Great Purification
C.O.C.: Corrosion of Conformity Lyrics
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Our rivers, they are dying and smoke kills the sky
Modern man's cities are built on their lies
When cleansing flames burn, no one can hide
(From the truth)
All love lost
And force, force is the needle, the gun in his hand
He lusts to control all the people and the land
Complete, total destruction, his ultimate end
All love lost will be reborn
Fire will burn
Take your first breath
Breathe your first freedom
Our Fourth world, nearing its end
Purification, close at hand
Our Fourth world, nearing its end
Purification, close at hand
The time it happened all before, the end was a flood
Man became so arrogant and paid with his blood
No lesson was ever learned, our fate stays the same
Profane civilization will perish in flame
All love lost
Burn...
The song "Great Purification" by Corrosion of Conformity delves into the theme of the end of the world as we know it. The lyrics suggest that despite our attempts to ignore it, the earth is alive and we are responsible for its ruin. The lines "Our rivers, they are dying and smoke kills the sky/ Modern man's cities are built on their lies" speak directly to the detrimental effects of industrialization on the environment. The use of "cleansing flames" implies that the only solution is a complete destruction of our current way of life.
The song also comments on the corrupt nature of power and control. The lines "Power is the heroin of the small-minded man/ And force, force is the needle, the gun in his hand/He lusts to control all the people and the land" bring to light the dangerous obsession some individuals have with maintaining power over others. The ultimate consequence of this craving is "complete, total destruction."
The chorus "All love lost will be reborn/ Fire will burn/ Take your first breath/ Breathe your first freedom" is a message of hope amidst the chaos. The idea that love can be reborn and new life can emerge from the ashes is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always the potential for change.
Line by Line Meaning
Try but you cannot deny the earth is alive
The earth is a living organism, and denying it would be futile.
Our rivers, they are dying and smoke kills the sky
Human activities like industrialization and pollution have resulted in dying natural resources and the destruction of our atmosphere.
Modern man's cities are built on their lies
Cities are built on lies, misleadingly proclaiming that urbanity will uplift society to new heights while masking overpopulation and environmental dangers.
When cleansing flames burn, no one can hide (From the truth)
A metaphor for apocalypse, where society fails to face the truth until it's too late for any hiding or protecting of oneself from impending disaster.
Power is the heroin of the small-minded man
An analogy for the destructive addiction of power that small-minded individuals become addicted to and serve ruthlessly.
And force, force is the needle, the gun in his hand
Force, violence, and arms are their power tools of violence and atrocity.
He lusts to control all the people and the land
The small-minded person lusts only for power over people and nature, leading to their depletion and exploitation.
Complete, total destruction, his ultimate end
Their ultimate ambition is destruction after acquiring their desired power over the people and land.
All love lost will be reborn
Love is a natural resource that tends to be wasted in the current era but could be revitalized for future generations when purging the evils of society.
Fire will burn
The cleansing wiping the slate clean with fire and chaos.
Take your first breath
A replete hope of starting anew and seizing the chance that the combustion season brings to start over.
Breathe your first freedom
Through destruction, a new era is born, and opportunities to start anew flourish, illustrating that we hadn't been free until nature taught us its harsh lesson.
Our Fourth world, nearing its end
This refers to the four major historical eras of mankind, Western European, Islamic, Asian and New World, with the fourth one, the New World, which we currently inhabit, ending.
Purification, close at hand
An impending second warning, a purification period is coming soon, and humanity must take responsibility before they perish in the cleansing flames.
The time it happened all before, the end was a flood
A reference to the historical flood of Noah, a tale that alludes to the destruction of evil and impurities through natural disaster.
Man became so arrogant and paid with his blood
The fate of mankind is inexorable due to their arrogance that often leads to their perishing at the hand of natural disasters.
No lesson was ever learned, our fate stays the same
History repeats itself, driven by endless greed, and society fails to learn from its mistakes.
Profane civilization will perish in flame
The author condemned the unholy civility of society that ruined nature and warned its ultimate downfall facing consequences that nature would not retract in the end.
All love lost
The human race becomes so corrupted that it loses all feelings of tenderness, kindness, and compassion.
Burn...
An emotionally powerful finale, the song enjoins society to start off fresh and build better societies from the ashes of the past by purging itself of materialistic and corrupt tendencies that only bring destruction and demise to humanity and the environment.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, P. SWISHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind