Ghost-Tape No. 9
At the Drive-In Lyrics

I used to hear them through the walls at night
The singer used to overhear their neighbors having sex through the walls at night.

Exchanging currents through modicums of pernicious lust
The neighbors' sexual energy was dark and harmful.

When tamed would always alter the future
If the neighbors were able to control their pernicious lust, it could change what happens in the future.

In trance amounts played the ritual
The neighbors seemed to be engaging in a ritualistic, almost hypnotic sexual activity.

Vacuumed the dents under a primer sky
The surroundings were empty and barren, like a landscape under a cloudy sky awaiting a fresh start.

Where a light field once held the promise of closing the sutures
There used to be brightness and hope in the area, with the potential to heal wounds and bring people together.

But the ultimatum clots a tapeworm hymnal
A decision has been made that could cause harm or death and it feels like a dark and deadly presence.

Lost the ghost tape registered as number 9
Something important has been lost and it is linked to a ghostly presence or memory associated with the number 9.

It's going to be a long night comin', she said I can never turn it off
The consequences of the decision made will be long-lasting and the artist knows they cannot escape it.

Theirs is just a long lost grudge that will never fade away
The neighbors' harmful behavior is rooted in an old feud that will never be resolved.

Caving the symptom of confessional
Trying to confess or admit fault, but feeling the weight of the consequences of doing so.

Painted in licorice forgeries
Covering up something bad with something that looks good on the surface.

Had she dawned the seductions subdued by the handmaid's tale
If the person had recognized the dangers of the neighbors' pernicious lust, they might have been able to avoid being drawn into it.

One claimed complacence while the other knelt
One person was apathetic or indifferent to the situation, while the other person was submissive or vulnerable.

He took the prescript off the parlor doors
Someone took down the rules or guidelines that were supposed to protect them in the situation.

Swung open but collaterals had altered the future
The rules or guidelines were disregarded, and as a result, something has changed or gone wrong that will affect the future.

He's the rule you've answered too
There is someone in charge who others must follow, even if they don't agree with them or it goes against their morals.

Locked in the omen of momentum
Feeling trapped in a situation that is moving forward and gaining speed, with no way to stop it.

He pleads the fool of numbing agents
The person in charge is trying to numb or distract themselves from the consequences of their decisions.

In the postmortem when it's over
After everything is done and the consequences have been dealt with, there will be an evaluation or analysis of what happened.

You of brittle faith have failed
The artist believes that the person who was supposed to protect them has let them down, and had weak or unreliable beliefs.

Speechless bereavement for the last time
Feeling a deep sense of loss and grief that is difficult to put into words, and may be the last time the artist feels this way.

Fade away, trained to fade away
The situation and the people involved are slowly disappearing or losing significance, as if they were never there in the first place.

But they trained you, wire-framed you
The person in charge was trained and molded to think and act in a certain way, like a machine or robot.

Stood you upright in position to administer the want
The person in charge was put in a position of power to meet their own desires, regardless of the harm it may cause others.

But they trained you, wire-framed you
Reinforcing the idea that the person in charge was shaped and controlled by an outside force, like a puppet.

Stood you upright in position to administer the night crawls
Giving the person in charge control over a dangerous or dark situation, like creeping through the night.

It's going to be a long night comin', she said I can never turn it off
Repeating the opening line, reminding the listener that the consequences of the neighbors' actions will have long-lasting effects that cannot be undone.

Theirs is just a long lost grudge that will never fade away
Repeating the chorus to emphasize that the neighbors' actions are rooted in a deep-seated feud that will never be resolved.