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
The Cannon's Mouth
Caligula's Horse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Saw the places in between
You taught me to breathe it all in
And I stood waiting in your welcome shadow
With nothing but the dark below you
I could believe you were light
Into me (into me, into me)
And you were the mortar underneath the keystone
Air to all who could not breathe
You showed them the love in the lie
But I saw the tragedy of life that lingers
Slipping through the city′s fingers
Brother, I waited too long
Into me (into me, into me)
Into my waiting arms
Promise to meet me there
Help me to find the start
Help me to fill my heart
Into my waiting arms
Building the dream we shared
If I could find the start
If I could fill my heart
Higher, stone by stone
Hollow hope, empty home
Don't look down, boy
We must be the ones
Ashes by us, and it′s done
It's your choice, saint or the beast, boy
So give me the lightness of a life with no hope
The sight and sound as one, this new home
Tell me that you hear it too
Into me (into me, into me)
And I could see the end in each beginning
See enough to make the world sing
We heard the music in you
Into me (into me, into me)
Into my waiting arms
Promise to meet me there
Help me to find the start
Help me to fill my heart
Into my waiting arms
Building the dream we shared
If I could find the start
If I could fill my heart
You have the choice, saint or the beast
Prove you can be force fed war and spit peace
You can be force fed war and spit peace
You can be force fed war and spit peace
You have the choice, saint or the beast
Prove you can be force fed war and spit peace
You can be force fed war and spit peace
You can be force fed war and spit peace
The Cannon's Mouth by Caligula's Horse is a powerful song that explores the various shades of human emotions. The song begins with the singer acknowledging that he possessed all the essential elements of life, which helped him see the beauty in simple things. However, he credits his ability to appreciate life's simple pleasures to the guidance he received from someone else- a person who taught him how to breathe in and experience the world around him completely. This person was a mentor, someone who illuminated the darkest corners of his life with their light.
The singer concedes that he waited too long in the darkness, even though he saw the tragedy of life slip through the city's fingers. He longs to escape the hollowness of his existence and seeks the help of his mentor. He believes that if his mentor can help him find the start, he can build the dream they shared together. However, the singer is torn between choosing the life of a saint and that of a beast. He asks his mentor to help him find the lightness of a life without hope, a sound, and sight so captivating that it can make the world sing. He implores his mentor to hear him and take him into their waiting arms, where they can find the start and fill their hearts with the dream they once shared.
Overall, the song speaks to the human condition, our innate desire to find meaning in our lives, and the search for something more significant than ourselves. It highlights the importance of having a mentor or someone to guide us on this journey and reminds us that the key to happiness lies in discovering the beauty in the simple things.
Line by Line Meaning
I had all the pieces that I needed
I possessed all the necessary components
Saw the places in between
I perceived the intermediary regions
You taught me to breathe it all in
You instructed me to inhale everything
And I stood waiting in your welcome shadow
And I remained waiting under your kind shade
With nothing but the dark below you
With only the obscurity beneath you
I could believe you were light
I could consider you as brightness
Into me (into me, into me)
Penetrating me, penetrating me, penetrating me
And you were the mortar underneath the keystone
And you were the cement underneath the center brick
Air to all who could not breathe
Air to everyone who was unable to breathe
You showed them the love in the lie
You demonstrated to them the affection in the falsehood
But I saw the tragedy of life that lingers
But I perceived the persistent disaster of existence
Slipping through the city's fingers
Escaping from the metropolis' hold
Brother, I waited too long
Brother, I lingered excessively
Into my waiting arms
Entering my outstretched arms
Promise to meet me there
Assure me of your presence in that location
Help me to find the start
Assist me in discovering the beginning
Help me to fill my heart
Help me fill my heart with contentment
Building the dream we shared
Realizing the vision we jointly had
If I could find the start
If I could locate the origin
If I could fill my heart
If I could satisfy my heart
Higher, stone by stone
Rising steadily, one rock at a time
Hollow hope, empty home
Devoid of tangible aspirations, vacant abode
Don't look down, boy
Do not look downwards, youngster
We must be the ones
We must be the chosen individuals
Ashes by us, and it's done
Ashes beside us, and everything is finished
It's your choice, saint or the beast, boy
It's your decision, boy, saint or monster
So give me the lightness of a life with no hope
Therefore, give me the buoyancy of a hopeless existence
The sight and sound as one, this new home
The vision and sound amalgamated, this fresh residence
Tell me that you hear it too
Inform me that you also hear it
And I could see the end in each beginning
And I could envision the conclusion in every commencement
See enough to make the world sing
Witness sufficient to make the world euphoric
We heard the music in you
We perceived the melody within you
You have the choice, saint or the beast
You possess the option, saint or the monster
Prove you can be force fed war and spit peace
Demonstrate that you can be compelled to consume conflict and distribute tranquility
You can be force fed war and spit peace
You can be required to ingest war and produce peace
You have the choice, saint or the beast
You possess the option, saint or the monster
Prove you can be force fed war and spit peace
Demonstrate that you can be compelled to consume conflict and distribute tranquility
You can be force fed war and spit peace
You can be required to ingest war and produce peace
Writer(s): James Grey, Samuel Vallen
Contributed by Bailey N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nick Doniger
I just discovered this band like fifteen minutes ago and have since bought two albums. How the hell have I never listened to this before??
LouMan
How about it man they just came up on my suggested all these years I never heard of them
tronlady 1
I’m the same but in 2020 because of the friends Facebook post! This particulartrack is soooooooooo dang phenomenal.....it’s ridiculous 😍
chetthehoss
They're not even known in their home country. That's a crying shame. It's the same as with Karnivool.
debbie thompson
such a masterpiece . why are the best songs always so underrated and not well known. truly amazing .
Sam W2
Wow this has to be the greatest song ive heard in a long time
tronlady 1
Who disliked?!!!!! Who fucking disliked??!!!!!!! You don’t deserve ears, a heart and a soul. WTF is wrong with you. This is just about as perfect an aural experience as you can get. I love an awful lot of records but this one has just gone right to the top. I think it’s absolutely phenomenal and I could write a dissertation on why 🤩🥰😱😃😍
Tamás Süveges
Fucking love this band!!! Come please to Germany again ::D:D:D:
M
Really top top stuff. For me, right up there with Haken
tronlady 1
Clamb_J ......it’s better.....and I NEVER EVER thought I’d say that. Vector was a disappointment for me and the new stuff even more so. I could actually cry 😢