History
Cobra Skulls were formed in 2005 by Devin Peralta (bass, vocals), Charlie Parker (guitar) and Chad Cleaveland (drums). They released an EP titled Draw Muhammad in 2006. The EP caught the attention of Red Scare Industries who signed the band and released their debut album "Sitting Army" in 2007.
To promote the album the band went on tour with Against Me!, Mad Caddies, and The Loved Ones, opening shows for them.[1] During the 2007 tour the band added a second guitarist Adam Beck.
After releasing the "Never Be a Machine/ Lost in Campaigns" 7" in time for the 2008 American elections, the band put out their second full length, "American Rubicon" in July 2009. This album was also promoted through an extensive tour schedule- this time with other Red Scare bands, including the Copyrights, the Sidekicks and the Menzingers.
Music style
Devin Peralta is half Argentinian and therefore writes and sings some songs in Spanish as can be heard with the tracks "¡Hasta Los Corba Skulls Siempre!" (from Draw Muhammad EP) and "Use Your Cobra Skulls" (from Sitting Army LP). While the first track is sung completely in Spanish, the latter track mixes both English and Spanish.
Discography
* Eat Your Babies (2005)
* Cobra Skulls/Beercan 7" split (Humaniterrorist, 2006)
* Draw Muhammad (EP) (Humaniterrorist, 2006)
* Sitting Army (Red Scare, 2007)
* Never Be a Machine (EP) (Red Scare, 2008)
* American Rubicon (Red Scare, 2009)
Charming the Cobra
Cobra Skulls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and we lack motivation
if the truth can set you free
then how can we keep dying for you?
in a distant land of different ways
our only connection is
a television in the living room
and the anchor is only putting you to bed
instead of giving you what might be
trouble for the CEO (GOP)
they're only putting you to bed
don't understand why they want to hurt you
you only know about your country's virtue
you've never heard about a term called blowback
it's the result of a central intelligent attack
I want to know what makes you wake up
wake up!
In Cobra Skulls's song Charming the Cobra, the lyrics convey a sense of apathy and disillusionment with the state of society. The opening lines, "Nobody's hungry, everyone is well to do / and we lack motivation," suggest a society that is comfortable but lacking drive or purpose. The next lines, "if the truth can set you free / then how can we keep dying for you?" raise the question of what the truth is and why people are dying for it. The following lines paint a picture of a society disconnected from the world ("a distant land of different ways"), with the only connection being through a television that delivers trivial stories rather than hard-hitting news.
The chorus of the song, "they're only putting you to bed, / don't understand why they want to hurt you / you only know about your country's virtue / you've never heard about a term called blowback / it's the result of a central intelligent attack," challenges the idea that people are being informed by the news. Instead, the song suggests that the media is putting people to sleep with fluff pieces while hiding the real dangers that threaten society. The reference to blowback, which is defined as the unintended consequences of a foreign policy that comes back to haunt the country that started it, suggests that the song is critical of American foreign policy.
The final lines of the song, "I want to know what makes you wake up / wake up!" serve as a call to action. The singer wants people to wake up and become engaged with the important issues facing society rather than being lulled to sleep by the media.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody's hungry, everyone is well to do
No one is hungry and everyone has financial stability
and we lack motivation
We lack the drive to take action
if the truth can set you free
If honesty can liberate you
then how can we keep dying for you?
How can we keep sacrificing ourselves for you?
in a distant land of different ways
In a far-off place with unfamiliar customs
our only connection is
The only link we have is
a television in the living room
A TV in the living area
and the anchor is only putting you to bed
The presenter is just pacifying you
with filler in your head delivering a trivial story
Filling your mind with meaningless tales
instead of giving you what might be trouble for the CEO
Rather than providing you with information that might be problematic for the organization's leader
don't understand why they want to hurt you
Can't comprehend why they're intending to harm you
you only know about your country's virtue
You're only acquainted with your nation's positive attributes
you've never heard about a term called blowback
You've never been introduced to the idea of consequence
it's the result of a central intelligent attack
It's the consequence of an attack by a central intelligence organization
I want to know what makes you wake up
I'm curious about what stirs you
wake up!
Wake up from your slumber
Contributed by Isaiah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.