Quarantined
At the Drive-In Lyrics

Autonomous machete for hands
The singer feels like they have no control over their own actions and thoughts, as if they are wielding a deadly weapon with a mind of its own.

Warden and judge hide behind masks
Those in authority are hiding their true selves, acting as if they have the power to control others' lives without revealing their own motivations.

Wet raindrop lull
The relative calm of a rainstorm is meant to soothe and comfort, but the singer is feeling anything but comforted.

Small rationing
The limited resources that are being given out are just enough to keep people alive, but not enough to make them feel fully human or alive.

Exhumed the rhetoric of
Old speeches and slogans are being dug up and repurposed to justify actions and beliefs that may not be in people's best interests.

Break the weak in single file
Those who are considered weaker or less powerful are being targeted and punished one by one, in a cruel and systematic way.

Sanction this outbreak- a virus conspires
The singer sees the current situation as being caused by a sort of 'sickness' in society, whether that be a literal virus or something more metaphorical.

Push becomes shove, days become months
What may have started as subtle changes or pressures are now becoming more extreme and drawn-out over time.

I seem to have forgotten the warmth of the sun
The artist feels disconnected from the natural world and its warmth and life-giving qualities, perhaps due to feeling trapped indoors or suffering from mental illness.

Feeding frenzy, it's contagious
People are acting out of a sense of panic and desperation, which spreads like a disease and causes others to act in similar ways.

Have trigger, will travel
Those who are armed and dangerous are always ready to act, and they may be willing to travel to different places to find new victims.

Single sparks are spectral fires
Small actions or ideas can have a huge impact, spreading quickly and causing a larger reaction than expected.

Shackled the grapple and the sentinels found
Even those who are supposed to be protecting and enforcing the law are feeling helpless and constrained, unable to make a difference amidst the chaos.

Binoculars watch cardboard towns
Even those who are observing the situation from a distance seem to be seeing only a superficial, incomplete impression of what is happening.

Strung up in webs the net was flung
People are being trapped and controlled by invisible forces, perhaps in the form of social norms or power structures that are hard to see.

Over the auditorium
Something is happening that affects a large group of people, perhaps in a public or shared space meant for gathering and discussion.

Slave trade the weak, no call to arms
People are being exploited and abused, but there seems to be no organized resistance or societal pushback against this injustice.

A single spark can start a spectral fire
Just as a spark can ignite a larger flame, small actions or ideas can have a huge impact.

Have trigger, will travel
Those who are armed and dangerous are always ready to act, and they may be willing to travel to different places to find new victims.