The brainchild of guitarist, songwriter and producer Sam Vallen, CALIGULA'S HORSE - initially composed of just Vallen and vocalist Jim Grey - released its digital debut “Moments From Ephemeral City” in April 2011, and received instant acclaim from lovers of all strains of progressive music across many continents. Originally intended as a studio-only project, Vallen and Grey put out feelers for a live band soon after the album's release, assembling the current lineup of Geoff Irish on drums, Zac Greensill on guitar and Dave Couper on bass and vocals.
CALIGULA’S HORSE's approach to songwriting is uncompromisingly eclectic, but no less accessible to audiences of all different musical styles. They take influence from such bands and artists as Devin Townsend, Pain Of Salvation, Opeth, Meshuggah, Porcupine Tree, Steve Vai, Frost, Periphery, Karnivool, Muse, Steely Dan, The Beatles, and Frank Zappa amongst many others.
After months of rehearsing the recorded material, and also recording two additional tracks as the “Colossus” EP - released in September of 2011 - the “C-HORSE”, as some devotees like to abbreviate it to kicked off with live shows in October 2011. These are early days for a diverse and enthusiastic bunch of young virtuosos, but 2012 looks to be the breakout year for CALIGULA’S HORSE.
Caligula's Horse is:
Jim Grey - Lead Vocals
Sam Vallen - Guitar, Programming, Production, Mixing
Dale Prinsse - Bass
Josh Griffin - Drums
Equally Flawed
Caligula's Horse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By revelation on his face
Beyond all refutation
And I understand his intentions
But don't say a word
His smile it's hiding
A purpose veiled
Subtle condescension
I let him walk inside
We're all born equally flawed
Into a world of closed doors
This we accept despite question or reason
To save our souls
But I won't take your force-fed dogma
I don't want mindless conjectures
On nature's objectives
My mind won't adhere to your silence
You see the world without flaws
It's a lie without cause
Insignificant when all's said and done
But it's no less inspiring
And I don't care how you say god loves
Laws will remain
And will forever
Until the universe contracts again
He needn't exist for the world to be
The lyrics to Caligula's Horse's song Equally Flawed touch on universal themes of faith, skepticism, and the human condition. The lines describe a moment of interaction between two people - one who sees the world without flaws and subscribes to dogmatic beliefs, and the other who rejects these beliefs in favor of critical thinking and self-determination.
The singer of the song acknowledges that the person they are interacting with has a conviction that is beyond dispute, or "beyond all refutation". However, rather than blindly accepting this belief, the singer keeps silent and allows the person to enter their world. The singer is aware that the other person's intentions are not obvious, hiding a "purpose veiled beyond my comprehension". This subtle condescension is frustrating to the singer, who refuses to give in to "force-fed dogma" and "mindless conjectures" about the nature of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
His figure benighted
His appearance is dark and unclear
By revelation on his face
A sudden realization is evident on his face
Beyond all refutation
There is no argument that can deny his stance
And I understand his intentions
I comprehend his purpose
But don't say a word
But it's better not to communicate it
His smile it's hiding
He's deliberately concealing his true mood with a smile
A purpose veiled
His aim is hidden from sight
Beyond my comprehension
I can't understand it
Subtle condescension
He's subtly talking down to me
I let him walk inside
I allow him to come in
We're all born equally flawed
We all have imperfections from birth
Into a world of closed doors
Into a world with limited opportunities and possibilities
This we accept despite question or reason
We acknowledge this truth even though it may not make rational sense
To save our souls
To keep our spirits pure
But I won't take your force-fed dogma
I won't accept your strong and oppressive beliefs
I don't want mindless conjectures
I don't want baseless guesses
On nature's objectives
On the reasons behind nature's behavior
My mind won't adhere to your silence
I won't accept your lack of response
You see the world without flaws
You view the world as perfect
It's a lie without cause
That's a false idea
Insignificant when all's said and done
It doesn't matter in the end
But it's no less inspiring
But it's still motivating
And I don't care how you say god loves
I don't care how you express the concept of God's love
Laws will remain
Rules will always stay in place
And will forever
And will always be present
Until the universe contracts again
Until the universe collapses and expands once more
He needn't exist for the world to be
He isn't necessary for the world to exist
Contributed by Andrew P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
LouMan
Incredible stuff it’s like hearing Images and Words for the first time again
kadarzoltan
The "fade" after minute 5 was amazing. Thumbs up 4 your work!
Nate Transitions
You guys are beautiful ❤️ please never stop playing music for us.
You music has helped me with so much in life and I just hope you all know how much you mean to the people that listen to your music every day. ❤️❤️ 🤟
Isaac Salsberry
Best song on the album.
Cameron Murdoch
Epic gaming music!