By being one of the first bands to blend anarcho-punk and heavy metal music, Amebix are often cited as one of the key bands that helped to create the crust punk style, and are considered as a proto-thrash metal band. Such notable bands as Sepultura, Neurosis, and Deviated Instinct have paid homage.
Spoils Of Victory
Amebix Lyrics
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On all horizons storm clouds loom and roll across the sky
The river bursts its banks and vomits soil into the mouth
As thunder breaks the silence, a young child cries!
Between the night and the days first light the leaders made a pact
To raise the rotting corpse of war and set the wheels in motion
The stage a heaving battlefield would support the final act
And in this play
We're cast as fools
To blindly play
By others' rules
Now the dust has settled and the stench completely clear
Then return the victors to claim their wretched crown
But from the fleshheaps of the slain, there comes no cheer
Their game is over, the chips are down
You arrived like a breath from the angel of death
Famine, disease and a life on your knees, guaranteed
When you put them in power
The lyrics to Amebix's song Spoils Of Victory describe the aftermath of a war, and the devastating effects it has on the innocent people caught in the middle. The song begins by calling attention to the storm clouds gathering on all horizons, representing the impending doom of war. The river bursting its banks and vomiting soil into the mouth symbolizes the destruction and chaos caused by the conflict. The young child crying in the midst of the thunder represents the innocent victims who suffer while the leaders make decisions that will affect their lives forever.
The leaders in this song are referred to as authors who hide in satellites or forts beneath the ocean, suggesting that they are detached from the reality of the war they have caused. The battlefield is described as a heaving stage where the final act will take place. The use of the word "act" adds another layer to the meaning of the song, implying that the war is a scripted performance designed to achieve a specific outcome.
In the end, when the dust settles and the victors return to claim their victory, there is no joy or celebration. The fleshheaps of the slain emit no cheers, only the stench of death lingers. The song implies that the real winners of the war are those who put the leaders in power, guaranteeing a life of famine, disease, and servitude for the innocent people caught in the middle.
Line by Line Meaning
Look to the north, look to the east, look to the west and south
The horizon on all four sides is filled with storm clouds.
On all horizons storm clouds loom and roll across the sky
Storm clouds are visible throughout the sky.
The river bursts its banks and vomits soil into the mouth
Due to heavy rainfall, the river has overflowed and the land is getting eroded.
As thunder breaks the silence, a young child cries!
The sound of thunder can be heard, and a young child is frightened.
Between the night and the days first light the leaders made a pact
The leaders made a pact in secret in the middle of the night.
To raise the rotting corpse of war and set the wheels in motion
To start a new war.
The stage a heaving battlefield would support the final act
The location of the war would be a battlefield.
While the authors hide in satellites or forts beneath the ocean
The ones who started the war are hiding in secret locations.
And in this play
The whole war is like a play.
We're cast as fools
The soldiers fighting in the war are being played as fools.
To blindly play
To fight in the war without knowing the true motives.
By others' rules
Fighting the war according to what others want.
Now the dust has settled and the stench completely clear
After the war has ended, the casualties have been counted.
Then return the victors to claim their wretched crown
The winning side returns to claim their reward.
But from the fleshheaps of the slain, there comes no cheer
Even though the war has ended, there is no happiness or victory for the lives lost.
Their game is over, the chips are down
The war is over and there is no turning back.
You arrived like a breath from the angel of death
The war has brought in death and destruction.
Famine, disease and a life on your knees, guaranteed
War brings famine, disease and a tough life for the families affected.
When you put them in power
The people who started the war are to be blamed for the aftermath.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind