Boysetsfire is an American post-hardcore band from Newark, Delaware that fo… Read Full Bio ↴Boysetsfire is an American post-hardcore band from Newark, Delaware that formed in October 1994. The band is composed of guitarists Chad Istvan and Josh Latshaw, vocalist Nathan Gray, and bassists Chris Rakus and Robert Ehrenbrand. Lyrical themes are often of an anti-capitalist, radical left-wing political perspective.

Current members:
Nathan Gray - lead vocals (1994–present)
Josh Latshaw - guitar (1994–present)
Chad Istvan - guitar (1994–present)
Rob Ehrenbrand - bass (2004–2011, 2013–present)
Chris Rakus - bass (2013–present)
Jared Shavelson - drums (2013–present)

Former members:
Darrell Hyde - bass guitar (1994–1999)
Rob Avery - bass guitar (1999–2004)
Marc Krupanski - bass guitar (2011–2013)
Matt Krupanski - drums (1994–2013)
Dan Pelic - drums (2013)
Lee Dickerson - lead guitar (2013)

Deja Coup
BoySetsFire Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Relax, just sit back and absorb
Make sure you've got all that you can't afford
Listen for your cue, to help you deal with the shame
It makes you wonder who is holding on to the reigns
It's the way its always been and the way it will remain
It doesn't matter when you've got nothing to believe
And why be born again if it's so hard to get in
It doesn't matter when you've got nothing to believe

Don't bother trying
Sit down! Shut up just consume and be bored
You know your place and you'll find it's so easy to ignore
That everybody knew it wasn't gonna be tame
Cause honey the kill is just part of the game
From the dawn of time, should come as no surprise
What we've set out to achieve
A little pressure there, a little money here
And they'll be begging us please

We'll make it squeaky clean ignore the blood for now
Mundane and so pristine come on just dance to the sound!

Overall Meaning

The opening lines "Relax, just sit back and absorb / Make sure you've got all that you can't afford" sets the tone of the song as a criticism of consumerism and the mindless consumption of media and material goods. The lyrics continue to describe a society where people are numbed and conditioned to ignore the injustices and oppressions happening around them. The line "It makes you wonder who is holding on to the reigns" suggests a power dynamic at play where some in society are controlling and manipulating others to maintain the status quo. The lyrics "It's the way it's always been and the way it will remain" shows the despair of the situation and the futility of trying to change it.

The chorus of the song is a scathing critique of organized religion and its followers. The lyrics "And why be born again if it's so hard to get in / It doesn't matter when you've got nothing to believe" suggest that the concept of being "born again" or finding enlightenment through religious doctrines is futile when you have nothing to believe in. The following lines "Don't bother trying / Sit down! Shut up just consume and be bored" reinforces the belief that society conditions people to just accept the status quo, to not question their circumstances and to just consume and be stagnant. The final verse, "We'll make it squeaky clean ignore the blood for now / Mundane and so pristine come on just dance to the sound!" is an indictment on the way corporations and those in power often cover up the atrocities they commit in the pursuit of profit and power.

Line by Line Meaning

Relax, just sit back and absorb
Don't think too much, just accept things as they are

Make sure you've got all that you can't afford
Spend beyond your means to keep up with the status quo

Listen for your cue, to help you deal with the shame
Follow the crowd and conform to avoid being shamed or criticized

It makes you wonder who is holding on to the reigns
Question who is really in control and benefiting from the system

It's the way its always been and the way it will remain
The cycle of oppression and inequality will continue unless something changes

It doesn't matter when you've got nothing to believe
Lack of hope or purpose leads to complacency and apathy

And why be born again if it's so hard to get in
Questioning the value of starting over when the system is rigged against you

Don't bother trying
Discouragement and defeatism from the expectation of failure

Sit down! Shut up just consume and be bored
Be passive, stop thinking critically, and distract yourself with shallow entertainment

You know your place and you'll find it's so easy to ignore
Accepting the status quo and not challenging the power structure leads to complacency

That everybody knew it wasn't gonna be tame
Social change and progress is often met with resistance and violence

Cause honey the kill is just part of the game
Those in power are willing to sacrifice lives and perpetrate violence to maintain control

From the dawn of time, should come as no surprise
Oppression and inequality have existed throughout history

What we've set out to achieve
The goal of the power structure is to maintain domination and control over marginalized groups

A little pressure there, a little money here
The system uses both coercion and financial incentives to keep people in line

And they'll be begging us please
Those with power have the ability to manipulate and exploit those without power

We'll make it squeaky clean ignore the blood for now
The system will hide its violence and oppression to maintain a facade of legitimacy

Mundane and so pristine come on just dance to the sound!
The system seeks to distract and entertain people to prevent them from seeing the reality of their situation

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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