Concertina
The Mars Volta Lyrics

The lyrics to The Mars Volta's song Concertina are cryptic and open to interpretation. The first few lines seem to be about someone in denial and trying to avoid taking responsibility for their actions. The use of the word "ravenous" could suggest that this person is selfish and consumed by their own desires. The second line of the first verse, "In disguise sideswiped by penance" could mean that the person is trying to hide their guilt, but are being hit (sideswiped) by the consequences of their actions (penance). The next line, "Cerecloth sentencing" is also interesting because "cerecloth" refers to a cloth used to wrap a corpse, so this line could suggest that the person is being sentenced to death or that they are already "dead" to themselves because of their actions.

The next few lines continue with the theme of someone who is trying to avoid responsibility. The line, "This scapegrace will pay my barking harangue...Are you listening?" could mean that someone else is speaking out against this person, and they are trying to deflect the blame onto them. The next line, "On the fourteenth you stole what hasn't grown old in denial" is interesting because the number fourteen could have significant meaning or it could simply be a random date. The use of the phrase "hasn't grown old in denial" suggests that whatever was stolen is something that the person has been denying the importance of. The chorus repeats the same lines and gives more weight to the idea that someone is avoiding responsibility.

The last verse contains more mysterious lines. The first two lines, "And the Storyville sawbones couldn't tell/The prescription to mend all the broken wills" could mean that even a doctor couldn't fix the person's mental state, or that there is no remedy for the broken wills of everyone involved. The next line, "In the white lie ward" adds to the feeling of dishonesty in the song. The following line, "Don't you pretend/Tangled in thorns to walk unborn" is difficult to decipher, but it could mean that someone is pretending to be something they're not and they are trapped by their own actions. The final line, "And the debt will collect" could be a warning that eventually, the consequences of one's actions will catch up to them.