Carfax Abbey is a Philadelphia-based Gothic industrial metal band that star… Read Full Bio ↴Carfax Abbey is a Philadelphia-based Gothic industrial metal band that started out in 1997. They have appeared on several Gothic Rock compilation albums such as Music from the Succubus Club, Asleep by Dawn, Dancing in the Dark: 10 Years of Dancing Ferret, and Dancing in the Dark 2006.

The name of the band derives from the Abbey in Purfleet purchased by Count Dracula in the Bram Stoker novel Dracula.

Carfax Abbey takes listeners down a road reminiscent of Bauhaus,Sisters of Mercy, KMFDM, Gary Numan and Trent Reznor with a cutting edge live performance best described as an intense audio-visual assault.

Son
Carfax Abbey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

10:30 on a Tuesday, lights are on
But I know that there's no one that I know at home
Captain's at the table, and he's running dry
Looking for the trial that left him wide eyed

Mother, father
You live, you die by the white
Wake up, get up

Does not your son shine?

Choose your weapon wisely, making sure that it's fine
Draw the straw so you can walk the line
Chop, chop, cut it up now
Chop, chop, suck it up now
Why must you get so high?

Mother, father
You live, you die by the white
Wake up, get up
Does not your son shine?

Give me reason
Tell me where it all went wrong
Oh, so wrong
Maybe one day
Maybe nevermore

Mother, father
You live, you die by the white

Wake up, get up
Does not your son shine?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Carfax Abbey's song "Son" seem to be discussing a relationship between a drug user and their parents. The song begins with a description of a specific moment in time - 10:30 on a Tuesday - and the realization that despite the lights being on in the house, there's no one there that the singer knows. The "Captain" at the table is likely a reference to the drug dealer, who is running out of drugs, and the singer wonders about the trial that left him so affected. The second verse seems to be a warning or plea to the drug user, to choose their weapon (drug) wisely - although it's clear that they may not be making wise choices thus far. The "chop chop" lines could be referencing chopping up drugs to snort or otherwise ingest them.

The chorus is repeated several times throughout the song and appears to be an address to the parents of the drug user - "Mother, father / You live, you die by the white / Wake up, get up / Does not your son shine?" The repeated use of the phrase "live, you die by the white" seems to suggest a grim fate for those who use drugs, and the plea for the parents to wake up and get up could be a call to action to help their child.

Overall, the song seems to be a mournful and cautionary tale about the dangers of drug use, and the impact that it can have on not only the user but their loved ones as well.

Line by Line Meaning

10:30 on a Tuesday, lights are on
It's Tuesday and it's 10:30 AM, the lights are on inside the house

But I know that there's no one that I know at home
Despite the lights being on, the singer knows that nobody is home

Captain's at the table, and he's running dry
The Captain is sitting at the table, his glass is empty, he needs more to drink

Looking for the trial that left him wide eyed
The Captain is searching for something, possibly a Court Hearing, that left him shocked

Mother, father
The singer is addressing his parents

You live, you die by the white
The 'white' might be a reference to cocaine, and the singer is warning his parents about its dangers

Wake up, get up
The singer is urging his parents to be alert and awake, maybe referring to staying sober

Does not your son shine?
The singer is asking if his parents are proud of him and his accomplishments

Choose your weapon wisely, making sure that it's fine
The singer is advising the listener to make wise choices in life and be careful with the tools they choose to use

Draw the straw so you can walk the line
The singer is suggesting that there are rules to follow and the listener needs to choose carefully to fit in

Chop, chop, cut it up now
The singer might be talking about cutting drugs or preparing them

Chop, chop, suck it up now
The singer might be urging the listener to consume the drugs or to act quickly

Why must you get so high?
The singer is questioning why people choose to get high

Give me reason
The singer wants to understand why things happened, he wants a reason or an explanation

Tell me where it all went wrong
The singer is asking for information on how things went bad

Oh, so wrong
The singer is emphasizing how bad things went

Maybe one day
The singer is suggesting that things might improve in the future

Maybe nevermore
The singer is suggesting that things might never improve

Contributed by Reagan K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS