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
Rust
Caligula's Horse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you know damn well it won′t save us
So hold it 'til the world stands still
But you know damn well it won′t save us
We nailed it shut
A world to rot
And we beg from the bones of the soil to scream back
"It won't be us!"
It repeats it again like you breathe old rust
Be the weight to the rope
Be the wolf to the lamb
But it won′t do a good goddamn
You can′t save us
The road lay long
We were too far gone
Did we burn that bridge?
Am I just sleeping?
Still breathing
Carry gold to dust
It repeats it again like you breathe old rust
Be the change, be the hope
Be the mind to the man
Be the world to the flame
But it won't do a good goddamn this waiting
I will face it with my arms open
I feel these eyes on me
Drink in this sweet surrender (comfort me)
I feed this desperate hunger
I swallow all I′d hoped for
So fuck your prayer for rain
Pray for rust
It won't save us
I feel these hands on me
Welcome this weight, surrender (comfort me)
I am your rope, your burden
The windowless room, the water
So fuck your prayer for rain
Pray for rust
(Damn this waiting)
You can′t save us
I feel these eyes on me
Drink in this sweet surrender (comfort me)
I feed this desperate hunger
I swallow all I'd hoped for
So fuck your prayer for rain
I feel these hands on me
Welcome this weight, surrender (comfort me)
I am your rope, your burden
The windowless room, the water
So fuck your prayer for rain
Pray for rust
The lyrics of Caligula's Horse's song Rust convey a sense of despair and hopelessness in a world that is beyond saving. The first two lines of the song, "The hole we filled with the world we built and you know damn well it won't save us", suggest that human progress has only led to the destruction of the environment and our own demise. The following lines, "We nailed it shut, a world to rot, and we beg from the bones of the soil to scream back, 'No, you can't save us!'" demonstrate a sense of desperation and futility, as if asking for forgiveness from the very earth that we have destroyed.
The chorus of "It won't be us!" repeated twice, followed by "Be the weight to the rope, be the wolf to the lamb, but it won’t do a good goddamn" serves as a call to action for the listener to try and make a difference, no matter how small. The lines "Carry gold to dust, it repeats it again like you breathe old rust" suggest that we are all carrying something valuable, but it is ultimately futile in the grand scheme of things, just like rust that inevitably consumes everything.
The ending of the song, "So fuck your prayer for rain, pray for rust" is a statement of defiance, a rejection of traditional or conventional forms of salvation in favor of accepting and embracing the natural cycle of decay and destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
The hole we filled with the world we built
We've tried to fill the void inside us with material possessions and achievements
And you know damn well it won't save us
We're aware deep down that this will not bring us true happiness or fulfillment
So hold it 'til the world stands still
We keep clinging to our worldly possessions and achievements, hoping they will satisfy us someday
But you know damn well it won't save us
We know it's a futile effort
We nailed it shut
We've closed ourselves off from true happiness and fulfillment
A world to rot
The world we've built is decaying because of our own actions
And we beg from the bones of the soil to scream back
We ask the earth to help us, but it cannot
"No, you can't save us!"
We realize that no external force can save us from ourselves
"It won't be us!"
We know that we cannot continue down this path without serious consequences and we must change our ways
It repeats it again like you breathe old rust
This realization and warning is imprinted on us like an old habit
Be the weight to the rope
Take responsibility for your actions and the consequences that follow
Be the wolf to the lamb
Be aggressive; don't let others take advantage of you
But it won't do a good goddamn
These actions won't change anything if we don't also change ourselves
The road lay long
The future seems bleak and uncertain
We were too far gone
We've already made too many mistakes to turn back
Did we burn that bridge?
Did we ruin our chances for redemption?
Am I just sleeping?
Am I ignoring the problem and pretending everything is okay?
Still breathing
We're still alive, but that's not enough
Carry gold to dust
Our worldly possessions and achievements are temporary and will eventually turn to dust
It repeats it again like you breathe old rust
This realization is constantly present in our minds
Be the change, be the hope
We must actively work to change ourselves and our world
Be the mind to the man
Take control of your thoughts and actions
Be the world to the flame
Nurture and protect the things that matter most
But it won't do a good goddamn this waiting
We can't sit and wait for things to change on their own
I will face it with my arms open
I will be ready to face the challenges that come my way
I feel these eyes on me
I feel judged and scrutinized by others
Drink in this sweet surrender (comfort me)
I find comfort in giving up control and allowing myself to be vulnerable
I feed this desperate hunger
I'm searching for something to satisfy me
I swallow all I'd hoped for
I'm disappointed that the things I thought would make me happy didn't
So fuck your prayer for rain
I don't want your empty promises or platitudes
Pray for rust
Pray for things to change, even if it means things must fall apart first
I am your rope, your burden
I'm here to support others, even if it's difficult
The windowless room, the water
I'm trapped and drowning, but I will keep going
Welcome this weight, surrender (comfort me)
I find comfort in giving up control and letting go of my burdens
Writer(s): James Grey, Samuel Vallen
Contributed by Henry L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Josias Roig
Tá aqui a a letra, galera.
Here's the lyrics, guys.
The hole we filled with the world we built
And you know damn well it won't save us
So hold it till the world stands still
But you know damn well it won't save us
We nailed it shut
A world to rot
And we beg from the bones of the soil to scream back
"No, you can't save us!"
"It won't be us!"
It repeats it again like you breathe old rust
Be the weight to the rope
Be the wolf to the lamb
But it won't do a good goddamn
You can't save us
The road lay long
We were too far gone
Did we burnt that bridge?
Am I just sleeping?
Still breathing
Carry gold to dust
It repeats it again like you breathe old rust
Be the change, be the hope
Be the mind to the man
Be the world to the flame
But it won't do a good goddamn this waiting
I will face it with my arms open
I feel these eyes on me
Drink in this sweet
Surrender (comfort me)
I feed this desperate hunger
I swallow all I'd hoped for
So fuck your prayer for rain
Pray for rust
It won't save us
I feel these hands on me
Welcome this weight
Surrender (comfort me)
I am your rope
Your burden
The windowless room
The water
So fuck your prayer for rain
Pray for rust
Damn this waiting
I will face it with my arms open
I feel these eyes on me
Drink in this sweet
Surrender (comfort me)
I feed this desperate hunger
I swallow all I'd hoped for
So fuck your prayer for rain
I feel these hands on me
Welcome this weight
Surrender (comfort me)
I am your rope
Your burden
The windowless room
The water
So fuck your prayer for rain
Pray for rust
mycarpultunnel
I love the elements of good metal vibes, clean vocals that aren't prissy, and the drum heavy back beats! Great rock and metal grooves!
tronlady 1
It’s FUNK DJENT PROG METAL 😍
Avery Fish
I can’t help but hear a hint of Slipknot in this song, especially with that guitar tag at the end. Love these guys! 🤘
Kevin Willems
Prissy?
mycarpultunnel
@Kevin Willems If I have to explain what prissy means then we can't be friends. 🥺
Felipe Pimentel
I think I'll move to Australia. The last 4 awesome bands that I discovered are Australians (Caligula's Horse, Karnivool, Twelve Foot Ninja, Plini). Something great is happening there. :)
Tyestor
Add 3 more? Ne Obliviscaris, Be'lakor and Breaking Orbit.
Felipe Pimentel
I'll definitely check them out. Thanks!
Ash Err
The Butterfly Effect, Cog, HELM, Dead Letter Circus, the almighty The Siren Tower :)
Damned Cat
Like Thieves,Sounds of Sirus, Transcience
and Arcane (yep with Andrew Groves)