Open Letter
Caliban Lyrics


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Corporate cunts and pencil pushers
Prostitute your mind for cash
This way of live, it made me suffer
Trade your given time for trash

You all work jobs you badly hate
To keep the bills at pay
For shit you bought, but you don't need
What self-deceptive way

Right from the cradle
Straight to the grave
They want to tell us
How to behave
Right from the cradle
Straight to the end
They want to force us to pretend

An open letter to you all
Your greed will take it's toll
We're with our backs against the wall
But it's only built to fall

You tell me dreams are made to fail,
Like there is no escape
Prepared to walk
The longest trail
Away from mental rape.
Intimidate me with your lies
I'm paying any price
And when I come to say goodbye,
Can't look me in the eye

Right from the cradle
Straight to the grave
They want to tell us
How to behave
Right from the cradle
Straight to the end
They want to force us to pretend

An open letter to you all
Your greed will take it's toll
We're with our backs against the wall
But it's only built to fall

But I chose not to live like that
I'm fighting my way back!

An Open letter to you all
An Open letter to you all
Your greed will take it's toll
An Open letter to you all
It's only built to fall

An Open letter to you all
Your greed will take it's toll
We're with our backs against the wall




But it's only built to fall
Built to fall

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Caliban's song Open Letter speak to the frustration and disillusionment many people feel with the expectations and demands placed upon them by society, particularly within the context of modern capitalist economies. The opening lines criticize the dehumanizing effects of corporate culture, where individuals trade their time and energy for a paycheck, often sacrificing their passions and personal values in the process. The song suggests that this is not a fulfilling way to live and that it results in a sense of being trapped, with no escape from the cycle of work and consumption.


The repeated refrain of "right from the cradle, straight to the grave" emphasizes the idea that individuals are socialized to conform to expectations from birth, and that this pressure to conform is a fundamental and inescapable aspect of life. However, the song also speaks to the idea of resistance and individual agency. The phrase "I chose not to live like that, I'm fighting my way back" emphasizes the importance of personal will and determination in breaking free from societal constraints and building a more fulfilling life.


Line by Line Meaning

Corporate cunts and pencil pushers
Addressing the people in power who prioritize money over the well-being of individuals


Prostitute your mind for cash
Selling oneself and succumbing to a soul-draining job just for financial gain


This way of live, it made me suffer
The struggle of living in a society that values money and productivity over happiness


Trade your given time for trash
The exchange of time and effort for an unsatisfying, meaningless existence


You all work jobs you badly hate
Pointing out the commonality of people staying in unfulfilling jobs for financial stability


To keep the bills at pay
Living paycheck to paycheck and sacrificing personal fulfillment for financial stability


For shit you bought, but you don't need
Working hard to pay for unnecessary material possessions that don't bring true happiness


What self-deceptive way
Critiquing society's tendency to trick individuals into thinking they need material things to be happy


Right from the cradle
From birth, society imposes certain values and expectations on individuals


Straight to the grave
These societal expectations continue to control and impact people's lives until death


They want to tell us
The constant pressure and manipulation society forces upon individuals


How to behave
Society's expectations and rules constricting individual freedom


They want to force us to pretend
The demand for individuals to conform and hide their genuine feelings and desires


An open letter to you all
A message addressed to society as a whole


Your greed will take it's toll
Society's obsession with material gain and greed will ultimately lead to destruction


We're with our backs against the wall
The feeling of being trapped and restricted by societal constraints


But it's only built to fall
Society's structure and constraints are fragile and unsustainable


You tell me dreams are made to fail
The dismissal and discouragement of individual aspirations and desires


Like there is no escape
The feeling of hopelessness and entrapment from societal systems and expectations


Prepared to walk
The willingness to break free from societal restrictions and expectations


The longest trail
The arduous journey of breaking free from societal constraints


Away from mental rape
Escaping from the psychological damage of societal pressure and manipulation


Intimidate me with your lies
The societal use of misinformation and manipulation to control and intimidate individuals


I'm paying any price
The willingness to face consequences and obstacles while breaking from societal norms


And when I come to say goodbye,
The final departure from the societal constraints and expectations


Can't look me in the eye
Society's inability to face the reality of an individual's rejection of societal norms


But I chose not to live like that
The decision to break free from societal expectations and pursue personal fulfillment


I'm fighting my way back!
The determination to reclaim individual freedom and autonomy




Contributed by Gabriella D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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