Candiria is a band from Brooklyn, New York. They blend various styles of mu… Read Full Bio ↴Candiria is a band from Brooklyn, New York. They blend various styles of music including metal, hardcore, jazz, and rap. Candiria have often dubbed their sound "Urban fusion".

Candiria was initially formed in 1992 by vocalist Carley Coma, guitarists Chris Puma and Eric Matthews, drummer Kenneth Schalk, and bassist Michael MacIvor. Even early on they were creating unusual music, with vocals that ranged from dry barks to rap. Chris and Eric's guitar have set Candiria's rhythmic style as riffing with little melody interrupted by jazzy chord progressions during the jazz breaks. Ken Schalk's drumming often consists of laying down a groove while staying true to the non-conventional time signatures that dominate the music, paired up with Michael's unusual bass lines. Michael, in fact, may be the least metal-influenced member of the group, as apparent in his melodically complex basslines which frequently do not follow the guitar riffs.

Chris Puma was replaced by John Lamacchia before 1997's Beyond Reasonable Doubt, while Lamacchia himself left the band after 2004's What Doesn't Kill You.... The latter album features a cover photograph of the band's van after a heavy traffic accident it endured in 2002. It took the band members considerable time to recover from their injuries.

As of 2005, Eric Matthews is no longer in the band.

Drummer Ken Schalk has been involved in a free-jazz side project named Ghosts Of The Canal, who have thus far released two full-length albums, Sessions from the Flats (1999) and Five Episodes From the Subconsious (2002), as well as two non-album tracks which appeared on the bonus disc of Candiria's The C.O.M.A. Imprint.

"Candiria" is plural for "candiru," a small blood-sucking Amazonian fish that lodges itself in the urethras of unwary bathers.

Discography

Albums
1994 - Subliminal (Demo Tape)
1995 - Surrealistic Madness (Too Damn Hype)
1997 - Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Too Damn Hype)
1999 - The Process Of Self-Development (MIA Records)
2001 - 300 Percent Density (Century Media)
2002 - The Coma Imprint (Lakeshore)
2004 - What Doesn't Kill You... (Type A)
2008 - Kiss The Lie

The C.O.M.A. Imprint
Not exactly a proper album, this is in fact a re-recording of Candiria's 1997 album Beyond Reasonable Doubt, featuring newly remastered and/or recorded songs. It includes a bonus disc which features songs from several bands signed to Carley Coma's label C.O.M.A., as well as two songs from Ghosts of the Canal.

2002 - The C.O.M.A. Imprint (Lakeshore)

Dead Bury the Dead
Candiria Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You suffocate all
You're dying so await your fall
You're begging like a pig for crumbs
So lick the plate clean until your lips are cold and numb
Off with your own head. Change your footsteps.
Why do you choose to bury your father and sons?
Let the dead bury the dead; your father and sons

The dead bury the dead.
The knife is to your own neck. Follow me.
Taste the life. Leave all that is dead behind.
Dead bury the dead.

I am wretched skin in vain but I will not collapse
My foundations will not crumble or see decay
When the last candle burns out will you find your way?
Will you stumble? Will you regret your path; your name?
The dead bury the dead again, again, again.

Bury the dead.
The knife is to your own neck. Follow me.
Taste the life. Leave all that is dead behind.
Dead bury the dead.

Are you dying from inside?
Are you suffering?
Progress is a choice in life.
Face down, don't turn your back on me.
Where's your dedication? Your fight?
The annihilation of your pride.

I want! I want! I need! I need! and I want!
I want for you to open up your eyes
Envision all that is unseen.
You will follow all that is revealed.

You will follow because your light is growing dim.
You will fall in what is yours.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Candiria's song "Dead Bury the Dead" touch on themes of inner turmoil, self-destructive behavior, and the need to break free from negative patterns to find true progress and growth. The lines "You're dying so await your fall" and "Off with your own head. Change your footsteps" suggest a sense of hopelessness and the need for drastic change to overcome the self-destructive tendencies that lead to a metaphorical death of the self. The repetition of the phrase "the dead bury the dead" speaks to the idea of letting go of the past and moving forward, even if it means leaving behind people or things that hold us back.

The tone of the song is intense and urgent, with the call to action in the chorus to "follow me" and "leave all that is dead behind." The lines "I am wretched skin in vain but I will not collapse" and "My foundations will not crumble or see decay" suggest a fierce determination to persevere despite the odds. The questions posed in the lyrics, such as "When the last candle burns out will you find your way?" and "Will you stumble? Will you regret your path; your name?" encourage the listener to reflect on their own choices and the impact they have on their destiny.

Overall, "Dead Bury the Dead" is a powerful anthem of self-realization and the need for change to overcome destructive behavior and find true progress and growth.

Line by Line Meaning

You suffocate all
You are suffocating everything around you

You're dying so await your fall
You are dying, so wait for your downfall

You're begging like a pig for crumbs
You are begging for small things that are not worth your effort

So lick the plate clean until your lips are cold and numb
Work hard until you can't anymore, even if it hurts

Off with your own head. Change your footsteps.
Change the way you think and act

Why do you choose to bury your father and sons?
Why do you want to continue the cycle of destruction?

Let the dead bury the dead; your father and sons
Let go of the past and move forward

The dead bury the dead.
The past is just that, something that has already died

The knife is to your own neck. Follow me.
Your own actions can hurt you if you don't follow my lead

Taste the life. Leave all that is dead behind.
Experience the good in life and leave behind all that is negative

I am wretched skin in vain but I will not collapse
I may be weak, but I won't give up

My foundations will not crumble or see decay
I will not be destroyed or weakened

When the last candle burns out will you find your way?
When you reach the end of your life, will you have found your way?

Will you stumble? Will you regret your path; your name?
Will you make mistakes and regret your choices?

Bury the dead.
Move on from the past

Are you dying from inside?
Are you struggling internally?

Are you suffering?
Are you in pain?

Progress is a choice in life.
You have the choice to move forward in life

Face down, don't turn your back on me.
Face your problems and don't avoid them

Where's your dedication? Your fight?
Where is your motivation to succeed?

The annihilation of your pride.
Let go of your ego

I want! I want! I need! I need! and I want!
I have desires and needs that I want to achieve

I want for you to open up your eyes
I want you to see the possibilities

Envision all that is unseen.
Imagine the potential

You will follow all that is revealed.
You will follow what is shown to you

You will follow because your light is growing dim.
You will follow because you are running out of time

You will fall in what is yours.
You will succeed in what is meant for you

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CARLEY GERVAIS, ERIC MATTHEWS, JOHN LAMACCHIA, KENNETH SCHALK, MIKE MACLVOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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