AFI has released eleven studio albums, ten EPs, one live album and one DVD. The band first reached substantial commercial success with their fifth album, The Art of Drowning (2000), which peaked at number 174 on the Billboard 200. They then broke into the mainstream with their sixth, Sing the Sorrow (2003), which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 51 weeks. The album was supported by popular singles "Girl's Not Grey" and "Silver and Cold", both of which peaked at number seven on America's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2003. "The Leaving Song Pt. II" was also released as a single, reaching number 16 on the chart. Sing the Sorrow was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2006 and is AFI's best-selling release, having sold over 1.26 million copies as of September 2009.
AFI's seventh album, Decemberunderground (2006), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and featured the hit single "Miss Murder", which topped the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, "Love Like Winter", reached number four on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2013.[6] Decemberunderground was followed three years later by Crash Love (2009), and then four years later by Burials (2013); both albums were also successful, peaking at number twelve and number nine, respectively, on the Billboard 200. The band's tenth and latest album, AFI (The Blood Album), was released in 2017, and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, making it their second-highest chart position.
God Called
AFI Lyrics
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Murderous filigree
I'm caught in the twisting of the vine
Go ascend with ivy climbing
Ignore and leave for me
The headstone crumbling behind
My soul brings tears
To angelic eyes
Let's amend the classic story
Close it so beautifully
I'll let animosity unwind
Steal away the darkened pages
Hidden so shamefully
I'll still feel the violence of the lies
I can't stand my laughter as they cry
My soul brings tears
To angelic eyes
And miles away my mother cries
Omnipotence
Nurturing malevolence
I can't stand my laughter as they cry
My soul brings tears
To angelic eyes
And miles away my mother cries
Omnipotence
Nurturing malevolence
The lyrics of AFI's song "God Called In Sick Today" paint a dark picture of someone who revels in the pain of others. The opening line, "Let's admire the pattern forming" implies fascination with the intricacies of what is to come, which is described as "murderous filigree." As the song continues, the singer seems to delight in the torment of someone close to them, referring to "the twisting of the vine" and "stealing away the darkened pages." They are amused by the tears they cause, claiming that "my soul brings tears to angelic eyes."
Towards the end of the song, the tone shifts slightly to reveal that the singer's mother is also crying "miles away" due to what is described as "omnipotence, nurturing malevolence." This implies some sort of familial connection to the themes of torment and abuse. Overall, the lyrics of "God Called In Sick Today" suggest a twisted pleasure in causing pain, while acknowledging the toll it takes on those affected.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's admire the pattern forming
Let's appreciate the kind of design that's emerging
Murderous filigree
A decoration that is intricate but filled with the idea of killing
I'm caught in the twisting of the vine
I can't escape the trouble that's been growing slowly around me
Go ascend with ivy climbing
Go up high by growing with ivy
Ignore and leave for me
Don't worry about me, you can leave
The headstone crumbling behind
The grave marker is falling apart
I can't help my laughter as she cries
I can't control my laughter when a woman is crying
My soul brings tears to angelic eyes
I feel so much that it makes angels cry
Let's amend the classic story
Let's change the traditional tale
Close it so beautifully
Finish it perfectly
I'll let animosity unwind
I'll let all the hatred and hostility play out
Steal away the darkened pages
Take away the pages that are hidden from view
Hidden so shamefully
The pages that are covered up with shame
I'll still feel the violence of the lies
I'll still feel the harshness of the falsehoods
I can't stand my laughter as they cry
I can't bear to laugh while others weep
My soul brings tears to angelic eyes
My soulfulness can make even the most angelic cry
And miles away my mother cries
My mother is far away and crying
Omnipotence
The quality of being all-powerful
Nurturing malevolence
Taking care of and promoting evil
I can't stand my laughter as they cry
I can't bear to laugh while others weep
My soul brings tears to angelic eyes
My soulfulness can make even the most angelic cry
And miles away my mother cries
My mother is far away and crying
Omnipotence
The quality of being all-powerful
Nurturing malevolence
Taking care of and promoting evil
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: ADAM A CARSON, DAVID PADEN MARCHAND, HUNTER LAWRENCE BURGAN, JADE ERROL PUGET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind