Carcass is recognized as pioneers in the grindcore genre. Their early work was also associated with tags like "splatter death metal" and "hardgore," owing to their macabre lyrics and gruesome album covers. Moreover, their 1993 album Heartwork contributed to their status as pioneers of melodic death metal.
The band frequently explores animal rights issues in their lyrics, and some members follow vegetarian or vegan lifestyles.
Studio albums
Reek of Putrefaction (1988)
Symphonies of Sickness (1989)
Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious (1991)
Heartwork (1993)
Swansong (1996)
Surgical Steel (2013)
Torn Arteries (2021)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE
Carcass Lyrics
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The D.N.A. split, the virus is caught.
The germination of reproduction,
Complex patterns of genetic devolution.
The die is cast.
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this your life?
Is this the meaning of life?
Is this the genesis of devolution?
The die is cast.
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this your life?
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this the meaning of life?
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this your life?
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this the meaning
Birth, copulation, and death.
Is this your life?
Birth, copulation, and death.
The lyrics to Carcass's song "This Is Your Life" seem to explore the themes of existence, evolution, and the cycle of life - from birth to death. The first two lines suggest that the spirit and soul can be taken away, while the following lines pose the question if life essentially boils down to the processes of reproduction and genetic changes.
The repeated lines "Birth, copulation, and death. Is this your life?" seem to be a rhetorical question, implying that the listener should consider if their life is limited to simply being born, reproducing, and dying. The lyrics suggest that the fate of life has already been decided, seemingly asking if this is the genesis of devolution - the reduction of complexity in biological and social systems over time.
The final lines of the song continue to repeat the rhetorical question until the lyrics end abruptly, suggesting a sort of finality or resignation to the cyclical nature of life.
Overall, the lyrics to "This Is Your Life" create a sense of existential dread and raise thought-provoking questions about the nature of life itself. The repetition of the phrase "Birth, copulation, and death" only reinforces the cyclical and predetermined aspect of life.
Line by Line Meaning
The spirit distilled, the soul is bought.
The essence of oneself is condensed and commodified.
The D.N.A. split, the virus is caught.
Molecular inheritance divides and infects.
The germination of reproduction,
The beginning of the cycle of procreation.
Complex patterns of genetic devolution.
Complicated processes lead to biological regression.
The die is cast.
The outcome is determined and inevitable.
Birth, copulation, and death.
Creation, intimacy, and expiration.
Is this your life?
Is this existence truly what you desire?
Is this the meaning of life?
Is this the purpose that justifies existence?
Is this the genesis of devolution?
Is this the origin of the biological decline?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BILL STEER, JEFF WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind