The House That Man Built
Comecon Lyrics
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Rule of refinement, rats in the cellar
Restless and climbing as slime and mud come
Flooding
Grace greased by ingratitude and greed
By a despicable debris of delinquence and
Debauchery
The palace is of crystal, but the postament is
House man built
House man built
This house was built, God is dead
Dead is gone, God is gone
No body's found, unstable ground
But the house was built
Throw out the ballast and the vessel will be
Faster
The called are over-crowding the market,
Let the chooser be the market,
And the losers - we'll wall out all the losers
And those among us who turned foul, they're growing more
For every hour
The rich are getting richer, the poor begin to steal
As multiplied police force feels more righteous than wealth
Program
Gaps widening 'till it bursts asunder
Threw out the ballast and the vessel went under
House man built
House man built
This house was built, God is dead
Dead is gone, God is gone
No body's found, unstable ground
But the house was built
The scene is set for a grand new war
This war is final - no new markets to explore
This war will transport us through door
When all is fire, God will set the score
House man built
House man built
The lyrics of Comecon's song The House That Man Built critique human civilization and its pursuit of power, wealth, and luxury. The very first line of the song, "A palace of crystal on a postament of slime," metaphorically describes how the beauty and grandeur of civilization are built upon a foundation of filth, corruption, and decay. The next few lines, "Rule of refinement, rats in the cellar, restless and climbing as slime and mud come flooding," depict how the ruling class portrays an image of sophistication but is rotten to the core, with their lust for more power and wealth continually growing. These lines also hint at the idea that people in power will do anything to keep it, even if it means sacrificing the ones "below" them.
The lyrics further criticize society's values, where "grace greased by ingratitude and greed," illustrates how materialism has blinded people to the point of no return. And this is compounded by "a despicable debris of delinquence and debauchery," which alludes to moral decay in society in general. The chorus of the song emphasizes how humanity's greed and cruelty have resulted in our distance from God. The line "This house was built, God is dead" implies that humanity's pursuits have replaced or destroyed any semblance of religion and morality.
The next two verses of the song continue with this critique of society. The line, "Throw out the ballast and the vessel will be faster," highlights how society and industry prioritize productivity and efficiency over everything else, in doing so, sacrificing the most vulnerable members of society. The section of the lyrics that read, "And those among us who turn foul, they're growing more for every hour. The rich are getting richer, the poor begin to steal," amplifies the notion that the powerful and wealthy are the catalysts of societal decay, increasing the wealth gap and even legitimizing the balance of power to justify their actions. The final verse envisions a bleak future for humanity, a world consumed by war and destruction, with no market or territory left to conquer. In such a world, the song implies that only God can call the final score.
Line by Line Meaning
A palace of crystal on a postament of slime
The embodiment of beauty created by man stands on a base of decay and filth.
Rule of refinement, rats in the cellar
The high society, who appear to be refined, have secrets hidden away in the depths of their abode.
Restless and climbing as slime and mud come flooding
Despite the societal climbing to reach greater heights, the foundation on which they stand is being washed away by the tides of greed and corruption.
Grace greased by ingratitude and greed
The displays of courteousness and poise are only achieved through the lubrication of thanklessness and avarice.
By a despicable debris of delinquence and debauchery
Through the collection of people who are despised for their wrongdoings and immoral behavior, this idea of elegance is achieved.
The palace is of crystal, but the postament is slime
Despite the impressive facade, the foundation upon which it is built is nothing but decay.
This house was built, God is dead
The society constructed with their own hands has no divine influence guiding it.
Dead is gone, God is gone
The idea of a higher power no longer exists in this society.
No body's found, unstable ground
There is no solid foundation for this society to stand on, as it is built on shifting and dangerous soil.
But the house was built
Despite the unstable foundation and lack of divine guidance, the society still exists.
Throw out the ballast and the vessel will be faster
If the unnecessary and cumbersome standards are removed, society will progress more rapidly.
The called are over-crowding the market, let the chooser be the market, and the losers - we'll wall out all the losers
The population is growing faster than the amount of resources available, and only those who meet the arbitrary standards will be allowed to enter the society. Anyone who cannot meet these standards will be excluded.
And those among us who turned foul, they're growing more for every hour
Those who participate in immoral behavior are breeding more rapidly and freely, threatening the society as a whole.
The rich are getting richer, the poor begin to steal
The economic inequality is growing even stronger, causing those in poverty to resort to drastic and illegal measures to survive.
As multiplied police force feels more righteous than wealth
The increase of police presence is making the societal elite feel more justified in their wealthy status, despite their lack of true virtue.
Program, gaps widening 'till it bursts asunder
The societal progress is causing the separation between the rich and poor to grow at an unsustainable rate, leading to a catastrophic collapse.
Threw out the ballast and the vessel went under
Inan attempt to progress society more rapidly by removing burdening standards, it resulted in the complete destruction of said society.
The scene is set for a grand new war
The conditions are primed for an immense and devastating conflict.
This war is final - no new markets to explore
The war will be absolute, as there is no longer any new territory or resources available to conquer.
This war will transport us through door
The war will lead to a great transition, possibly to a new and entirely different society.
When all is fire, God will set the score
In the impending destruction, any semblance of a higher power will reveal their ultimate judgement.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MetalHorrorMusicFilm19
Such a catchy song!
dan MacCabe
just love! so relevant today
Kai Skoli
I fn dig this band!!.. Nice!. Kind of pestilence combined with asphyx-if imay!.
Gera Mora
1993, that was a good year