The band existed for almost a decade before mainstream success. The members met and played in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School under the name Pezz and remained underground in Toronto's indie music scene until 2001. The band renamed itself Billy Talent after running into legal trouble with the old name. It was then that Kowalewicz's connection with an employee of Warner Music Canada's A&R department landed the band a record deal and launched them into mainstream success. Since then, Billy Talent has made three multi-platinum records in Canada and continues to expand their success overseas; this included touring for 20 months supporting their second album. They released their third album, Billy Talent III, in 2009, and their fourth album, Dead Silence, in 2012. Dead Silence was followed up by a full UK tour throughout October and November 2012. To commemorate the longevity since the release of their first studio album, the band has released a greatest hits album entitled Hits in 2014. In 2015, they began to prepare material for their fifth studio album. Just before entering the studio, drummer Aaron Solowoniuk decided to sit out the recording sessions while he continued his longstanding battle with multiple sclerosis. Fellow Canadian Jordan Hastings was quickly recruited to play as Solowoniuk's studio stand-in, and, in early 2016, the group completed work on Afraid of Heights, which was released in July of that year. The band's most recent album is Crisis of Faith, released in January 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Talent
Studio albums
Billy Talent (2003)
Billy Talent II (2006)
Billy Talent III (2009)
Dead Silence (2012)
Afraid of Heights (2016)
Crisis of Faith (2022)
Ghost Ship Of Cannibal Rats
Billy Talent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is never given enough today
I'm tired of looking the other way
(Respect!)
An appetite that we can't sustain
We're on a mission to kiss our days away
So how long before the rivers start to rise, dear?
(Respect!)
A generation of castaways
Under a nation of tidal waves
(Respect!)
Are we the passengers or the prey?
You can't escape from the past on holiday
So how long before the rivers start to rise, dear?
Pack your bags because the tide is getting high
Don't be afraid of the view from economy class
It's just the captain and crew jumping off of the mast
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
Who's gonna sound the alarm when the bridges collapse?
Is this the point where the bomb reaches critical mass?
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
(Respect!)
Catastrophic events don't change
Today we feast, but tomorrow we pay
(Respect!)
But don't you worry cause you'll be safe
I got a ticket to piss your days away
So how long before the rivers start to rise, dear?
Yeah I thank my lucky stars to be alive here
Don't be afraid of the view from economy class
It's just the captain and crew jumping off of the mast
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
Who's gonna sound the alarm when the bridges collapse?
Is this the point where the bomb reaches critical mass?
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
Don't be afraid of the view from economy class
It's just the captain and crew jumping off of the mast
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
Who's gonna sound the alarm when the bridges collapse?
Is this the point where the bomb reaches critical mass?
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
One city from the coast disappearing too fast
One city from the coast sunk into the past
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
One city from the coast disappearing too fast
One city from the coast, we can never come back
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
Rats
Cannibal rats
"Ghost Ship Of Cannibal Rats" by Billy Talent is a commentary on how society is ignoring urgent issues like climate change, system failures, and human suffering, and instead opting for instant gratification and a life of leisure. The lyrics highlight how respect for nature, society, and ourselves is dwindling away, and how we're ignoring the aftermath of our actions just to have a good time.
The song references a "ghost ship" implying a society that's lost its way and is metaphorically sinking. The chorus "All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats" refers to a ship of people who have no respect or empathy for others, and who are willing to do whatever it takes to survive.
The reference to "economy class" and the captain and crew jumping off the mast represent the idea that those in power are abandoning the issues at hand, leaving regular people to fend for themselves. The line "Who's gonna sound the alarm when the bridges collapse?" is a plea for people to wake up before it's too late.
Overall, "Ghost Ship Of Cannibal Rats" is a wake-up call for society to prioritize respect and empathy over instant gratification and to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
(Respect!)
Is never given enough today
Our society lacks respect for one another.
I'm tired of looking the other way
We're tired of ignoring the issues at hand.
(Respect!)
An appetite that we can't sustain
Our society is consuming at an unsustainable rate.
We're on a mission to kiss our days away
We're wasting our precious time.
So how long before the rivers start to rise, dear?
We're wondering how long until the consequences of our actions catch up with us.
Yeah I thank my lucky stars to be alive here
We're grateful for being alive, but worried about the future.
(Respect!)
A generation of castaways
Our society has abandoned an entire generation.
Under a nation of tidal waves
We're under the control of powerful forces.
(Respect!)
Are we the passengers or the prey?
We're questioning whether we're in control or at the mercy of others.
You can't escape from the past on holiday
Our actions have consequences that follow us everywhere.
Pack your bags because the tide is getting high
We need to prepare for imminent danger.
Don't be afraid of the view from economy class
Don't ignore the problem just because you're not directly affected.
It's just the captain and crew jumping off of the mast
Even those in charge are abandoning ship.
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
We're all on this dangerous journey together.
Who's gonna sound the alarm when the bridges collapse?
We need someone to warn us before it's too late.
Is this the point where the bomb reaches critical mass?
Are we about to face a catastrophic event?
(Respect!)
Catastrophic events don't change
We're not learning from past disasters.
Today we feast, but tomorrow we pay
We're enjoying the present but not considering the future consequences.
But don't you worry cause you'll be safe
We're being lied to about our safety.
I got a ticket to piss your days away
We're being misled into wasting our lives.
One city from the coast disappearing too fast
We're losing our coastal cities at an alarming rate.
One city from the coast sunk into the past
We've already lost one city to the rising sea levels.
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
We're all part of the same dangerous journey.
One city from the coast disappearing too fast
Another city is on the brink of disappearing.
One city from the coast, we can never come back
We can't reverse the damage we've done.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AARON SOLOWONIUK, BEN KOWALEWICZ, IAN D'SA, JON GALLANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@6969ThaKenYngeRRR
Is never given enough today
I'm tired of looking the other way
(Respect!)
An appetite that we can't sustain
We're on a mission to kiss our days away
So how long before the rivers start to rise, dear?
Yeah I thank my lucky stars to be alive here
A generation of castaways
Under a nation of tidal waves
(Respect!)
Are we the passengers or the prey?
You can't escape from the past on holiday
So how long before the rivers start to rise, dear?
Pack your bags because the tide is getting high
Don't be afraid of the view from economy class
It's just the captain and crew jumping off of the mast
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
Who's gonna sound the alarm when the bridges collapse?
Is this the point where the bomb reaches critical mass?
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
Catastrophic events don't change
Today we feast, but tomorrow we pay
(Respect!)
But don't you worry cause you'll be safe
I got a ticket to piss your days away
So how long before the rivers start to rise, dear?
Yeah I thank my lucky stars to be alive here
Don't be afraid of the view from economy class
It's just the captain and crew jumping off of the mast
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
Who's gonna sound the alarm when the bridges collapse?
Is this the point where the bomb reaches critical mass?
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
Don't be afraid of the view from economy class
It's just the captain and crew jumping off of the mast
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
Who's gonna sound the alarm when the bridges collapse?
Is this the point where the bomb reaches critical mass?
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
One city from the coast disappearing too fast
One city from the coast sunk into the past
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
One city from the coast disappearing too fast
One city from the coast, we can never come back
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
All aboard on the ghost ship of cannibal rats
Rats
Cannibal rats
@leeham6230
This is their best song. Criminally underrated.
@Thronfolger666
Agree
@tonikelley2080
I SECOND that ☝️❗
@hugomendes655
First album i bought from them was Billy Talent II,
First song i eard on tv was falling leaves.
It was fucking magic.. best album imo.
@duppy404
They have better songs than this, but this is quite underrated and very good
@joes9803
It's up there, but Billy Talent II houses a handful of their best.
@Mega_Mikey
“Don’t be afraid of the view from economy class, it’s just the captain and crew jumping off of the mast”
I dunno why but that line hits me so hard, it feels like god running his finger down my spine
@djharry2821
That and "Is this the point where the bomb reaches critical mass?"
@vardamir0397
Don't know why, but ''You can't escape from the past on holiday.'' is what haunts me from that one. But yes, the damn lyrics here are incredible.
@WhirlpoolMaelstrom
Such a great song. Still baffels me to this day why these guys aren't as popular outside of Canada as they should be.