The band currently consists of guitarist and composer John Prassas, vocalist Lori Lewis, and bassist Chriss Quinn
Since the Machine
Aesma Daeva Lyrics
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There have been three types of men
The low man (to) the high man
The rending of the world into three great superstates
Was long foretold in the halls of men
Fending the floodgates from the sword of truth
Since the machine
The meek and the low christen the kingdom's coming
Building the great machines of war
Men feed machines this century of the dark
Coming of the hour of the kingdom of night
Dies irae, dies illa
Solvet saeclum
Dies irae, dies illa
Solvet saeclum in favilla
The act of war, destruction
Mankind cannot grow stronger
Teste Orwell cum Sibylla
Quantus tremor est futurus
Keep the wheels of knowledge turning
Power battles, power battles, highest hopes of men
Smell horses' breath and the sweat for lies
Three times I dreamt this verse; three times I cast my curse
As was foretold in the halls of men
Since the machine
The low man (to) the high man
Since recorded time and since the dawn of man
There have been three types of men
The song ‘Since the Machine’ by Aesma Daeva speaks about the history of mankind and how it has been divided into three categories - the low man, the high man, and those who exist between them. It speaks about how the world has been divided into three great superstates and how the secrets of the underwater world are guarded by a floating fortress. It also touches upon the concept of war and how it has been fueled by the machines created by mankind.
The song then goes on to state that the meek and the lowly are the ones who christen the coming of the kingdom, building machines of war that will bring about the hour of the kingdom of night. The lyrics mention the Latin phrase Dies Irae, which means ‘Day of Wrath’, and speaks about how destruction and war cannot make mankind stronger. The wheels of knowledge must keep turning, and the highest hopes of men lie in power battles. The song ends with a repetition of the fact that since the dawn of time, there have been three types of men in the world.
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on human history, our tendency towards violence and war, and the role that machines have played in facilitating these wars. It talks about the choices we have made as a species and where those choices have led us.
Line by Line Meaning
Since recorded time and since the dawn of man
Throughout history and since the start of human existence
There have been three types of men
There are three distinct kinds of people
The low man (to) the high man
These people range from the lowest to the highest
The rending of the world into three great superstates
The splitting of the world into three large, powerful nations
Was long foretold in the halls of men
This idea has been predicted for a long time by humans
A floating fortress guards the secrets of the ocean ways
There is a fortress that protects the mysteries of the ocean
Fending the floodgates from the sword of truth
It protects these secrets from being uncovered by those who seek the truth
Since the machine
Since the invention of machines
The meek and the low christen the kingdom's coming
The humble and powerless eagerly await the arrival of the kingdom
Building the great machines of war
They build powerful weapons of war
Men feed machines this century of the dark
Humanity fuels these machines during a time of darkness
Coming of the hour of the kingdom of night
The arrival of a dark kingdom is approaching
Dies irae, dies illa
Day of wrath, that day
Solvet saeclum
Shall dissolve the world
Dies irae, dies illa
Day of wrath, that day
Solvet saeclum in favilla
Shall dissolve the world into ashes
The act of war, destruction
War and destruction
Mankind cannot grow stronger
Humanity cannot become stronger through these actions
Teste Orwell cum Sibylla
With Orwell and the Sibyl as witnesses
Quantus tremor est futurus
How much trembling is there to come
Keep the wheels of knowledge turning
We must continue to seek knowledge and progress
Power battles, power battles, highest hopes of men
There are constant struggles for power, which are the greatest ambitions of mankind
Smell horses' breath and the sweat for lies
We can detect lies through the smell of horses' breath and sweat
Three times I dreamt this verse; three times I cast my curse
The artist has dreamt this message three times and has cursed those who do not heed it
As was foretold in the halls of men
This was predicted by humans in the past
Since the machine
Since the invention of machines
The low man (to) the high man
These people range from the lowest to the highest
Contributed by Vivian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.