After the band's split, Bachmann moved onto multiple solo projects, including Barry Black and Crooked Fingers, and Gentling toured with Superchunk as an additional instrumentalist.
The band reunited in 2011 and scheduled multiple live dates throughout the year.
Slow Worm
Archers of Loaf Lyrics
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Squirming over on me.
Leaves a paper thin scab
And you're laughing.
It's too crowded
With the skull cap on. (? )
When you're amplified.
And everybody's tired of the noise that you make,
And everybody's tired of the voice you're faking.
Nobody's counting, cause everybody's fine.
And everybody's whistling because everybody's blind.
There's a page of your face from the xerox machine.
Gray matter, bending, blending.
Makes me sleepy when you can't define
How far you're trailing behind.
You're always sedated.
You're simplified.
Picking off the scabs
From the skin of your lies.
And nobody's counting, cause everybody's fine.
And everybody's buying it cause everybody'd blind.
The song "Slow Worm" by Archers of Loaf is a bleak critique of the toxicity and shallowness present in modern society. The lyrics are heavily metaphorical, portraying the central subject as a worm that resides within someone's head, causing damage and leaving behind scars. The imagery in the song is grotesque and unsettling, with lines such as "picking off the scabs from the skin of your lies." This serves to highlight the ugliness of the subject matter, and the desperation and despair that is present in the lives of those who are plagued by it.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, but they seem to be referencing the idea that people are too caught up in their own existence to care about the world around them. Lines such as "it's too crowded with the skull cap on" suggest a sense of being trapped or suffocated by the pressures of modern life, and the repetition of "nobody's counting, 'cause everybody's fine" indicates a sense of apathy or complacency. The use of metaphors such as the worm and the xerox machine allude to the idea of things being copied or replicated, highlighting the lack of originality and authenticity in society.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a worm in your head,
You have a thought or idea in your mind that's causing you discomfort.
Squirming over on me.
Your negative thoughts are impacting me and making me uncomfortable.
Leaves a paper thin scab
Your negative thoughts are causing emotional scars that are barely noticeable.
And you're laughing.
You're not taking your issues seriously, and it's frustrating for me to see.
It's too crowded
You have too much going on in your mind.
With the skull cap on. (? )
Perhaps you're wearing a metaphorical 'skull cap' that's causing you to feel overwhelmed.
When you're amplified.
Your problems feel bigger when you give them more attention or energy.
And everybody's tired of the noise that you make,
Your negativity is draining those around you.
And everybody's tired of the voice you're faking.
You're not being genuine, and it's putting people off.
Nobody's counting, cause everybody's fine.
Nobody's paying attention to your problems because they have their own to deal with.
And everybody's whistling because everybody's blind.
Everyone's pretending everything is okay, even when it's not.
There's a page of your face from the xerox machine.
Perhaps you feel like you're blending in with the crowd and not standing out.
Gray matter, bending, blending.
Your thoughts are muddled and hard to decipher.
Makes me sleepy when you can't define
Your confusion about what's bothering you is causing others to lose interest or disengage.
How far you're trailing behind.
You feel like you're not keeping pace with others and it's concerning you.
You're always sedated.
Perhaps you're using substances to cope or escape your problems.
You're simplified.
Your life feels too straightforward, and it's not fulfilling you.
Picking off the scabs
You're not allowing yourself time to heal emotionally.
From the skin of your lies.
You're not being truthful with yourself or others about what's really bothering you.
And nobody's counting, cause everybody's fine.
You don't feel like anyone is listening to you or taking you seriously.
And everybody's buying it cause everybody'd blind.
No one's willing or able to see beyond surface-level interactions to help you with deeper issues.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: ERIC EMIL BACHMANN, MARK ANDREW PRICE, MATTHEW PETER GENTLING, WILLIAM ERIC JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind