believe I'm a hero (when we'll only motivate sound instead)".
The song continues "Make for the table, In hopes that I won't be afraid again." This is a direct reference to the activation of the Monstar, which involves Coheed and Cambria being strapped to two gurneys ("table"). The line "in hopes that I won't be afraid again" refers to Ryan's plan to kill Claudio Kilgannon, The Crowing - the one force on Heaven's Fence that can stop him, his one and only fear. At this point in the story, Claudio is off the radar on camp Si-Revody. This line expresses Ryan's hope that the activation of the Monstar will also destroy The Crowing.
The next phrase "Call when enabled, And send the leader out against", reflects an order from Ryan to his subordinates to notify him of when his orders have been fulfilled in regards to the transportation of the Kilgannons to Paris:Earth in order to undergo the Monstar activation process. After they have been transported Deftinwolf ("the leader") is to be deployed against the rebellion ("out against"). This is supported by a later reference in the song to the crushing of the rebellion.
"I will, Stage a re-enactment in a false pretense, Exist, inflict." is reflective of Deftinwolf's part in the plot to kill the Kilgannon family. It references his attempt to disguise the murder as a clean-cut case of homicidal insanity. The phrase "Exist, inflict" serves as a representation of the dualistic nature of the Kilgannons and the Monstar virus. Because of the "existence" of Coheed and Cambria, the Monstar will be "inflicted" onto the Keywork.
"Unworthy unconciousness, Why debate when the actions suppressed, Then kill the acquitted?" continues the portion of the song from Mayo Deftinwolf's perspective. He expresses disgust at the Kilgannon family - rather than leaving them alive and sedated ("unworthy unconciousness), he would rather kill them outright. However he acknowledges that such is the will of Wilhelm Ryan ("Why debate") and that although his murderous desire is being held back for the moment ("when the actions suppressed"), Coheed and Cambria will die eventually ("kill the acquitted"). This stanza in the song is representative of Deftinwolf's desire for revenge against Coheed and Cambria for the trouble they caused him during the course of YotBR.
The next part of the song takes the audience back to the details of Ryan's evil plan, stating "Listen to the sounds that remain in question." This is a reference to Mariah's rebellion - the "sounds" representing conspiratorial whispers and rumours against Ryan's regime. "In hopes to solidify a truce, Amongst, the children and the jury the stands the verdict." refers to what Ryan hopes to gain through the defeat of the Rebellion. The phrase "In hopes to solidify a truce" is actually a metaphor for his eventual victory and subjugation of those among Heaven's Fence - as evidenced by "Amongst, the children and the jury that stands the verdict". Ryan is aware that the "children" (of the Fence, WOO!) "stand" as his "jury", and that in order to rule effectively, he must alter their perceptions (or "verdict") of him to paint himself in a favourable light. As part of his plan, he will portray himself as a saviour by manipulating the deaths of Coheed and Cambria into a story of terrorism which he averted at the cost of Coheed and Cambria's lives, leaving the people following him "Alive among the dead". This stanza is reflective of the beginning and intention of The Amory Wars.
The chorus begins "Evolve, Monstar" - which is a direct quote from Ryan during Coheed's transformation into the Monstar. It is also
worth noting that the same panel contains a reference to Hearshot Kid Disaster, the sixth song on The Second Stage Turbine Blade album. The phrase "Show me the things I never wanted done." comes from Cambria's perspective, whose transformation into the White Ruineer is slower to take effect, as a result she is forced to watch her husband become the Monstar. The second part in this section of the chorus, "Do to me the things I never wanted done.", evidently comes from both Coheed and Cambria, reflective of their current state of anguish.
The next phrase "I, I felt much better than this before" takes the audience back to the Kilgannon house in volume 1, when Coheed and Cambria are forcibly sedated by Mayo Deftinwolf and his men after finding out what they intend to do with Claudio. The line "If they find out, to avoid" refers to Claudio and Newo, who are out on a date and on their way home. Coheed and Cambria hope as they succumb to the sedative that the two children will somehow be "find out" about the danger at the house and "avoid" it. They reflect that this would also allow Claudio to remain ignorant to the fact that Matthew, Maria and Josephine were murdered by them. This is referenced in "Then the accidents kept hidden away." The murders of the Kilgannon children is referred to as "the accidents" - because Coheed and Cambria were manipulated into it. Together they hope that this action will go unseen by Claudio. However, they can't ignore the fact that Claudio may indeed end up in the hands of the Red Army, and learn about what his parents have done, reflected in "But if they stay", leaving Coheed and Cambria unable to finish the sentence as they succumb to the effects of the tranquiliser.
The next stanza "Blood-hungry, cannibalistic unfit family ties" relates to the White Ruineer's murder of the Monstar. It is the one Kilgannon-on-Kilgannon kill that is driven by blood-lust.
It continues "In a series of knocks, to the young girl's head side." This confirms the above statement. This line is a reference to Josephine's death by her father's hand. In Year of the Black Rainbow, it was revealed that the cure to the Monstar virus was implanted within Josephine, however within her death, the Monstar was left un-curable. The "blood hungry cannibalistic unfit family ties" are allowed to take place "in a series of knocks to the young girl's head side."
The next chorus begins "Come write me a letter, and paste it on my refrigerator door." This is a reference to the letter that Claudio leaves for Newo:
It is important to note that within this letter, Claudio uses the pet-name "Junesong" for Newo, linking to the song Junesong Provision. The "Inspected, inspector, I think we've found something over here" line, references the investigators sent to the Kilgannon house, as well as the fact that they actually came close to uncovering the plot of The Second Stage Turbine Blade before Ambellina came onto the scene.
Next comes the hook, "Jesse, just come look at what your brother did, here he did away with me." This line is often thought to be from the perspective of Josephine, as there is a very similar line in the song The Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth on the album Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness. The line goes "Jesse, bad boy, just come look at what your brother did. To that girls, precious, little whore of a body." However, in the context of The Second Stage Turbine Blade, it doesn't make sense, as Josephine was never
aware of her uncle's existence, let alone his first name. It is much more likely that this line comes from Cambria, and refers to her suicide on the dead surface of Star VII after killing The Monstar/Claudio, which Inferno (aka "Jesse") refers to as "Destiny playing catch up. They were born to be blades in this turbine."
The next line stanza "Stay until Wednesday, And write me a child-like letter pretending. At war here in Thursday, Let's make this our last day at home by the Fence." seems out of place, and in the comics there are no direct references to Wednesday or Thursday. However, taking into account the words "At war here in Thursday" gives us two clues. The first being that the phrase is in present-tense, and uses the phrase "at war." The first act of open war is the Red Army's ambush of the rebellion of Dil-Ariuth IX. Using this we can determine that this ambush was a)The battle that triggered "the Amory Wars", b)took place on a Thursday, and c)reveals that this stanza takes place from the perspective of Mariah Antilarea. Using this information, we can decode that this stanza is reflective of the moment that Mariah finds out that Inferno has (supposedly) died.
With this particular conflict taking place on a Thursday, in her grief, Mariah thinks "Stay here till Wednesday." as an expression of the desire to go back in time to when Inferno was still alive. The next line "And write me a child-like letter pretending." is the wish for some kind of fabrication of the future they wanted together. She wants to go back to when Inferno was still alive, and have him provide her with a letter that is pretending to be from the children they will never have - a "child-like letter pretending." The stanza continues "At war here in Thursday", which reflects the image in the second panel where Mariah brings herself back to the conflict at hand. "Let's make this our last, day at home by the Fence." signifies her willingness to die for the rebellion, but also to be with Inferno again. To make Thursday "[our] last day at home by the Fence", meaning Heaven's Fence.
The next phrase "Would you run? Would you run? Would you run, down past the Fence." is representative of this being the beginning of Claudio's streak of running from danger and his destiny as The Crowing - a theme which is continued in In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3. The screamed "FBI" is a reference to Patrick's death at the hand of an Onstantine Priest, which used the disguise of FBI agents to lure him in. This is in reference to Wilhelm Ryan's statement that "The witness (Patrick) is a very unnecessary addiction, but he can be easily remedied." coming to fruition.
