The Malkin Jewel
The Mars Volta Lyrics
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In a fit of jealous breath
Perched upon the baptist foot
Of your unsuspecting bed
From the blossom rags in my jackal croon
To the stems of this cinquefoil
I give to you the shrapnel
With which to sprinkle in the soil
When all the traps in the cellar go clickety click
You know I’m gonna set them for you
Yeah, for you
And all the rats in the cellar full of vermin and steps
You know I’m gonna set them for you
Yeah, for you
Wash it down with harlot soap
Well, is this what you want?
I’ll paint your steps with the lilac stains
Of smelter revenant
My cutlery is rattling
From the doorman wooden’s boils
From the bottom of my throat I beckon you
To cut the orchid cord
When all the traps in the cellar go clickety click
You know I’m gonna set them for you
Yeah, for you
And all the rats in the cellar full of vermin and steps
You know I’m gonna set them for you
Yeah, for you
I know a girl that was woven
From spindle and thread
Wrapped in a bivouac of taffeta
Scaffolding red
She tosses and turns
And wakes all the children in bed
Yawning with hunger
They take turns of nourishment
And she looks at me in the great outdoors
And you know what she tells me?
Somebody help me
Is there anybody out there that can set me free?
The lyrics to The Mars Volta's song, "The Malkin Jewel," are esoteric and difficult to understand without proper interpretation. The song itself is a haunting and unsettling experience, filled with surreal images and poetic language that gives the impression of a dream or a nightmare. At the beginning of the song, the singer describes crawling through someone's bedroom door in a fit of jealousy. They are perched on the edge of the bed, holding something in their hands that they give to their lover to sprinkle in the soil. The imagery is a bit of a riddle, but it seems that the singer is giving their lover something that is destructive or dangerous.
Later in the song, the singer speaks of setting traps for their lover in the cellar, where rats and vermin abound. The imagery is violent and threatening, suggesting that the singer wishes to destroy their lover in some way. However, the final verse of the song provides a different perspective. The singer describes a girl who was woven from thread, wrapped in taffeta, and who tosses and turns at night. This image is also surreal and dreamlike, but it adds an element of vulnerability to the song. The girl is hungry and needs nourishment, and she cries out for someone to help her and set her free. This final image suggests that the singer, despite their violent thoughts, longs to be released from their own bonds and to find some kind of redemption or salvation.
Overall, "The Malkin Jewel" is a complex and challenging song that rewards careful listening and interpretation. The surreal imagery and poetic language give the song a haunting quality that stays with the listener long after the music has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
I must have crawled through your bedroom door
I came to you in a moment of desire and insecurity, sneaking into your bedroom without permission.
In a fit of jealous breath
I was overcome with jealousy and longing, and my breathing reflected these feelings.
Perched upon the baptist foot of your unsuspecting bed
I sat at the foot of your bed, feeling like an intruder, as you slept unknowingly.
From the blossom rags in my jackal croon
I come to you with my wild and discordant nature, full of beauty and danger.
To the stems of this cinquefoil
I offer you the very essence of my being, represented by the cinquefoil plant.
I give to you the shrapnel with which to sprinkle in the soil
I offer you pieces of myself, raw and sharp, to help you grow and thrive.
When all the traps in the cellar go clickety click, you know I'm gonna set them for you. Yeah, for you.
I will do anything to protect you, including setting traps to catch anyone who might try to harm you.
And all the rats in the cellar full of vermin and steps, you know I'm gonna set them for you. Yeah, for you.
I will rid your life of anything that threatens your peace and safety, just like clearing a cellar of rats and vermin.
Wash it down with harlot soap. Well, is this what you want?
I offer you a mix of pleasure and danger, represented by the idea of washing oneself with 'harlot soap.' I ask if this is truly what you desire.
I'll paint your steps with the lilac stains of smelter revenant
My feelings for you are so intense that they taint everything I touch, leaving behind a metaphorical trail of 'lilac stains' from my own ghost-like presence.
My cutlery is rattling from the doorman wooden's boils
My body feels restless and on-edge, almost like the cutlery in a drawer that shakes and rattles from some unknown force.
From the bottom of my throat I beckon you to cut the orchid cord
I call out to you to help me break free from something that is holding me hostage, represented by the 'orchid cord.'
I know a girl that was woven from spindle and thread, wrapped in a bivouac of taffeta, scaffolding red
I tell a story about a girl who was artificially created, like a doll made of thread and cloth, wearing a red dress like the scaffolding around a building under construction.
She tosses and turns and wakes all the children in bed, yawning with hunger they take turns of nourishment
This girl is restless and starving for something, like a newborn baby who wakes up crying for food from their mother's breast.
And she looks at me in the great outdoors, and you know what she tells me? Somebody help me, is there anybody out there that can set me free?
As I imagine this girl looking at me, she pleads with me to help her escape the confines of her own existence and find freedom.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CEDRIC BIXLER, OMAR RODRIGUEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@VJelectro
It sucks that people think this song is weak. I fell in love at first listen, mainly because it sounds radically different. They are always changing things up, and that's one of the main things I love about this band. It's a shame that many people can't embrace that. You can always listen to your favorite TMV album over and over. I'll bet that if they released a rehash of your favorite album, then you'd complain that it's nothing new. It's always like that.
@Ariadna-ft3mj
I get this stuck in my head all the time lmaoooo
@danisraeldeida7073
Gives me 70s vibes. Love this song
@ewiemama
Well said!
@RasberrySkittle
"From the blossom rags in my jackal croon to the stems of the cinquefoil
I give to you the shrapnel with which to sprinkle in her soil"
The lyrics alone are amazing.
@DraKul78
and all the traps in the cellar go clickety clack 'cause u know I always set em for youuu~
@loversrockpaper
this band is so dynamic it's kind of scary. i think the fact that a lot of their fans won't "like" this just demonstrates that. you were expecting a certain sound but you're never going to get it again. that's really remarkable, considering that most bands have a general pattern or predictability that they rely on. these guys are like "fuck it, we're doing this because of reasons." takes quite a bit of talent as far as i know.
@johnnyscifi
The drummer for this album (Deantoni Parks) is fantastic!!! Totally underrated...
@saxoffender
johnnyscifi completely agree. He did fill in for some live shows between amp and TBIG I believe before they landed on T-Pridg. They really have had so much fortune as a band in having such an impressive revolving door of drummers. Each a beast in his own right. Even Blake Fleming
@jnuts
Against the clock is so fucked https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEGnqB-54Us