1. A metalcore band from G… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists with this name
1. A metalcore band from Germany
2. A folk duo from the United States
1 - Caliban, a metalcore band, was formed in Germany in 1997 under the name Never Again. After 6 months of playing together, the band recorded their first two songs for a compilation, which was never released. The songs were sent to several record labels, and Lifeforce Records was the first to offer the band a record deal. The band's first self-titled MCD came out in the summer of 1998. To promote the CD, Caliban played many shows all over Europe and a few support shows for bands like Morning Again, Earth Crisis, and Cro-Mags.
After their European tour, in 1999 Caliban entered the studio to record their first full-length CD, entitled A Small Boy and a Grey Heaven. The CD received favorable reviews in many big zines and many smaller hardcore and metal zines. The band was described as a mixture of Slayer, Poison the Well, and Hatebreed.
Vent came out in April 2001. Vent was released by Imperium Records and by Howling-Bull Records in Japan. Shortly after the release, Caliban was offered the opportunity to tour Japan to play the Beast-Feast 2001 in the Yokohama Arena, sharing stage with bands including Slayer, Pantera, Machine Head, Biohazard, and Morbid Angel. The Japan trip was followed by a US tour with Bloodjinn, which was interrupted by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
In August 2002 Caliban recorded their third official release Shadow Hearts. This record was more melodic and harmonic than its predecessors. In 2004 the band got a record deal with Roadrunner Records and started to record their fourth album, The Opposite From Within, alongside famous producer Andy Sneap.
In July 2005 the band again made a record with their friends from Heaven Shall Burn called The Split Program II.
In February 2006 the band released the album The Undying Darkness. It was produced by Anders Friden, the vocalist of In Flames.
In May 2007 the band released The Awakening. They are using 7 string guitars and less clean vocals in their new material. There are 12 songs on this album.
They are currently touring Europe with Soilwork, Sonic Syndicate, and Dark Tranquillity, on the Vans Eastpak Antidote Tour.
2 -Folk duo : Caliban are an occasional, one album duo formed by Lief Sorbye, a member of American Celtic Rock band Tempest.
wikipedia entry
their one album is caliban
Open Letter
Caliban Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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.