“I don’t like talking about my lyrics because I like people to appropriate them and interpret them in their own way. It is this mystery which is amusing. A lot of groups dissect their lyrics in interviews; I find that a pity. Because if you say too much there is less thinking on the part of the listener. A record, for me, must remain an adventure. You put it in your player and you go and discover it like you walked for the first time in in a forest or visited a new adventure park. That is why am very protective of my lyrics. It is not that important that some of our fans are not Anglophones and and don’t understand anything that I sing; I prefer that they imagine them. When you buy a painting to put on your wall, I does not come with a note explaining what signifies this or that colour. It’s exactly the same which whatever piece of art.”
Effectively, there are no definitive lyrics to Faith No More’s Sol Invictus albums and, in deference to Mike Patton’s eloquent explanation above, we’ll not be posting any official or unofficial lyrics. But now that we’ve all had time to enjoy and digest the record, this thread is to allow you to post your take on the lyrics. What does the American drug do in Superhero? Is it Game On or Que Mal or Quemar in Rise of the Fall? Can’t repent at the wrong impartial? Do the zombies walk or swarm on Black Friday?
Here’s the Genius and Mouth of the Ocean forum versions to help and in partnership with Pablo of Bungle Weird I’ve versions of the first 3 tracks below.
Let us know what you think down below.
Sol Invictus
I’m coming, Lord, I’m on my way
Worshipping at the altar of KNOW WHY
Can’t remember which God is my one
Can’t repent if I’m wrong impartial
Empty rituals, trinkets and fossils
And now, Lord, I’m on my way
sin ain’t coming our way
But the sun keeps burning my face
Where’s my faith?
My BRIGHT SOLEIL?
Keep singing, Lord, I’m on my way…
Floorboards and the ceilings are creaking
And the roof is old and leaking
BEEN looking up high to the heavens
How can we declare our independence?
From evolution and penance
Sin ain’t coming our way
But the sun keeps burning my face
Where’s my faith?
Renewing today
I believe in something I SAID/SAY
Where’s my faith?
My monastery
I think, a couple of words i cant make out.
BLACK FRIDAY
This is only a test.
One two whatcha gonna do?
Three, four , five twisting THE arm OF your eye
You will buy
Step right up TOMATO memory
To the bank of love that can loan you your daydream
Buy it. Buy it
Black Friday’s come and gone
Buy me YOUR future regret
A shrink wrapped fantasy, that you’ll WANNA forget
In an age of the mercenary
In THE nursing home where the river swallows the sea
That’s where we’ll be.
With guns.
Buy it.
Into the age of scrutiny
And the grandest ??? play
Well I ain’t gonna PAY, trimming the tree I can hang I won’t swing
and so you’ll sing
buy it
(all grimacing)
buy it
(on your childrens graves)
Will the angels SAVE(?)
It’s a riot at the salad bar
Predatory lenders
Safari missionS are worth
WHAT YOU PAY FOR THEM
to kill your mom
Buy it.
This is only a test.
I thought the lyric was Quimada! which was the title of an old Marlon Brando movie, translated as Burn!
Okay Nickc…I gave it my best shot (with borrowing from some others who have tried; for instance I used the Portuguese “to burn” instead of the Spanish at the suggestion of a guy named Daniel on Genius Lyrics.
RISE OF THE FALL
The rise and fall
Through it all
An Olympus of friends
Highs and lows
And the broken bros
And our losses will weigh
Queimar
Buildings fall
But we’re standing tall
Where only chimneys remain
Beg for law
With a crying jaw
Like a jungle in flames
Queimar
Gravity
It pulls the waves
And it creates
Remakes the flame
Every house in town
Burn it down
Burn it all down
Burn, burn, burn, burn…
Down
Burn, burn, burn, burn…
Coming
The moments growing
Coming
With clubs and torches
Burning
Incinerate
Burning
A freedom with heat
Burning
An engine comes in
Burning
Smell the white flame
Burning
Smell the white flame
Burning
And still you feel me
Coming
What in this life
Lifts us up so high
Down to this campfire
From a random coast
To the junkyards
When will I see you again?
Like Patton has said in the past, lots of his lyrics are in place merely to rhyme. Lyrics are not my focus either. The overall sound is the most important and I find good lyrics a bonus. Only the most stupid obnoxious ones will turn me off to an other wise good song. That said, Patton’s lyrics take exception and are one of the highlights for me, so I definitely want to know what he’s saying. So even though Patton insists many of his lyrics are without meaning, you can’t down play that his personality still comes through – on some subconscious level I suppose, and it makes for some interesting, highly original and hysterical lyrics. Patton’s explanation for not giving back story for what the lyrics mean makes sense to me. But to deny the lyrics entirely from the fans is pretty ridiculous I think… painters don’t hide half of their painting from an audience. For those fans who don’t want to know what he’s saying, all they have to do is not read the lyrics.
Mike always downplays the significance of his lyrics, but they are a major selling point for any song he writes for. The clearer the better: I deserve a reward, cuz I’m the best fuck that you ever had. And if I tighten up my hole you may never see the light again.
I don’t mind filling in the blanks on his more cryptic enunciations. That can be fun, too. But I prefer it when I know exactly what he is saying.
I think folks have done an excellent job deciphering the bulk of it. A couple of alternative suggestions for the odd line:
SOL INVICTUS
*Keep singing Lord I’m on my way
SUPERHERO
*Turns a coward to a priest
Makes a supermodel blow
*WIth a divining rod
*The sunrise is here to save us now
SUNNY SIDE UP
I personally hear ‘curving’/’stinging’ rather than ‘curvy’/’stingy’
Also *Dance the night away like Fred Astaire
BLACK FRIDAY
*3, 4, 5, twisting your arm and you’ll buy
You will buy…
*A shrink-wrapped fantasy that I’ll want to forget
*Hear the angels sing
*All the (only?) zombies walk on Black Friday
I do respect Mike’s thoughts and largely agree with the sentiment, though in not having any official lyrics there’s a slight selfish disappointment on my part when it comes this album being a new FNM record. There are some fond memories of perusing the lyrics in the past (in particular squinting at the godless choice of typographic layout and font colour for the Angel Dust booklet) and realising just how much I’d misinterpreted certain lines.
That being said it feels like ever since the first Tomahawk album there was a big shift in his approach to lyrics and they largely became oriented on sounds that would best carry the melody/screams etc. Personally lyrics were a huge part of the effectiveness of Angel Dust, KFAD and California but they told stories in a way that perhaps the songs on this album don’t as much? But as he’s proved in the past his songs don’t necessarily need to have lyrics at all to be great.
Thanks
I put that bit on lyric genius about ‘sensei, Nero’, but I think “sexy mirror” is more likely.
My stab at Black Friday
This is only a test.
One two whatcha gonna do?
Three, four , five twisting your arm and your eye
You will buy
Step right up donate a memory
To the bank of love that can loan you your daydream
Buy it. Buy it
Black Friday’s come and gone
Buy me a future regret
A shrink wrapped fantasy, that you won’t forget
In an age of the mercenary
In a nursing home where the river swallows the sea
That’s where we’ll be. With guns.
Buy it.
Into the age of scrutiny
And the grandest of apathy
Well I ain’t gonna be trimming the tree I can hang I won’t swing
It’s only a test.
Buy it.
?
Buy it.
On their children’s graves.
Buy it.
Will the angels say
(all the zombies walking by crying)
It’s a riot at the salad bar
Predatory lenders
Safari mission to survive
But you’ll pay for them to kill your mom
Buy it.
This is only a test.
My thoughts on Superhero
With the S on your chest
You’re feeling like a God
An order of animal
With that divine rod
Superhero, sensei, Nero, smiling, hiding, riding, flying, superhuman , falling, burning
I’d love to see someone try to figure out the bridge in Rise of the Fall lol
First 3 tracks:
01. Sol Invictus
I’m coming, Lord, I’m on my way
Worshipping at the altar of no one
Can’t remember which God is my one
Can’t repent if I’m wrong impartial
Empty rituals, trinkets and fossils
And now, Lord, I’m on my way (Amen)
Amen
Peace ain’t coming our way
But the sun keeps burning my face
Where’s my faith?
My blasphemy?
Keep swinging, Lord, I’m on my way… home
Floorboards and the ceilings are creaking
And the roof is old and leaking
But looking up high to the heavens
How can we declare our independence?
From evolution and penance (Our way)
Sin ain’t coming our way
But the sun keeps burning my face
Where’s my faith?
Renewing today
I believe in something I think
Where’s my faith?
My monastery
02. Superhero
Go, go, go…
Superhero
I’m tugging on your cape
Tell me will your sons
Know their father one day?
Leader of men (2x)
Get back in your cage
Will you be one of them?
Like an American drug
Makes a lean cock grow
Turns a cow into a priest
Makes a supermodel glow
Go, go, go…
With the S on your chest
You’re feeling like a God
An order of animal
With that divine right
Superhero, sensei, Nero, smiling, hiding, riding, flying, sumo, charring , falling, burning
Leader of men (2x)
Get back in your cage
Ain’t no grave gonna hold this body down
The sun rises here to save us now
All myths are erased
The story book ends
The sweet memories
Wash it away
Wash it away
Go, go, go…
Leader of men (3x)
Will you be one of them?
Go, go, go…
03. Sunny Side Up
I’ll be your leprechaun
Shamrock, a lucky charm
Woah, yeah
Tap dancing all alone
It’s okay
Dip into the sugar bowl
Woah, yeah
Sunny Side up (2x)
Such a lovely way to start the day
Sunny Side up (2x)
Not the only way to fry an egg
Sunny Side up!! (2x)
I am just a grain of sand on your beach
With all of my heart
All of my heart
A drop of rain through your hands
Rainbows will bend for me
Curvy
Honey bees will sting for me
Stingy, stingy
Sunny Side up (2x)
Such a lovely way to start the day
Sunny Side up (2x)
Dancing right away like Fred Astaire
Come on ride my wave
Ride it all the way
(Sunny Side up…)
‘Til the ocean ends
(Sunny Side up…)
I’ll see you there
(Sunny side up…)