Of Natural History has a continuity in the sense that all the songs sequence into each other, thus holding the narrative element(s) of the album better together. The continuity and the coherent feel make Of Natural History very close to a concept album; its underlying mood is concerned with the apocalyptic implications caused by human presence on earth. To offer different viewpoints on this, the band create their own characters and stories (tracks 1 & 2, both of which are a continuation of a story created on the first album), and borrow from Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Unabomber & T.S. Eliot, Muriel Rukeyser, and Kenneth Patchen (tracks 3, 5, 6, and 9, respectively) in addition to own lyrics.
According to the band's official website, Of Natural History is in part "a debate between two contradictory pillars of 20th C. Anti-Humanism: The Futurists versus the Unabomber."
Whereas on the first album, Grand Opening and Closing, Dan Rathbun handled the mastering (in addition to producing, recording, and mixing), on Of Natural History the mastering duties are handled by Justin Weis, who mastered the album at Trakworx, San Francisco.
All the tracks on this album were produced by Rathbun & the other members of the band, except for "Phthisis", which was produced by Scott Humphrey, and recorded at the Chop Shop, Hollywood in May 2004; Chris Baseford engineered the recording sessions, while Garry Raposo and Vincent Piette assisted in engineering.
Like with the first album, this album again marks the transition from one drummer to another: Frank Grau, who replaced David Shamrock after Grand Opening and Closing, left after this album, and was replaced by Matthias Bossi, who plays different instruments on this album's tracks "Phthisis", "FC: The Freedom Club" and "Gunday's Child".
Personnel:
Carla Kihlstedt - Violins, Percussion Guitar, Autoharp, Organ, Voice, Choir (Soprano Voice) |
Dan Rathbun - Bass, Log, Roach, Trombone, Lute, Voice, Choir (Baritone Voice) |
Frank Grau - Drums, Melodica |
Matthias Bossi (tracks 3, 5, & 6) - Drums, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Voice; (track 1) Choir (Tenor Voice) |
Moe! Staiano - Metal, Wood, Bowed Spatula, Glockenspiel, Spring, Paper |
Nils Frykdahl - Guitars, Flutes, Voice, Choir (Contralto Voice)
A Hymn to the Morning Star
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Open your heart and mind and let him in
He holds the key to the throne of might
You are empty
Say his name and let him in
All hail the dawn of a rising star
All hail the crowned and conquering child
Morning will come for you at last
No matter how far into night you have strayed
Say his name
Welcome the child
A new world is crawling from the ashes of the old
Two thousand years of guilt and fear
And the greatest lie ever told
Out of the wounded side of the dying god
Out of the sacred heart of the throttled hen
The blood is the life
The flowing milk for the infant god
The throne is empty
The cup is full
He approaches and then
He steps from the shadow and he opens up his eyes
He spills the blood onto the throne
And hurls a curse up to the skies
I am the adversary and must remain the adversary
The lyrics to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's A Hymn to the Morning Star are rich with religious symbolism and imagery. The "lord of light" is a reference to Lucifer, the "morning star," who is often depicted as a fallen angel in Christian mythology. The lyrics urge the listener to "open your heart and mind" to Lucifer, who holds the key to the "throne of might." The language is highly suggestive, as if the listener is being asked to submit to Lucifer and embrace him as their ruler. The line "you are empty" implies that the listener is lacking something important, which can only be filled by Lucifer.
The second stanza continues the religious symbolism, referencing the "dawn of a rising star" and the "crowned and conquering child." These are both references to Lucifer, who is often depicted as a child in his role as the "morning star." The lyrics urge the listener to "say his name" and "welcome the child" in order to usher in a new world. This new world is described as "crawling from the ashes of the old," suggesting a rebirth or renewal.
The final stanza is the most cryptic, referencing "two thousand years of guilt and fear" and "the greatest lie ever told." These are likely references to Christianity and the idea that faith and belief in a higher power are used to control people through guilt and fear. The reference to the "wounded side of the dying god" and the "sacred heart of the throttled hen" are likely references to the crucifixion of Jesus and the sacrifices made by animals in religious rituals. The final lines, "I am the adversary and must remain the adversary," are spoken from the perspective of Lucifer, who is often depicted as a figure in opposition to God.
Line by Line Meaning
Open your heart to the lord of light
Let go of all your inhibitions and embrace the lord of light
Open your heart and mind and let him in
Be receptive to the teachings and blessings of the lord of light
He holds the key to the throne of might
The lord of light possesses absolute power and control
You are empty
You are without purpose or fulfillment until you let the lord of light in
Say his name and let him in
Invoke the name of the lord of light and welcome him into your life
All hail the dawn of a rising star
Celebrate the arrival of a great and powerful force
All hail the crowned and conquering child
Praise the child-like embodiment of the lord of light who has overcome all obstacles
Morning will come for you at last
A new dawn will bring prosperity and happiness to you
No matter how far into night you have strayed
Regardless of how lost or hopeless you may feel
Welcome the child
Accept the presence of the youthful representative of the lord of light
A new world is crawling from the ashes of the old
A better world is beginning to rise from the remains of the previous one
Two thousand years of guilt and fear
The weight of centuries of religious oppression and anxiety
And the greatest lie ever told
The falsehood perpetuated by the religious establishment
Out of the wounded side of the dying god
From the body of the seemingly-deceased divine
Out of the sacred heart of the throttled hen
From the heart of the helpless and captive innocent
The blood is the life
Life is sustained by the flow of blood within living creatures
The flowing milk for the infant god
A source of nourishment for the young divine entity
The throne is empty
The seat of power is currently unoccupied
The cup is full
The receptacle is filled with something of great value or importance
He approaches and then
The lord of light draws near
He steps from the shadow and he opens up his eyes
The divine figure emerges from obscurity and regains consciousness
He spills the blood onto the throne
The lord of light asserts his dominance via a symbolic gesture
And hurls a curse up to the skies
The lord of light casts a spell or some other magical invocation upwards
I am the adversary and must remain the adversary
The artist identifies as an antagonist or oppositional force
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind