Eyes at night never see the day
Because it's not in my nature
Golden wings rise from the plane
They burn above the red earth
Scale these walls in front of me
Have you ever stopped to wonder
Why they forced your voice to turn
From silence to a caterwaul?

Never knew I could feel this way
So old and and unremembered
Never thought it would slip away
And fall like September
Scale these walls in front of me
Have you ever stopped to wonder
Why they forced my voice
To turn from silence to a caterwaul?
Heard your caterwaul

And what has tried to bound me
I've severed every tie
Place your arms around me
And we'll leave the rest behind

What was I to say?
How was I to know?
Was it your soft voice that said so?

Overall Meaning

The song Caterwaul by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is a lamentation on the loss of innocence and the compulsion for conformity. The lyrics express a frustration with the limitations and expectations of society and the way it molds individuals into something they are not. The singer describes feeling trapped in their current state, unable to see past the walls that block their path. The opening lines, "Eyes at night never see the day/Because it's not in my nature," suggest a blindness to potential and a comfort in the familiar. The image of the "golden wings" burning above the "red earth" is a metaphor for aspirations and dreams that are uprooted and consumed by reality.

The chorus, "Scale these walls in front of me/Have you ever stopped to wonder/Why they forced your voice to turn/From silence to a caterwaul?" highlights the idea of being forced into a role by society. The use of the word "forced" implies a lack of agency in determining one's own identity. The final line, "Heard your caterwaul/And what has tried to bound me/I've severed every tie/Place your arms around me/And we'll leave the rest behind," suggests a desire to break free from these constraints and forge a new path. The singer has heard the "caterwaul" of others and has chosen to sever the ties that bound them, hopefully finding solace in the embrace of a loved one.

Line by Line Meaning

Eyes at night never see the day
I am someone who prefers the night over the day

Golden wings rise from the plane They burn above the red earth
I can see planes with their bright lights and the reflection they cast on the earth

Scale these walls in front of me Have you ever stopped to wonder Why they forced your voice to turn From silence to a caterwaul?
I am facing difficult challenges, and I wonder why society has forced some people to speak loudly when they should remain quiet

Never knew I could feel this way So old and and unremembered
I am surprised that I have experienced these emotions, even though they feel like they have been with me forever

Never thought it would slip away And fall like September
I did not anticipate that my emotions would disappear so quickly, like the end of the summer season

Scale these walls in front of me Have you ever stopped to wonder Why they forced my voice To turn from silence to a caterwaul?
I am asking you if you have ever wondered why society forced me to speak loudly when I should have remained silent

Heard your caterwaul
I recognized the sound of your loud voice

And what has tried to bound me I've severed every tie Place your arms around me And we'll leave the rest behind
I have broken free from anything that has tried to hold me down. Let's embrace each other and move forward

What was I to say? How was I to know? Was it your soft voice that said so?
I am unsure of what to say or how to react. Was it you who spoke in a gentle voice?

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