Tetra-Grammaton
Breathing Fire Lyrics

The lyrics of Tetra-Grammaton by Breathing Fire paint a powerful and thought-provoking picture of the interplay between religion, violence, and power. The first few lines suggest a world in which violence and darkness are endemic, reflected in the fact that every bullet is imbued with darkness. The "Seraph grips" that guide the "steal" (presumably bullets or guns) suggest that the violence is sanctioned or even ordained by heaven, adding to the puzzling moral ambiguity of the song. The next line, "Humanity distorts the meaning," suggests that the conflict is rooted in competing interpretations of religious tenets, as each side tries to claim the mantle of righteousness and divine favor. However, the final line of the stanza, "Religious predators prevail," hints that the conflict is not truly about religion at all, but rather about exploiting religious beliefs to gain power and control over others.

The second stanza begins with the evocative phrase "Antebellum" which means "before war," a reference to a time of tense peace, yet also a nod to the idea that conflict is always lurking just beneath the surface. The next few lines suggest that even in times of prosperity, humans seem to have a propensity for war and conflict, as if the good times inevitably give way to violence and terror. The lines "Live an idea. Died a man" suggest an ironic reversal of priorities, as people die not for themselves or for anything tangible, but rather for the abstract ideas and beliefs that are used to motivate them. The song ends with a haunting and enigmatic image: "Your god above commands the severed head of man," which suggests a cruel and capricious deity who has no qualms about inflicting pain and death on his creation. The final lines, "War across the wasteland to the desert sands. You've been given the right to defend famine and blight," reinforce the idea that war is ultimately about power, not religion or anything else.