Antiphon
Midlake Lyrics
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He who takes and defiles
I want more, I want more
Idols wore fine wool at the door
To revile then forsake
Fight a war, fight a war
Antiphon
antiphon…
Fight a war, fight a war…
Tried and bore blame for all ignored
Head contrived, tongue applied,
Nevermore, nevermore
Antiphon
antiphon
antiphon
antiphon…
Antiphon
antiphon
antiphon
antiphon…
I want more than kneel down before
Fight a war, they sit at the door
Nevermore, all to be ignored
To the call, a response
The lyrics to Midlake's song "Antiphon" contain cryptic references to religious texts and historical events. The first line, "Find the poor all kneeled down before," could reference the biblical story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. The following lines, "He who takes and defiles / I want more, I want more," suggest a theme of greed or exploitation. The second verse mentions "idols" wearing "fine wool," which could refer to wealthy leaders or religious figures who may have betrayed their followers. The lines "Fight a war, fight a war" could suggest a call to action against injustice and corruption.
The repeated lines of "antiphon" create a sense of ritual or liturgy, reinforcing the religious themes of the song. The repeated line "nevermore" may reference Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem "The Raven," which explores themes of loss and despair. The overall effect of the song is somewhat enigmatic and open-ended, leaving the interpretation up to the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Find the poor all kneeled down before
Observing how the less fortunate submit themselves to those in power
He who takes and defiles
Those in power or authority who exploit and corrupt their position
I want more, I want more
Expressing a desire for greater fulfillment or satisfaction
Idols wore fine wool at the door
The wealthy and influential, comfortable in their position
To revile then forsake
To condemn and abandon or betray
Fight a war, fight a war
Advocating for taking action against injustice or oppression
Antiphon
A call and response style of singing, highlighting the themes of the song
Tried and bore blame for all ignored
Those who have tried and failed, taking the blame for the consequences that follow
Head contrived, tongue applied
Those in power who manipulate and deceive with their words
Nevermore, nevermore
No more of the same, refusing to accept the status quo
I want more than kneel down before
Desiring something greater than mere submission
Fight a war, they sit at the door
Highlighting the hypocrisy of the powerful who do nothing while others suffer
Nevermore, all to be ignored
Refusing to accept being ignored or overlooked
To the call, a response
Answering the call to action, to fight and resist oppression
Contributed by Mila G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Allison Ghost
"Antiphon"
[Verse 1]
Find the poor
All kneeled down before
He who takes and defiles
I want more, I want more
[Verse 2]
Idols wore
Fine wool at the door
To revile then forsake
Fight a war, fight a war
[Chorus]
Antiphon antiphon…
Fight a war, fight a war…
[Verse 3]
Tried and bore
Blame for all ignored
Head contrived, tongue applied
Nevermore, nevermore
[Bridge]
Antiphon antiphon antiphon antiphon…
Antiphon antiphon antiphon antiphon…
[Verse 4]
I want more than kneel down before
Fight a war, they sit at the door
Nevermore, all to be ignored
To the call, a response
ponderingponderer
Find the poor all kneeled down before
He who takes and defiles
I want more, I want more
Idols wore fine wool at the door
To revile then forsake
Fight a war, fight a war
Antiphon antiphon…
Fight a war, fight a war…
Tried and bore blame for all ignored
Head contrived, tongue applied,
Nevermore, nevermore
Antiphon antiphon antiphon antiphon…
Antiphon antiphon antiphon antiphon…
I want more than kneel down before
Fight a war, they sit at the door
Nevermore, all to be ignored
To the call, a response
Allison Ghost
"Antiphon"
[Verse 1]
Find the poor
All kneeled down before
He who takes and defiles
I want more, I want more
[Verse 2]
Idols wore
Fine wool at the door
To revile then forsake
Fight a war, fight a war
[Chorus]
Antiphon antiphon…
Fight a war, fight a war…
[Verse 3]
Tried and bore
Blame for all ignored
Head contrived, tongue applied
Nevermore, nevermore
[Bridge]
Antiphon antiphon antiphon antiphon…
Antiphon antiphon antiphon antiphon…
[Verse 4]
I want more than kneel down before
Fight a war, they sit at the door
Nevermore, all to be ignored
To the call, a response
Chill Buddies
Great song, great album. 2:30 - 2:45...as deep as music can get ❤ Incredible baselines throughout the song.
X x__Dr_Acula__x X
This is fucking incredible. I love how McKenzie used adopted drum patterns from drummers like John Bonham throughout the song.
Nirmë
men i really love all the music you do, i listened all your albums and it's incredible, truelly :) hope you will make a little concert in France one day cause i would really want to see you on stage ! Go on like this and make us dream, you are perfect, your music is perfect :)
tymcbee
Such wonderful rich music...remind me of that group "Yes"...not directly, but with such elaborate arrangements and beautiful vocals. Such good music! Just what I needed.
Richard Bendall
They do definitely have one foot in that 70's British Prog Rock sound. I get quite a lot of early Genesis, Yes and Jethro Tull.
Chiko was here
I love the bassline here
Krystina Fann
Same. it gets me eveytime!
Sara Iglesias Martín
I love this band
Simon0
thanks. I wrote this. actually i didnt. But i do like it.