The song's outro "And she screamed Claudio, dear Claudio, I wish God damn it, we'll make it if you believe." consists of a revised version of Josephine's final words to Claudio before dying.
All in all, Everything Evil is a song that outlines many of the details of Ryan's barbaric plan for the people of Heaven's Fence, and relays their effects on a galactic scale, and on a personal scale for the Kilgannon family and Mariah's rebellion.
5. Delirium Trigger
Lyrics:
We're now up here alone,
Terror on the intercom can someone, save us
Systems malfunction,
Blast it this damn machine over and out captain
Something lurks,
Creeps on the counter top somewhere behind you
Parasitic cyst,
I can't stand to watch it's coming up and out of your chest
Remember when we were young
Sit up right on the table,
A photograph of earth feeding me a way back
Frightened I tear alone or maybe not
The the only one there
Hello, hello when it rings will you answer?
There corner tall short stance
It's you come on kill me
You made a good friend to me,
But while you were outnumberedand torn,
You made us do things
Oh dear God, I don't feel alive,
When you're cut short of misery
Will you pray it be the end?
Give a look surprised wide eyes to me
Then you'll know just what I am
The scare that triggers your fear
Come know me in a different light now,
Come know me as God
You made a good friend to me,
But while you were outnumberedand torn,
You made us do things
Run sand hourglass,
Its my time will I be worth?
Spin 'round carousel,
When your horse isn't screwed in.
Oh dear God, I don't feel alive,
When you're cut short of misery (raise forth lost cause)
Will you pray it be the end?
Give a look surprised wide eyes to me (raise forth lost cause)
Then you'll know just what I am (subtle demise the legitimate cry)
Then you'll know just what I am
Come know me in a different light now,
Come know me as God (raise forth lost cause)
Delirium Trigger is one of my favorite songs from The Second Stage Turbine Blade, but it also marks the halfway point through this album's analysis! Yaaaaay!. The song covers several points in the story, and even contains a subtle nod to the beginning of the events of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3. Overall, the song narrates a portion of the story where there is no turning back for Coheed and Cambria - and introduces one of the characters that makes very few appearances in Coheed and Cambria's music, Admiral Vielar Crom.
The song starts off with an ascending and descending lick on guitar. It is calm and melodious, before a harsh screech (which is, in itself a references to certain events) introduces dramatic guitar riffs that carry on into a calmer verse. The lyrical style is someone similar to Everything Evil, in that the words are half sung, half spoken - although Delirium Trigger's verses are much closer to the musical aspect of things. The song dramatically switches between almost calming and harmonious melodies, and loud, dramatic break-downs.
As mentioned above, the screech that starts the song is a reference to events within the comics. Considering the time frame that the other references within the song take place in - I believe that this screech is the audio of the Onstantine Priest that was hunting down Claudio:
It is important to note that Claudio and Newo were stuck in traffic while making their way back to the Kilgannon home. In that time, Coheed and Cambria were subdued, transported into space, awoke and began their attack. When they started taking over the ship coincides with the time Claudio briefly resurrected Josephine.
The song opens up with the line "We're now, up here alone, Terror on the intercom. Can someone, save us?" This is a reference to the attack on the Gloria Vel Vessa by Coheed and Cambria, once they are awakened by their memories of the KBI. Judging from the tone of the line, it is likely that this line is delivered by one of the Gloria Vel Vessa's crew members, most likely these guys:
This is because out of all the crew, these two spend the most time (alive anyway) with Coheed and Cambria during the attack, also as you can see, they are attempting to make communications with someone, probably to send out an SOS, referencing the line "can someone, save us".
The song continues "Systems malfunction, blast it this damn machine. Over and out, Captain." is a reference to the Gloria Vel Vessa's control being taken over from a nearby space port, causing it to go into auto-pilot. This results in Coheed having to attempt to re-wire the engine core, but when it doesn't work, Cambria blows up the engine. This forces Coheed and Cambria to comes up with the idea of blowing up the ship in order to stop the Monstar falling into Ryan's hands - which leads to the conflict that makes up most of this song.
Again, the audience is taken back to the Kilgannon house through the line "Something lurks, creeps on the counter top. Somewhere behind you." - revealing the time frame of these events. As Coheed and Cambria attempt to re-wire the engine core, the Onstantine Priest kills the Red Army soldiers left to guard the Kilgannon house.
It's not really "lurking" though as much as "dripping", but I guess "something drips" doesn't really carry the same weight.
After the attempt to re-wire the engine core fails, Coheed and Cambria start setting up explosives to blow up the Gloria Vel Vessa, and themselves with it. As they prepare to die their thoughts turn back to their children. The line "Parasytic cyst, I can't stand to watch. It's coming up and out of your chest." references Coheed and Cambria watching Matthew and Maria die by poison - a process which left the twins covered in large cysts.
The next few lines continue their reminiscence, saying "Remember when, we were young?" Which points to the days that Coheed and Cambria spent together in the KBI - but also their lives up to this point. Several decades have passed within the story since Year of the Black Rainbow - and Coheed and Cambria are likely in their late 30's to early 40's. They look back at their time together after the KBI, and before this current point in their lives. "Sit up, right at the table." is in reference to the gurneys that Coheed and Cambria are forced onto in order to activate the Monstar virus (the same ones referenced in Everything Evil). The phrase "A photograph of Earth, feeding me a way back." is a nod to the photo of Josephine that the Red Army soldiers find in the above image. Remember, Josephine is not a normal girl, rather she was created artificially to be the cure to the Monstar virus. The "photo" is not actually of Earth, but of the one thing that could have saved Earth once the
Monstar had been activated. The term "feeding me a way back" refers to Coheed's mind being taken over by the Monstar - if Josephine were still alive, she could have "fed" him "a way back" to being himself. The line "Frightened I tear alone, or maybe not, the only one there." is a reference to Coheed and Cambria's transformations into the Monstar and the White Ruineer, during which they experience blindness, causing Cambria to call out to her husband, unsure if he is still there or not. The "tearing" refers specifically to Coheed and Cambria's transformation - as they grow they are physically torn apart, and their clothes are ripped off their bodies.
With the transformation of the Monstar and White Ruineer taking place, and the only cure for it dead (ironically killed by the people it was designed to cure) it is acknowledged that the end has officially begun (dun, dun, DUUUUUUUN) through the line "Hello? Hello, when it rings will you answer?" This line is a subtle nod to the beginning of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3 where Claudio rings Newo after having been estranged from her for so long - but finds himself unable to speak to her. (Thanks to Jeremy for sending me the photo while I was at work away from all of my comics apart from my copy of SSTB). "Hello, hello." Could almost be a direct quote from this scene by Newo - with the writer asking Claudio "when it rings (meaning when Newo picks up) will you answer?".
The line "There, corner tall, Short stance its you. Come on, kill me." is difficult, as it appears to really mean nothing. I looked up "corner tall", and instead was directed to a bunch of websites selling tall cabinets designed to fit inside corners - and seeing as people's furnishings really have very little to do with the story, I can only guess. The phrase "it's you" leaves me inclined to believe that this line comes from Inferno, directed towards Vielar Crom.
At the end of Year of the Black Rainbow, Inferno wipes the memories of the KBI from Coheed and Cambria's minds, and verbally implants memories of them being a happy couple. Also, he fought Vielar Crom during the rescue-mission for Coheed and Cambria in the novel's closing chapters. With this information, it is evident that Inferno is the only one in the story that could recognize and remember Crom from the days of the KBI - as his memory was unaltered at the end of the story, and he is the only one to have had direct conflict with Crom up to this point. With this information, "Come on, kill me" would most likely be a threat from Inferno to Crom, during the KBI vs Crom melee on the Gloria Vel Vessa. As for "There, corner tall, Short stance" - I honestly couldn't begin to understand what's going on there.
I believe that the hook "You made a good friend, to me." comes from Crom. As a supremely powerful cyborg he has no equal in combat, but the KBI through their combined strength are able to fight against him, even for a moment. This makes them his equal, and the closest thing he has to a "friend". The phrase "But while you were outnumbered and torn, you made us do things." is a reference to the KBI's loss at the hands of Crom and the Red Army, and their transformations into the Monstar and White Ruineer, once again using "torn" as a metaphor.
In both instances (the battle and the activation of the Monstar) the KBI are outnumbered. In the battle on the Gloria Vel Vessa, they are outnumbered by Red Army sodliers. As the virus begins to take hole, they are outnumbered by the Syringa Dragonflies.
The next verse takes place from Crom's perspective. It references his mechanical nature in "Oh dear God, I don't feel alive, When you're cut short, of misery." reflects Croms singular desire for victory. He only feels "alive" when his enemies are miserable because of his victory. With Coheed and Cambria fighting back, they are "cut short" of this misery, feuling Crom's desire to end the battle quickly in his favor.
Crom's next line "Will you pray it be the end?" serves as a taunt towards the KBI, referencing the pain he will put them through - as well as recognizing that the end for Coheed and Cambria, means death via the Monstar. It is essentially Crom telling Coheed and Cambria that no matter what they do, their deaths will serve Crom's purpose.
"Give a look, Surprised wide eyed to me. Then you'll know just what I am. The scare that triggers your fear, Come know me in a different light now." relays the beginning of this battle. Coheed is charging his gun-arm to shoot the explosives and destroy the Gloria Vel Vessa, but Crom's power draining suit prevents Coheed from using it. This is the "surpise" mentioned in the song. The ensuing battle reveals that Crom is too strong for Coheed, and Cambria's psychokinetic energy can be absorbed by Crom's armour. The phrase "Then you'll know just what I am, The scare that triggers your fear." is Crom recognising the fact
that Coheed and Cambria can't defeat him. This is continued in "Come know me in a different light now", which references Coheed and Cambria's initial arrogance at facing off against Crom. "Come know me as God." is a direct quote from Crom himself.
In the second hook of the song a new stanza is added after the initial "You made a good friend, etc" part. This new stanza begins "Run sand hourglass, it's my time, Will I be worth?". I believe this is Crom looking back on his various military duties over time. At first he was a respected leading officer in the army of Covent Marth during the Mage War in Year of the Black Rainbow. That novel saw him join Wilhelm Ryan's cause. He wonders what the future will hold for him, and whether his military career will continue ("Will I be worth?). I believe the next line comes from Claudio as The Writer, who says "Spin around carousel." which references Crom's mechanical nature - stating that he is operating in the same way a machine operates. The next part of this line "When your horse, isn't screwed in" however, reveals that his current actions are not the duties he is meant to be doing. The "horse" in this line is a metaphor for Crom's purpose, without it he is not functioning as he is meant to.
In the outro of the song a screaming voice is heard in the background against Claudio's vocals saying "Raise forth lost cause." I believe this line is a reference to the destruction of the Rebellion - with "raise" here being used in the sense of giving orders to retreat during a siege. It also reflects the strategy employed by Inferno and Mariah during the attack on Dil-Ariuth IX, where Inferno plans to send Mariah to find Josephine, unaware that she's been killed.
The final line "Subtle demise, legitimate cry" references that sacrifice of the Prise to save Sector 12, giving up their corporeal forms to become bodies of pure Keywork energy in order to hold the planets back from the gravitational pull of the sun. It is called "subtle" because of the lack of sound in space where their sacrifice takes place, but through the pained expression on the Prise's face, it is clear that this process causes them pain, resulting in a "legitimate cry". Ultimately, this song is a testament to the victory of evil in the story.
6. Hearshot Kid Disaster
Lyrics:
Still searching for your call today. Sit down,
And structure will you be the engineer?
Still tired and dreaming out against and overboard,
When pain kills you'll hate me and wait for or.
Then call me crazy and pretend I left us discontent and afraid.
So what so I'm crazy? Then send me justice and I'll have Paris in flames
Pre Chorus
Still searching for your faith
In the arm that killed the president
Relapse waiting here, for.
Still searching for your face
In the crowd that killed the president
Relapse waiting here for
Chorus
I need Mayo
I won't fail you now
Dear Captain send the S.O.S
When we're gonna go down
I need Mayo
I won't fail you now (We're going down and you're all fucked up for sure)
Dear Captain send the S.O.S
When we're gonna go down
Wound open and squeezing my heart against this pain inflicts
and in passion I bleed for it
but with this what they gave me this book
and flint and a match to go with it
Pre Chorus
Chorus
Have you ever heard the lyrics he sang?
in his thoughtful transmission the words lost sentence remain
sing his song, sing his song loud
structure will you be the engineer?
where's your song or have you lost the key or tone?
Thank god for your strength will you hold your breath?
waiting for me to exhale in the short life lived
I'm honestly not too happy with this post. While I'm fine for research, I like to be able to piece the puzzle together myself, but I've been working on this song for three days before I finally decided to check songmeanings.com. This website is always a last resort in my research for me, and Hearshot Kid Disaster was proving such a pain that I decided to go with it. On there, I found that someone had analysed the song and actually done a really good job, aside from a few minor errors. This person's analysis will form the majority of this analysis, and the original can be viewed here: http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3458764513820552127/
Winged_Duality, if you're reading this, thank you for your analysis of this song, it may very well have stopped me going insane.
The song opens with a catchy riff with a very tinny tone, before rythm guitar emulates it in an aggressive metal-eque introduction with tremolo-picked lead. A massive scream rips through the intro as the guitars take on an entirely different musical phrasing and introduce the body of the song. Claudio's voice is probably the gentlest it gets on this album (apart from the IRO-bot secret track), and the song itself contains a unique sound that sets it apart from the other songs.
The song, both me and Winged_Duality seem to aggree on that the first few lines take place from Ryan's perspective, and address his doubts/lack of belief in God. The first line "Still searching for your call today." Is almost a mocking challenge from Ryan to God, asking him where he is in the midst of all chaos that Ryan is wreaking across Heaven's Fence. The next line "Sit down, and structure will you be the engineer?" is representative of Ryan talking down to God - telling him to "Sit down" (be submissive to Ryan) and build (structure) evidence that God still exists. "Still tired and dreaming out against and overboard" continues Ryan's perspective that God has abandoned Heaven's Fence, this time suggesting that he is asleep (tired and dreaming). However my
opinion differs from that Winged_Duality, in that I don't believe that the "out against and overboard" is a reference to God being trapped in a nightmare, or Ryan's belief that this is so - rather I think that it is a reference to God's supposed disappearance. He is "out against" the beliefes of his followers, who are "overboard" with their faith. The second half of this stanza seems to refer more to the people and Prise of Heaven's Fence, another point WInged_Duality and I agree on. He says "When pain kills, you'll hate me and wait for or." In this phrase Ryan adresses the pain he is inflicting on the people through his totalitarian schemes, and recognises that they'll hate him for it. However he also builds himself up as the people's only option, stating "You'll hate me and wait for or". The way this sentance trails off without a proper ending seems to suggest that Ryan is telling the people they can wait for God, but that he's not coming back - so they might as well accept Ryan as their ruler. He continues "Then call me crazy, and pretend I left us discontent and afraid." which references Ryan's belief that he is above the judgement of others - he fippantly accepts that people will call him crazy, and he says "pretend I left us discontent and afraid", because he doesn't see himself as the cause of Heaven's Fence's suffering. Rather, he sees God's abscence and his perceived ignorance of the people as the reason they suffer, he believes he's merely trying to restore order. The final line says "So what so I'm crazy." Which reflects Ryan's miniscule regard for how the people he is trying to rule perceive him. The stanza finishes "Then send me justice, and I'll have Paris in flames." which is a reflection of the evolution of the Monstar. Ryan believes that the transformation of Coheed and Cambria which will grant him power is "justice", with the final line being a direct reference to the "Give me Paris in Flames" line in The Amory Wars: The Second Stage Turbine Blade.
