One Armed Scissor
At the Drive-In Lyrics
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Slithered entrails in the cargo bay
Neutered is the vastness
Hallow vacuum, check the oxygen tanks
They hibernate, but have they kissed the ground?
Pucker up and kiss the asphalt now
Tease this amputation
Splintered larynx, it has access now
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission to the one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from the one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from the one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Banked on memory
Mummified circuitry
Skin graft machinery
Sputnik sickles found in the seats
Self-destruct sequence
This station is non-operational
Species growing
Bubbles in an IV loitering
Unknown origin
Is this the comfort of being afraid?
Solar eclipsed
Black out the vultures as they wait
Unknown, unknown
Unknown, unknown, yeah
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from the one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from the one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from the one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Dissect a trillion sighs away
Will you get this letter?
Jagged pulp sliced in my veins
I write to remember
'Cause I'm a million miles away
Will you get this letter?
Jagged pulp sliced in my veins
I write to remember
I write to remember
I write to remember
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from the one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from the one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from the one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Cut away, cut away
Cut away, cut away
At the Drive-In's song "One Armed Scissor" has a lot of abstract and cryptic lyrics that are open to interpretation. The song is believed to be about the state of conformity and the oppression of individuality in a corporate and media-driven society. The opening lines of "Yes, this is the campaign" is a reference to the aggressive marketing of conformity, which is followed by "Slithered entrails in the cargo bay / Neutered is the vastness / Hallow vacuum check the oxygen tanks" that suggest the suffocation and emptiness that come with the conformity. The line "They hibernate, but have they kissed the ground? / Pucker up and kiss the asphalt now" refers to the people living in their comfort zones, but not really living at all with their heads buried in conformity. The "amputation" may be the price that the individual has to pay to fit into the mold of society.
The second half of the song takes a more apocalyptic turn. The line "Self-destruct sequence / This station is non-operational" implies that the society is falling apart, while "Species growing / Bubbles in an IV loitering" is a reference to the stagnation and decay of culture. The "one armed scissor" may be a metaphor for the hope that is left in a world where individuals have been robbed of their identities. The final lines "Dissect a trillion sighs away / Will you get this letter / Jagged pulp sliced in my veins / I write to remember" suggest that the only way to survive in this kind of society is to hold onto one's memories and individuality and to find ways to subvert and overcome the conformity.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes this is the campaign
The following lyrics are part of a significant campaign or movement.
Slithered entrails in the cargo bay
The cargo bay contains disgusting remains that look like they have been moving.
Neutered is the vastness
The vastness isn't able to reproduce or propagate anymore.
Hallow vacuum check the oxygen tanks
The vacuum is empty since there aren't enough oxygen tanks.
They hibernate, but have they kissed the ground?
The organisms are hibernating, but it's unclear if they have touched the earth.
Pucker up and kiss the asphalt now
Get ready to kiss the ground.
Tease this amputation
Deliberately provoke the action of cutting off a body part.
Splintered larynx, it has access now
The larynx has been broken, and something has access to it now.
Cut away, cut away
Cut off, cut off!
Send transmission from the one armed scissor
Send a message with a device used to cut, that now only has one arm remaining.
Banked on memory
All eggs were placed in the memory basket.
Mummified circuitry
The circuitry is preserved like a mummy's remains.
Skin graft machinery
Machines used to transplant human skin.
Sputnik sickles found in the seats
Sickles related to the Soviet Union's Sputnik found in the seats.
Self-destruct sequence
An automatic command to destroy itself as a precaution.
This station is non-operational
This station is unusable and out of service.
Species growing
A group of organisms is developing.
Bubbles in an IV loitering
Air bubbles in an intravenous solution aren't going anywhere.
Unknown origin
The origin is a mystery.
Is this the comfort of being afraid
Is being afraid comforting?
Solar eclipsed
A solar eclipse occurred.
Black out the vultures as they wait
Make the waiting vultures disappear or become unconscious.
Unknown, unknown
It's unknown and a mystery.
Dissect a trillion sighs away
Analyze a massive amount of sighs carefully.
Will you get this letter
Do you think you'll receive this message?
Jagged pulp sliced in my veins
My veins have frayed edges like paper or pulp that's been cut.
I write to remember
I'm writing to keep the memory of something alive.
'Cause I'm a million miles away
I'm incredibly far from where I want to be or someone I miss.
Cut away, cut away
Cut off, cut off!
Cut away, cut away
Cut off, cut off!
Cut away, cut away
Cut off, cut off!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Cedric Bixler, Jim Ward, Omar Rodriguez, Pablo Hinojos, Tony Hajjar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind