At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, for… Read Full Bio ↴At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band most recently consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, vocals), Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (drums) and Keeley Davis (guitar, vocals). After several early line-up changes, the band solidified into a five-piece, consisting of Bixler-Zavala, Rodríguez-López, Jim Ward, Hinojos and Hajjar. At the Drive-In released three studio albums and five EPs before breaking up in 2001. Their third and final album before their split, 2000's Relationship of Command, received a number of accolades and is cited as a landmark recording. Following the breakup, Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López formed the Mars Volta while Ward, Hinojos, and Hajjar formed Sparta. At the Drive-In reunited in January 2012 and played the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, as well as the 2012 Lollapalooza Festival. In 2016, the band reunited for a second time, with guitarist and occasional lead vocalist Jim Ward no longer participating. He was replaced by Sparta's Keeley Davis. The band released their fourth studio album, in•ter a•li•a, in 2017. At the Drive In headlined the Neon Desert Music Festival in 2018 in El Paso, Texas. The band announced an indefinite hiatus in November 2018.

#075. One Armed Scissor
At the Drive-In Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yes this is the campaign
Slithered entrails
In the cargo bay
Neutered is the vastness
Hallow vacuum check the
Oxygen tanks
They hibernate
But have they kissed the ground

Pucker up and kiss the asphalt now
Tease this amputation
Splintered larynx
It has access now

Send transmission from
The one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away

Banked on memory
Mummified circuitry
Skin graft machinery
Sputnik sickles found in the seats

Self-destruct sequence
This station is non-operational
Species growing
Bubbles in an IV loitering

Unknown origin
Is this the comfort of being afraid
Solar eclipsed
Black out the vultures
As they wait

Dissect a trillion sighs away
Will you get this letter
Jagged pulp sliced in my veins
I write to remember
'cause I'm a million miles away
Will you get this letter

Jagged pulp sliced in my veins
I write to remember

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "One Armed Scissor" by At the Drive-In are incredibly enigmatic and elusive, making it difficult to decipher their meaning. The chorus of the song, "Send transmission from the one-armed scissor, cut away, cut away" could be interpreted in several different ways. One possible interpretation is that the one-armed scissor is a metaphor for a source of communication that is one-sided, particularly one that sends out messages but does not receive any back. The song seems to suggest that those in power are attempting to control the narrative and manipulate the population, and that this source of communication they are utilizing is unreliable and unbalanced.

The verses of the song are similarly enigmatic, with phrases like "slithered entrails in the cargo bay" and "neutered is the vastness" that resist easy interpretation. Some fans and critics have speculated that the song is about the Gulf War and the propaganda that surrounded it, while others have seen it as a more general critique of the media's role in shaping public opinion. Ultimately, however, the meaning of the lyrics remains somewhat opaque, leaving listeners to interpret them based on their own experiences and perspectives.

Some potential interpretations of the song's lyrics include critiques of war propaganda, political manipulation, and the media's role in shaping public opinion. Additionally, some have suggested that the lyrics hint at the idea of a post-apocalyptic future, where humanity has been supplanted by machines and the natural world has been destroyed. Ultimately, however, the true meaning of "One Armed Scissor" remains elusive, making it a song that rewards repeated listening and analysis.

Line by Line Meaning

Yes this is the campaign
The words that are being spoken right now are a campaign

Slithered entrails
The insides of something are moving slowly and insidiously

In the cargo bay
This is happening in the storage area of a vessel or plane

Neutered is the vastness
Something very large or grand has been rendered impotent or ineffective

Hallow vacuum check the
The emptiness must be checked for faults or leaks

Oxygen tanks
The containers for breathable air must be checked for problems

They hibernate
They are going into a period of inactivity or rest

But have they kissed the ground
Have the people involved with this campaign connected with reality?

Pucker up and kiss the asphalt now
It is time to face reality head-on

Tease this amputation
Consider removing something very important, teasing the idea of doing it

Splintered larynx
The voice box has been damaged or fractured

It has access now
Whatever caused the damage has breached a previously secure area

Send transmission from
Communicate a message from a certain location

The one armed scissor
A metaphorical tool or object that can help cut away a dangerous situation

Cut away, cut away
Get rid of whatever is causing the danger or pain

Banked on memory
Relied only on past recollections

Mummified circuitry
The wiring or connections are no longer alive or active

Skin graft machinery
The machinery involved with cutting and attaching skin

Sputnik sickles found in the seats
Dangerous objects were found in the seats

Self-destruct sequence
Programmed to cause harm to itself on purpose

This station is non-operational
This place is no longer functioning the way it once was

Species growing
Some kind of creature or life form is proliferating

Bubbles in an IV loitering
Air bubbles are lingering in an intravenous tube

Unknown origin
It is not clear where this thing came from

Is this the comfort of being afraid
Is fear the thing that is keeping us safe and secure?

Solar eclipsed
The sun has been blocked out

Black out the vultures
Get rid of the predators or scavengers that are circling or preying on something

As they wait
While they are waiting for something to happen

Dissect a trillion sighs away
Analyze, take a closer look at the many sighs being emitted

Will you get this letter
Can you understand or receive this message?

Jagged pulp sliced in my veins
Intense pain, with veins that are torn or cut

I write to remember
I am putting my thoughts to page to help me remember what happened

'cause I'm a million miles away
I am far removed from this situation or place, both mentally and physically

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CEDRIC BIXLER, JIM WARD, OMAR RODRIGUEZ, PABLO HINOJOS, TONY HAJJAR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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