The chorus begins "Still searching for your faith, in the arm that killed the President." This line reflects Ryan adressing the people, (probably specifically the rebellion) asking why they still believe in God. He's not searching for their "faith" so much as their reasoning behind it. He refers to God as "the President" (the man with all the power). Ryan states that it is man through their reliance that is responsible for God's disappearance, or even death (the arm that killed the President), establishing Man as a metaphor for God's arm - after all as SSTB states:
This essentially makes Man God's "hands" (or more widely his "arm") on Earth, as they were put on earth to look after the planets he created. (theoretically, if Man can be though of as God's hands, then the Mage could be considered the embodiment of God's power and the Prise his omniscience - meaning God never left, he only fragmented himself into all life on Heaven's Fence.) The line "Relapse, waiting here for." Is a reference to Coheed's transformation into the Monstar. Claudio Sanchez's father was a heroine addict, with Coheed in the Amory Wars representing both how Claudio saw his father when sober (Coheed) and when he "relapsed' (the Monstar). The phrase "waiting here for" is Ryan asking the people of Heaven's Fence what they're waiting for - once again trailing off to represent Ryan's perceived abscence of God.
7. 33
Lyrics:
It's not what you have learned.
But what they said about you under your shirt,
You know they never will;
Make sense of what you gave them.
And now it's all down hill from here.
Well in case you break my fall-
We're bringing it home.
Patrick, short flip and outside,
Boundary lines
Chorus
(I'm running you down)
Ooh yeah, well nothing looks right from up here.
(Inside out)
I'm still unclear about the things you might have said
In pieces they stagger embedded.
Rush me to the emergency room.
Flat line equals frantic endeavour.
But I guess this will have to do now.
Patrick, short flip and outside,
We're bringing it home.
Chorus
About the things you might have said
Hold on to the things you favour most.
Shift right and let it run down.
If my peace could find a way up.
Let go of the youthful honesty [x3]
(I'm running you down)
Ooh yeah, well nothing looks right from up here.
(Inside out)
I'm still unclear about the things you might have said
(I'm running you down)
Ooh yeah, well nothing looks right from up here.
I'm still unclear.
You know those times when something comes along that you don't expect? And then another, and another, and another until it all eventually somehow just stops changing and suddenly you find yourself in a new place in life? As snobbish as it might seem that's kind of why I haven't posted in so long. I had a job which took me away from this website, then suddenly I had a girlfriend, then suddenly I didn't and somehow that lead to my mental health clearing up so I had to learn how to deal with everything being clear for the first time in my life. After that we moved house but didn't have internet for roughly 2-3 months, then we finally got internet and then I got a full time job which I didn't really know how to handle. Three months later and stuff is starting to go still again. Life has somehow just sorted itself out, and now I've finally found time and mental clarity to slot in some time for this website.
I can't thank you guys, the readers, enough for this. I know My posts are haphazard at best, and it's not fair to you guys who have given me so much love and support. Word's can't express how grateful I am to each and every one of you, and now I'm striving to get down one post a day.
Before we get started on one of my favourite songs from the SSTB album, just a quick note regarding the re-release of GAV1. From what little I've seen of the comic, some very key things have changed from the graphic novel over to the comic series. I will be purchasing the comic series soon, but if anyone has a copy of the graphic novel they would be willing to part with,
I would very much like to buy it off you for around $50-60 AUS. I'd like the graphic novel both as a collector's item, and I feel that I could get a rounder, more thorough analyses of the album with both resources at my disposal. So if you have a copy of the graphic novel you're willing to sell, you can contact me through the Coheed and Cambria Facebook page, or through the Detective of the Fence Facebook page. With that out of the way, let's get started on 33.
33 is possibly the most pop song on the album, It enters with a fast drum beat, and up-tempo rhythm guitars offset by staccatto lead guitar. The base adds tension and harmony to the overall melody, and the song sound's quite jumpy, Claudio's vocals run with the dynamic and passion of adventure - and the whole song sounds like the chaos and speed of a car chase-which is quite fitting because that's really where the song takes place in the story.
After the release of the comics, Claudio released The Amory Wars: The Second Stage Turbine Blade Ultimate Edition. This edition contains the comic 33, which is dedicated to explaining the psyche and thought processes of Patrick while being hunted down by an Onstantine Priest because of his connection to Claudio through Josephine, Claudio includes an introductory passage in the short comic, discussing exactly what purpose 33 serves:
Since the song takes place mainly in the first person, and is essentially Patrick's inner-monologue, it stands to reason that a vast 90% of the song's lyrical content is comprised of Patrick's thoughts. This is seen in the extensive use of either quotes, or referenced quotes. The first example being "It's not what you have learned. But what they said about you, under your shirt. You know they never will, make sense of what you gave them. And now it's all downhill from here."
The first stanza is a summarised version of the first page of the 33 comic (though it is important to remember that the comic was written after the song - so this is less an exploration of how the song matches the comic, and more of how the comic explains the song)
The first line "It's not what you have learned, but what they said about you under your shirt." correlates to this panel of the comic:
This panel explains that this particular line is Patrick reflecting on how he feels Coheed and Cambria's criticism of him during his
relationship with Josephine has impacted him. He feels that what he's learned, or rather experienced, since the death of Josephine that are breaking him down and making him feel "less". Because of Josephine's rape and murder, Patrick is now beginning to believe that what Coheed and Cambria saw in him all along (what they said about you, under your shirt) is what was true. Here, "They" references Coheed and Cambria, with "what they said about you under your shirt" serving as a metaphor for their opinions on Patrick's character, rather than his outward being,
"You know they never will, Make sense of what you gave them" refers to Patrick's state of mind. Now that Josephine is dead he will never have a chance to show them how happy he makes Josephine He believes that the fact that he made their daughter happy as a gift that has gone unappreciated - and now they'll never understand it.
The line "And now it's all downhill from here" references Patrick reflecting on witnessing Josephine's death - and the fact that without her, his life is going to "go downhill" from this point onwards.
The next line isn't referenced anywhere in the comic. I believe that the phrase "In case you break my fall", is Patrick connected to the line "Hold onto the things you favour most." At that point in the comic, Patrick decides to try and fight off the Onstantine Priest on his tail. He reminds himself to "hold onto the things you favour most", and looks at an image of Josephine and him that he has in his car:
I believe this ties into "In case you break my fall", as Patrick talking to the memory of Josephine. It's the memory of Josephine giving him the strength to fight against the Priest - "Breaking" the way he is "falling" into self-doubt and pity over her death. Instead he focuses on the love they shared and that breaks his fall. "We're bringing it home" refers to his feelings of success at fighting the creature, "bringing it home" being a common phrase for completing or succeeding at something - and the "we're" referencing Patrick and Josephine.
The next line "Patrick, short flip and outside, Boundary lines." is a possible allusion to the setting of the song - namely a car chase. Claudio names the driver (Patrick), describes the movements of the car "short flip" and even references the near-off-road death that Patrick experiences at the end of the comic, by way of the "boundary lines" representing the lanes on roads.
The next image is a double-page spread of Patrick shooting the Onstantine Priest while shouting "I'm running you down Mother-Fucker." at it. These panels make up the majority of the Chorus. "I'm running you down" comes directly from Patrick's mouth as seen in the image below. "Ooh yeah, but nothing looks right from up here." which more closely represents Patrick's death at the hands of the Onstantine Priest, which happens in a surprise attack (nothing looks right) and in mid-air (up here). The second part of the chorus "Inside Out" refers to Patrick's state of mind. Patrick himself states that he feels like his mind is turning inside out. "I'm still unclear, about the things you might have said." references the fact that although he has found some semblance of inner strength in this moment, he is still confused, angry and hung up about the insecurities that Coheed and Cambria's opinions have given him,
The next stanza takes on a gentler tone, and I believe seems to be coming directly from Josephine, as it references her rape in the first-person. The line "In pieces they stagger embedded" comes from a direct quote from Patrick, where he stares at the broken glass of his car window which was broken by the New Jersey Devils, and is now sticking out of his car seat. The line "Rush me to the emergency room" relates to Patrick believing that he failed Josephine by not taking her to a hospital after the attack, but since it says "me" rather than "you" or "her", I would say that this is more than likely Josephine directly interacting with Patrick, and helping him along this journey of self-discovery as he battles the Priest.
"Flat line equals frantic endeavour", references Patrick's thought that Josephine's life with Patrick ended before it began, and comes from a direct quote from Patrick. He's mulling over how Josephine's death lead to this moment, being pursued by the Onstantine Priest. "But I guess this will have to do now" links to Patrick's thought process while actually fighting the Onstantine Priest with a gun and his car - he doesn't have much going for him but he'll use what he's got, in other words, "This will have to do now".
The bridge is made up of direct quotes from the comic. "Hold onto the things you favour most" comes from Patrick attempting to psyche himself up to fight against the Priest. "Shift right and let it run down" references Patrick shifting right in the car to allow the Priest to gain on him before he shoots it multiple times. "If my Peace could find a way up" is a direct quote which relates to Patrick entering a calm state of mind as he unleashes his frustration on the Priest. "Let go of the youthful honesty" is once again a direct quote, which further reinforces the latter.
I was lucky with 33. The content that explains it was written for the song rather than the other way around - which is why doing this proves difficult most of the time. However with 33 we are given a comic that is just as emotional and punchy as it's source material, and turns a once minor character into a living organism that a few of us can actually relate to.
Definitely one of my favourite songs on the album, and definitely a great comic.
8. Junesong Provision
Lyrics:
Good morning, sunshine, awake when the sun hits the sky.
Look up the sounds that surround the day you died.
She waits for me outside near a hole in the ground.
In the one way thinking you might get the upper hand.
Dear Newo Ikkin, how's Apollo been treating you?
Has he been a good boy since the day I left?
Give him my love and a sweet kiss for his head.
Cause I won't be coming home, when you get this I'll be dead.
Norris and Larry,
Gloria to nowhere.
Sir, I think you'd better take my hand
And pray we'll make this one out alive.
Captain! We've lost all systems control!
Then, Son, I'll see you in my sleep.
Sleep..
Is it all you've shared with them that makes us paranoid?
Is it the dream that one day you might be something you're not?
Is it all you've shared with them that makes us paranoid?
Is it the dreams that make us real? x2
We'll miss you and wait for you when you come.
Wrong way, right way.
Bad luck, what God has been giving me.
("I don't believe retirement is included in the contract, because then the contract would expire. If we rush at this time there will be fitting results, you are right. The supervisor is a fool.")
We'll miss you and wait for you when you come.
Wrong way, right way.
Bad luck, you've got to be kidding me.
I've spent so long sitting down here,
Paper cut my heart in half and discard the evidence!
When it's yours, come send me the last half.
Doused in kerosene
In a torched blazed blood bath.
When boy sets fire, God knows you've lost
At a cost that has no price
When you've purchased guilt,
Stand at attention
And make sure you know the lines and yourself.
Yet you'd say, "I'll be home alone again, waiting."
Wait for me alright, I'm still a boy down there
When you want to promise me that [x3]
Wait for me alright, I'm still a boy down there
When you want to promise me that
(To drive down. Where's Wednesday? Where's Wednesday?) [x2]
It wouldn’t be a Coheed and Cambria album if it didn’t throw analytic masochists like myself a curve ball every so often. This album has had plenty of them but I don’t think any of them have produced a bigger challenge than the hell that is Junesong Provision.
The song starts off with a bold guitar intro, with drums bringing the rapid lead guitar. Claudio’s enthusiastic vocals offset the dark lyrics, and the rapid tempo leads to some dynamic shifts and breaks within the song’s music. The first minute or so are a bright, jumpy post-hardcore anthem, which then shifts into a gentle guitar melody enhanced by elongated bass notes. With a scream, the song becomes dark – before once again becoming a gentle melody. The song ultimately ends with another section which is rapid and aggressive.
The title comes from Claudio Kilgannon’s name for his girlfriend Newo, “Junesong”. The song starts off with the same three words that Claudio writes to Newo in the letter that he writes her before he leaves his planet - “Good morning sunshine.”
This direct quote places the point of view firmly with Claudio, with the next line “awake when the sun hits the sky.” being a reference to when he perceives she will get the letter. “Look up the sounds that surround the day you died.” feels like a reference to the band’s music. We know that Coheed and Cambria writes music based off the Amory Wars, which in turn is based off Claudio’s life. “Newo Ikkin” is the name of Claudio Sanchez’s girlfriend Nikki Owen reversed – at the time he was writing The Amory Wars basing the story off a trip they took to Paris. The line “Look up the sounds that surround the day you died” seems to me to symbolise Claudio Sanchez wondering if Nikki is listening to the music he wrote after their break up, or “died” in his life.
The line “She waits for me outside near a hole in the ground” seems to be Claudio reflecting on the fact that in his note he told Newo he’d be dead. This line references her grieving by his grave. The next line “In the one way thinking
you might get the upper hand.” correlates to the necessity of Claudio leaving for Newo’s protection – as Wilhelm Ryan (the “you” in this line) sent an Onstantine Priest after him in order to gain the “upper hand” in the battle for Heaven’s Fence.
The next part of the stanza “Dear Newo Ikkin how’s Apollo been treating you? Has he been a good boy since the day I left. Give him my love and a sweet kiss for his head. Cause I won’t be coming home when you get this I’ll be dead.” can be looked at two ways. First it can be a literal interpretation of the events within the comic, where Claudio is now thinking of what Newo is doing now that he’s left, even considering writing her another letter to check in with her. However, it can also be thought of as Claudio Sanchez reaching out to the real Nikki Owen, and wondering how she’s been doing since he left. The last line “when you get this I’ll be dead.” is a direct line from the letter that Claudio Kilgannon wrote Newo in the SSTB comic.
“Norris and Larry” are the name of the two men who were in charge of the Gloria Vel Vessa space craft while it was attempting to transport Coheed and Cambria to Paris: Earth. “Gloria to nowhere.” is a direct quote from Coheed just before he and Cambria engage Vielar Crom in battle. Together, they link up the beginning and end of Coheed and Cambria’s attempt to take over the vessel.
The next passage “Sir, I think you’d better take my hand. And pray we’ll make this one out alive. Captain! We’ve lost all systems control! Then, Son. I’ll see you in my sleep. Sleep...” seems to be a dialogue between a captain and subordinate as Coheed and Cambria fight their way through the Gloria Vel Vessa, and their final thoughts and resignation to their eventual deaths at the hands of Knowledge and Beast.
“Is it all you’ve shared with them that makes us paranoid.” was extremely difficult to work out – but it becomes clear (ish) when realizing that the events that transpire in the song all correlate to a point in time that lead to Claudio Kilgannon growing into the person he becomes in the In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3 comics. The first stanza deals with his leaving Newo, the second and third sections deal with Coheed and Cambria’s attack on the Gloria Vel Vessa, which resulted in their deaths – leaving Claudio an orphan. This particular line, references the concentration camp that Ryan has built for the Stars and the Rebellion’s knowledge of this crime. “Is it all you’ve shared with them” relates to the Stars that Ryan is killing by forcing them into the Keywork - “Sharing” their energy with the spirits already trapped there. “Makes us paranoid” refers to the outrage of the rebellion at this atrocious act. This event relates to Claudio Kilgannon, as he makes a friend at one of these camps which he later loses in IKSSE:3 – and eventually leads him to join the rebellion in the same comic. The following line “Is it the dream that one day you might be something you’re not.” references Coheed and Cambria’s transformation into the Monstar and the
White Ruineer – which results in the death of all Kilgannons save Claudio and Inferno. “Is it the dreams that make us real?” seems to be a fourth-wall break by one or all of the characters, questioning the validity of their reality as comic book characters.
“We’ll miss you and wait for you when you come. Wrong way, right way.” is an allusion to Ryan ad Deftinwolf waiting for Coheed and Cambria at Paris: Earth so they can be transformed into the Monstar and White Ruineer. The “Wrong way, right way” is a reference to the goal of Coheed and Cambria’s raid on the Gloria Vel Vessa – that is to turn the ship around and return home. “Bad luck, what God has been giving me.” relates to Vielar Crom’s interjection during the attack, with “God” referencing Crom directly, as he tells the duo “Come, know me as God.”
The spoken paragraph between these two phrases, "I don't believe retirement is included in the contract, because then the contract would expire. If we rush at this time there will be fitting results, you are right. The supervisor is a fool." is tremendously out of place with the rest of the song. It doesn’t seem to reference anything coherent – but I believe it is a reference to Claudio’s place as the Crowing. The “contract” could be a metaphor for Claudio’s destiny as The Crowing, with “retirement not included” because it’s not something that Claudio can retire from. Claudio is the Crowing whether he lives or dies. “If we rush at this time” seems to be referencing Claudio going into hiding and concealing his identity in order to preserve his life. “The supervisor is a fool.” references the unfairness of God (or the writer) on putting such a huge responsibility on such a young person’s shoulders.
The reprise of the stanza before the spoke section ends in “Bad luck, you gotta be kidding me.” is symbolic of Coheed and Cambria’s disbelief of what is happening to them. Possibly in reference to their defeat aboard the Gloria Vel Vessa (which is backed up by the repeated lines “We’ll miss you...right way.”) or their forced transformations into the Monstar and White Ruineer.
“I’ve spent so long sitting down here. Paper cut my heart in half and discard the evidence! When it’s yours, come send me the last half.” to me represents Claudio’s depression at everything he’s lost. The love of his life and his family have been taken as a result of the story (the paper cutting his heart in half). The “yours” in the last line references Claudio Kilgannon addressing Claudio Sanchez – telling him to give him the stolen half of his heart back when he finishes the story. At this point Claudio is still running from his destiny as The Crowing, and so he can’t be whole – but when Claudio Sanchez has finished the story and gets that part of his heart back,
then Claudio Kilgannon’s suffering will end.
“Doused in kerosene in a torched blazed blood bath.” points to the massacre at the Kilgannon house on Hetricus. The next few lines “When a boy sets fire, God knows you’ve lost. At a cost that has no price. When you’ve purchased guilt. Stand at attention. And make sure you know the lines and yourself.” is Claudio Sanchez addressing his characters in the story. “When a boy sets fire” refers to The Crowing’s destiny to (supposedly) destroy the Keywork (this lines up with Claudio saying “I’m burning Star IV” at the end of IKSSE:3). “God knows you’ve lost” refers to the antagonists losing as a result of Claudio’s power. “At a cost that has no price” refers to the character’s fictional nature. Although their problems are terrible, ultimate they’re fictional and of little consequence. “When you’ve purchased guilt. Stand at attention. And make sure you know the lines and yourself.”
is Claudio telling the characters to know their place in the story – essentially to follow his orders, using the phrase “Stand at attention” to set up the metaphor of his characters as soldiers under his command. “The lines” refers to lines of text that create the story, where the characters must “know themselves” and the parts they play in it.
“Yet you’d say ‘I’ll be home again, waiting.’” refers to Claudio Kilgannon waiting and hoping for the day he can go home and be with Newo – even though he knows he’s powerless to do so because it won’t happen unless Claudio Sanchez wants it to.
The final stanzas, “Wait for me alright, I’m still a boy down there. When you want to promise me that.” and the reprise that features the line “To drive down. Where’s Wednesday? Where’s Wednesday?” references Claudio pleading with Newo in the story to wait for him to return, whilst expressing the feeling of having lost time through the words “Where’s Wednesday.”
9. Neverender
Lyrics:
When you’ve gone about things all wrong
Bury them here
With the lifetime you would never regret
In savoring sleep, what do you mean I toss and turn everywhere?
I'll miss you when you’re gone, in pretending that you meant the world to me
With that you'd call me a liar and in the making mistakes you’ll rest incomplete
Chorus
(I'll be home)
In graver mistakes dear Mom and Dad, I write you in this letter that states
(I'll be moving on)
When the new day's begun, forget your son when he’s out on his own
(New day's begun)
When the hand reads 7:30 and the night begins to sink in the short but faster fall
Anxious but calm retort, to a mirror that frames your face baring the finest swell
When the day begins to break, like the tears that run across your cheek
Stand straight and imagine you
And the things in the way they could have been
When the thoughts they race across your chin
Here in the Neverend.
Chorus
Point your gun in another direction, now that you’ve cried yourself to sleep
Point your gun in another direction, now that you’ve cried yourself to sleep
Here in there, after the fire
(Before you walk home) Peace and figuring, will he be home again?
(Signal loss and stereo) With wide open windows, will she be waiting for?
(The sounds surround the overpass) With severed arm placement when the day’s dark, cold and dead
(A dead man against you) We’ll write her a letter with long time passing
Chorus
Point your gun in another direction now that you’ve cried yourself to sleep
Point your gun in another direction now that you’ve cried yourself to sleep
Here in there, after the fire
After the fire
(I'll be home to say I love you and I’ll be moving on)
And I’ll be moving on x2
One of the calmer tracks on SSTB, Neverender appears in a similar vein to Junesong Provision, in that it largely takes place from Claudio Kilgannon’s perspective, or references events that will change him into the man he becomes in In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3. Where Junesong Provision appears to embody the loss and strife that Claudio faces, Neverender appears to be more symbolic of the writer’s struggles with the story, and battling with himself while trying to work out what to do and where to go from certain points in the narrative. As such it actually has very little to do with the story, and is rather a poetic interpretation of the writer’s process.
The songs starts with matching rhythm and lead guitars introducing a punchy riff which is contrasted by the bass guitar. The vocals in this song begin rather softly, with an almost contemplative tone. The chorus follows a similar tone in that it appears to be an optimistic overview of negative circumstances. The overall tone of the song is one of energy, and growing hope in the face of insurmountable odds. Later in the song, Claudio’s vocals become more impassioned and the music more energetic. The song appears unique (or at least one of the few songs by C&C) that contains no direct quotes, or references to any events. This appears to be a song that takes place almost entirely within the mind of one of the characters or the writer – it even appears that at times it’s a conversation between the writer and the character.
The first line “When you’ve gone about things all wrong, Bury them here with the lifetime you would never regret.” appears to be a line from Claudio Kilgannon, to Claudio Sanchez. We know that Claudio writes The Amory Wars based on his life, so in effect The Amory Wars is a representation of a life that he can mould to his liking. In other words “a lifetime [you] would never regret.”
“In savouring sleep, what do you mean I toss and turn everywhere.” hints at Claudio Sanchez being a restless sleeper while writing the story. “I’ll miss you when you’re gone, in pretending that you meant the world to me.” appears to be a sentiment from Claudio Sanchez to his characters, saying that he’ll miss them – even though he love for them is only an imitation
of the love for the people in his life that they embody, hence “pretending” they mean the world to him. “With that you’d call me a liar and in the making mistakes you’ll rest incomplete.” takes on the tone of a response, which appears to come from Claudio Kilgannon. It states that Sanchez is writing Claudio’s character to refuse his place in the story as The Crowing (calling him a liar), which will allow Sanchez to have Claudio repeatedly fail (in the making mistakes) in order to stave off finishing the story which Sanchez feels will leave him “incomplete”.
The chorus begins “I’ll be home” which is representative of Claudio Kilgannon’s dreams of returning home someday. “In graver mistakes, dear Mom and Dad. I write you in this letter that states-” refers to the Claudio not writing Coheed and Cambria a goodbye letter as he had done for Newo. When he got to his house, he had no idea where they were and under the circumstances that he found his home and being chased by the Onstantine Priest means he had to think on his feet. In his haste he didn’t think of the possibility that his parents should return to their house, and so didn’t write them a letter. This line presents Claudio drafting a letter in his head after having escaped from Hetricus. “I’ll be moving on.” represents Claudio leaving his home and moving on with a new life. The new day’s begun, forget your son when he’s out on his own (New day’s begun).” continues where “I write you in this letter that states.” left off.
“When the hand reads 7:30 and the night begins to sink in the short but faster fall, Anxious but calm retort, to a mirror that frames your face baring the finest swell.” refers to the story as a mirror for Claudio Sanchez. It would appear to be a reference to Claudio’s real-life working process. He has stated with the release of the band’s latest album The Colour Before the Sun that the album got it’s name from the time where he finds he is most productive – when the rising of the sun causes a blend of colours in the sky. This line could be referencing 7:30 am, where the sun begins to rise and night fades (or “sinks”). The words “Anxious but calm retort” refers to Claudio’s state of mind before writing the story, which serves as a “mirror that frames [your] face”. This line represents Claudio Kilgannon being a physical representation or “mirror” for Claudio Sanchez’s feelings at the time of writing the story.
This sentiment is continued in “When the day begins to break, like the tears that run across your cheek, Stand straight and imagine you, And the things in the way they could have been, When the thoughts they race across your chin, Here in the Neverend.” This references Claudio writing the story through to actual day break. The “tears that run across your cheek.” could mean either Claudio Sanchez having tears on his face from yawning as a result of getting up so early – or Claudio Kilgannon’s tears as a vessel for Sanchez’s emotions. “Stand straight...in the Neverend.” seems to point to Claudio’s writing process – where by he imagines himself and the life he could have lead, and then works them into the fiction which is referred to as the “Neverend.” Because of the tone of this passage I believe this is The Crowing directly addressing Claudio Sanchez as his creator, almost challenging him to inflict his life and thoughts onto the characters in the story as much as he wants, because they can take it for as long as he needs them to. This is why the story is called the “Neverend” where the song gets it’s title. A “Neverender” is a character within the story. The title is also a reference to the model of the gun Claudio steals in the comic, which is called a Neverender.
The gun is actually directly mentioned in the line “Point your gun in another direction, now that you’ve cried yourself to sleep.” which appears to be Sanchez telling Claudio Kilgannon that after the trauma he’s faced he won’t need the gun. “Here in there, after the fire.” refers to the destruction and devastation caused in the story, and alludes to Claudio Kilgannon’s future self.
The next stanza appears to be Claudio Sanchez presenting the challenges while writing the story. He outlines goals and distractions, as well as considerations in the direction the story should go. “Before you walk home” is Sanchez planning things to happen to the Crowing before he can return home. “Peace and figuring will he be home again” points to Claudio Kilgannon wondering if he will ever be able to return home, even if the Amory Wars ends in peace. “Signal loss and stereo.” appears to hint at Sanchez listening to music while writing. “With wide open windows, will she be waiting for?” points to the consideration of what to with Newo and Claudio Kilgannon’s relationship after leaving it in tatters in SSTB. “The sounds surround the overpass.” references Claudio writing the story while listening to the sounds of an overpass nearby. “With severed arm placement when the day’s dark, cold and dead.” could be a reference to the physical pain of writing by hand over long periods of time, which is shown briefly in the documentary The Fiction Will See The Real, that Claudio has several notebooks planning The
Amory Wars. “A dead man against you” references Claudio’s father, who serves as the inspiration for Coheed, the Syringa flies and for the title of the first series “The Second Stage Turbine Blade”, which references the part Sanchez’ father used to make at a factory. “We’ll write her a letter with long time passing.” represents Claudio Sanchez and Kilgannon writing a letter to Newo later on in the story, possibly with the view to patching things up.
After this the rest of the song’s lyrics are mainly repetitions from the rest of the song, save for the line “I’ll be home to say ‘I love you’ and I’ll be moving on.”, which possibly hints at a resolution for Claudio Kilgannon in his relationship with Newo.
Neverender is the side of reality to Junesong Provision’s place within the fiction. It comes from a place of contemplation, and wondering how things will turn out in the end of the story – for both the character and the writer.
10. God Send Conspirator.
Lyrics:
Hold in your last breath and stare
Assure me your metronome left arm stick shift is stuck on the right words in your ear
Could you hear me loud and clear? In sight and out of mind
Cautiously avoiding the cracks, not to disturb your steadied arm straight line
The facts before a climb, a plan before a crime
Tired in the days that passed away
Sporadically arranged across your floor when you’ve got it made
Chorus
Dear Mariah, the world's not big enough for the both of us when we live in the same town, that's wrong.
Fight on fire, (fight on fire).
Burn my hands 'till I got nothing left, to count my numbers on.
Your wise ass comments could cheer you up
The emotional disturbance relax, deep breathe, sit back from the space in which you stand
Here and in demand, don’t touch a fresh wound that bleeds
All over you carpets the stains, the story book remains, and the page that states you’ve lied.
Accept and then reply, acknowledge the other guy
Tired in the days that passed away
Sporadically arranged across the floor when you’ve got it made
(Days that passed away)
Chorus
Don’t change your mind, when all's been won
Your words, in time, with the loss that you’d let them go
Don’t let them fall, if your grip's not strong
In time decide, with the words that you'd let them go
Don’t let them fall, if your grip's not strong
Dear Mariah, come sleep in your own x3
Dear Mariah, come sleep in your own bed
When eye meets eye become
We'll lie here alone, locked the children in the floor x2
When eye meets eye become
(Your dreams can’t last forever)
We'll lie here alone, locked the children in the floor
In the floor,
Father figure wraps his face down
We’re coming home to you
(Who sat me down here?) (Your dreams can’t last forever)
Locked the children in the floor
(Who sat me down here?)
When eye meets eye become (Your dreams can’t last forever)
We'll lie here alone, locked the children in the floor
(Who sat me down here?)
When eye meets eye become... (Your dreams can’t last forever)
We'll lie here alone, locked the children in the floor
When eye meets eye become... (Your dreams can’t last forever)
God Send Conspirator is the second last song on the SSTB album, and it's a really good song to exit song. While the music is simultaneously adventurous and contemplative, the lyrics hint at the swelling darkness within Heaven's Fence - which comes to a head on the song's secret track, IRO-bot.
The song opens with a funky plucked guitar opening with slick bass tones. Claudio's voice starts off gently, until reaching the chorus at which point the music swells into a dramatic, passionate release. As the song progresses into the bridge, the song turns melancholy and angry - regret and sadness played through the dramatic tone of the song's shift in direction. The song ends with a long, multi-layered type of mini-anthem, the words and sounds of which have been eternally etched into the minds of fans of Coheed and Cambria and The Amory Wars for years.
The first few lines of the song recount Mariah Antillarea's final moments. "Hold in your last breath and stare" refers directly to the moment that Mariah was ambushed by Mayo Deftinwolf and subsequently killed by the Red Army general. "Assure me your metronome left arm stick shift is stuck on the right words in your ear." recounts Inferno checking up on Mariah just before her murder. A metronome - used to keep time in music - is established as the metaphor for Mariah's attention on the battle she's engaged in, The "Left arm stick shift" refers to her control over the situation, with the "right words in [your] ear" being Inferno communicating with her over their comms, further backed up by "Did you hear me loud and clear?". The line "In sight and out of mind" shifts the focus onto Deftinwolf, who had Mariah in his sights, but doesn't care about her life. "Cautiously avoiding the cracks, not to disturb your steadied arm straight line. The facts before a climb, a plan before a crime" refers to Deftinwolf sneaking up on Mariah, before killing her. The line "avoiding the cracks...arm straight line" describes Deftinwolf's physical movements as he sneaks up on Mariah - with the next two lines after that detailing his cold and calculated method of killing her. This whole section can be attributed to this page in the comic:
The last lines of this stanza refer to Inferno after the comic. The past has left him weary, or "Tired in the days that passed away." the last line "sporadically arranged across the floor." hint towards the dead bodies of Coheed, Cambria and Mariah that he's left behind. Going back to the start of SSTB, we actually see that the comic is taking place in flashbacks (something which continues in In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3) and that that in the present day Inferno is actually the leader of the newly-built rebellion. This fills the "When you've got it made." lyric - Inferno has left a trail of bodies behind him, and now has "made" a new rebellion in their honour.
The chorus "Dear Mariah, the world's not big enough for the both of us." Is a direct quote from Wilhelm Ryan at the end of the comic as he triumphantly holds Mariah's severed head - a gift from Mayo Deftinwolf.
The phrase continues, however, "when we live in the same town, that's wrong." This sentence threw me off quite a bit, but I believe that "town" is the warped perspective of Heaven's Fence to Wilhelm Ryan. He perceives ruling a galaxy as no different to ruling a small town. The "that's wrong", seems to relate to the conflict caused by Mariah's birth as a female Mage. The next line "Fight on fire." Refers to the battle between the Monstar and the White Ruineer, which takes place on Star VII and (like the other stars) appears to be permanently coated in a light blue
flame. The final line "Burn my hands till I've got nothing left, to count my numbers on." honestly still has me stumped, and the only explanation I can come up with for it is that this is Claudio Kilgannon talking to Ryan and commenting on all the family he's killed and the lives he's stolen from Claudio - but why he'd be referring to these people as his "hands", I have absolutely no idea.
I believe the next verse entirely takes the position of Coheed and Cambria in their spirit forms in the Keywork. After the comic is done they look down on their son and try to offer their counsel, "Your wise ass comments could cheer you up. The emotional disturbance relax, deep breath, sit back, from the space in which you stand. Here and in demand." seems to refer to Claudio's growing arrogance and apathy of the state of Heaven's Fence, which he digs himself into as a defence mechanism from his own fear - something he has to work hard to let go of in IKSSE:3. The verse continues with a very parental guidance tone saying "Don't touch a fresh wound that bleeds, all over your carpets the stains, the story book remains, and the page that states you've lied." This seems to be Coheed and Cambria telling Claudio to take some time to recover from his "wound", but not to let it consume him. While they tell him not to touch it, they also remind him of the damage that the wound can cause (staining the carpet) and that the story is continuing and he needs to be a part of it (the story book remains). They continue to encourage him to accept his fate as The Crowing, while acknowledging the pain of his lost loved ones using the same line that finished the first verse - "Tired in the days that passed away, sporadically arranged across the floor when you've got it made."
The bridge appears to refer to Inferno continuing the rebellion in spite of the loss of Mariah. "Don't change your mind, when all's been won." I would say, once again, comes from the spirits of Coheed and Cambria, who encourage Inferno to continue to fight, even though by the end of the comic Ryan has already won. "Your words with time, with the loss that you'd let them go." is another line that I had difficulty in working out but I believe that it refers to Inferno's strength as a leader of the rebellion, the "loss" that h'es suffered fuelling the "words" that he will "let go", as in giving orders etc. "Don't let them fall if your grip's not strong." appears to continue this theme, stating that even if he uses all of his strength, he can't let the rebellion fail - he has to support the rebellion even if he is weakened. The next line is similar to the former, except it changes "Your words with time" to "In time decide." Again, I'm not really sure exactly what is meant by this, as Inferno seems to be a guy who makes decisions pretty much all the time - and I doubt rebuilding the rebellion took any great length of consideration for the war machine. It could be referring to Inferno deciding how he wants to see the IRO-bots he's built - either as tools of war or as family. This is the theme introduced in SSTB, but is expanded on greatly in IKSSE:3.
The Phrase "Dear Mariah come sleep in your own bed." to me carries the tone of Coheed and Cambria welcoming the spirit of Mariah into the Keywork.
"When eye meets eye become." Is a quote from Wilhelm Ryan as he forces Coheed and Cambria to stare into each other's eyes in order to activate the cache serum within them that allows the Monstar virus to take effect, while "We'll lie here alone, locked the children in the floor." refers to the deaths of Coheed and Cambria on the dead surface of Star VII, after having killed their children on Hetricus, "locking" their bodies to the surface of the planet.
"Father figure wraps his face down" was incredibly annoying for me to try and work out, but I think it references to Inferno laying low for a while until he rebuilds the rebellion, with "wraps his face down", referring to the act of disguising oneself. The line "We're coming home to you, hints at the presence of Coheed and Cambria's ghosts that occasionally accompany Claudio on his journey in IKSSE:3. The line "Your dreams can't last forever." is a quote from someone narrating Claudio's present day situation as a homeless man on Shylos Ten, while "Who sat me down here?" seems to come from Claudio, who wonders who is responsible for his current situation.
The song provides the devastating end to The Second Stage Turbine Blade, while setting the stage for the events of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3.
11. IRO-Bot
Lyrics:
In our days we've mourned insignias
The passing glance unstamped
We’ve rendered ourselves powerless, unfortunate
The useless mend the fixed
And on every hour it detonates
My courage goes unlooked
The ride home through perilous
The land it goes, I will.
Hook
You’ve been a bad boy
You broke all the rules
You’ve been a bad boy
You’ll get yours paid in full
Chorus
IRO-Bot will never die
My Robot will never die
You look down, but far from out,
And the paper reads, "You lose."
IRO-Bot will never kill.
A favour captain, a word with you
My systems gone and lost its mind
My right eye has done shed a tear
My gun I’ve left behind
Will systems take me home and dissemble me?
Will I be terminated with you near?
Alongside the others that I hold so close
If I'm to be killed, then when? by whom?
Hook.
Chorus.
After what has been far too long a hiatus we finally come to the end of The Second Stage Turbine Blade. IRO-Bot is a secret track that was concealed at the end of God Send Conspirator on the original SSTB release, but was then placed on the end of Everything Evil in the 2005 re-release. The song references an event on the very first page of the comic, where Inferno is burning a prototype "hero".
The song is a gentle, acoustic melody, with a rich, sombre tone which is enhanced further by Claudio's soft vocals. However during the hook and chorus, there is a distinct change in tone which signals the shift from the three characters involved in this soft, mournful dirge for all those that have been lost in The Amory Wars, and those who are going to be lost.
The entire song is a before/during and after of the event above. The person in the incinerator is actually a defective IRO-bot (the same constructs as Coheed, Cambria and Inferno) called "Longcindia". The IRO bot's name is actually mentioned in the Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness graphic novel, I don't yet own a copy however so I can't post a picture of the reference. However the first stanza opens by presenting Longcindia reminiscing about his (Chase refers to Longcindia as a "him") role in the war up until the point of it's execution: "In our days we mourned insignias." Here, "insignias" refers to the symbol of the Inferno's troops. "The passing glance unstamped." refers to Inferno's cold nature towards his IRO-bot creations, seeing them only as tools of war and not as valid beings with feelings. "We've rendered ourselves powerless, unfortunate. The useless mend the fixed." once again takes Longcindia's perspective - he has begun to notice a slight malfunction, through repeated combat operations (we've rendered ourselves powerless, unfortunate) and reflects on the fact that he will be destroyed and possibly re-purposed into a better, stronger model: "The useless mend the fixed." The next line "And on every hour, it detonates." hints at Longcindia's condition worsening, as something is detonating every hour, possibly something within his circuitry. The last three lines "My courage goes unlooked. The ride home through perilous. The land it goes, I will." seems to be Longcindia accepting his fate. He realises that despite his courage he will be destroyed, and as he comes home from battle (the ride home through perilous), he watches the battle field disappear into the horizon (the land it goes) and likens it to his own passing (I will),
The hook "You've been a bad boy, You broke all the rules. You've been a bad boy, You'll get yours paid in full." seems to come from Wilhelm Ryan, who at the time of Longcindia's destruction was most likely plotting something to attempt to find and kill the Rebellion and it's leader, with "You've been a bad boy" being addressed to Inferno.
The chorus reflects Inferno's decision to destroy Longcindia. The first two lines present his expectations of the IRO-bot "IRO-bot will never die. My robot will never die." Inferno expects Longcindia to be an unstoppable force on the field of battle. The next two lines "You look down but far from out, And the paper reads 'You Lose'." references Inferno inspecting Longcindia, who despite passable physical condition despite his malfunction (down but far from out), due to failing a specific test or diagnostic, Longcindia is scheduled for destruction (the paper reads 'You lose'). The final line shifts to Inferno's realisation that Longcindia will never be on the battlefield again, "IRO-bot will never kill."
The final verse in incredibly simple in terms of its meaning. It is merely Longcindia confessing to Inferno that he has a malfunction: "A favour captain, a word with you. My system's gone and lost its mind. My right eye has done shed a tear. My gun I've left behind." This hints at Longcindia's malfunction being that he developed emotions. Longcindia has managed to cry and forgot his gun on the battlefield, possibly due to being overwhelmed with the death and destruction of war. "Will systems take me home and dissemble me? Will I be terminated with you near? Alongside the others I hold so close? If I'm to be killed then when? By whom?" is simply Longcindia asking questions about the nature of his eventual execution - possibly out of a panicked fear. The most touching sentiment in the song however is that Longcindia appear to want Inferno and the other IRO-bots (possibly the ones from the IKSSE:3 comics) to be nearby when he dies.
IRO-Bot is a heart-breaking song of loss, pain, and fear, and is a perfect ending to a comic that is full of all those things. In Longcindia's final moments, he embodies the pain of all the people who have lost those they love to the tyranny of Wilhelm Ryan.