Discography:
* The Fragile Art of Existence (1999)
Line-up:
* Chuck Schuldiner [R.I.P.] - Guitar
* Steve DiGiorgio - Bass
* Shannon Hamm - Guitar
* Tim Aymar - Vocals
* Richard Christy - Drums
What If
Control Denied Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a mountain, revealing their wisdom
While taking in all that earth had to give to them
And what it hid, secrets that shadows of time concealed
What if when they saw burning stars
They thought it was a gift from beyond far
Look close between the lines
Are they just theories of time
Behold the tooth of yesterday
It holds the truth to set you free
From history some live their lives
Not long ago we looked at power as just a vision
To shatter dark with just a beam of light
It might be worth to take a close look at infinity
The opening verse of Control Denied's "What If...?" invokes an image of wise figures standing atop a mountain, gazing down at the world below them. They possess knowledge of the secrets that time has hidden, and in their hands, such truths could set individuals free. The lyrics then transition to a hypothetical scenario where these wise individuals witness burning stars and, rather than assigning them to some cosmic gift, challenge us to inspect what exists between the lines--to search beyond what we believe to be real. These "theories of time" could hold the key to unlocking new knowledge, and the tooth of yesterday is symbolic of the "truth" that awaits us if we dare to venture into the realm of the unknown. The final verse ponders the notion of power and light, suggesting that there is value in looking closer and closer to infinity.
The use of figurative language throughout the song invites listeners to introspect and question their understanding of their own reality. The lyrics suggest that we should not accept appearances without scrutiny; we should question everything, including what we think we know about time and the natural world. The wisdom being imparted is that the truth may be discovered in unexpected places, and we should always be open to new perspectives.
Line by Line Meaning
So there they stood
The people in question were present and visible
On a mountain, revealing their wisdom
They were on a mountain and showing their intellectual capacity
While taking in all that earth had to give to them
They were absorbing everything that the earth had to offer
And what it hid, secrets that shadows of time concealed
They were finding and uncovering hidden secrets that were obscured by time
What if when they saw burning stars
Hypothetically, what if they saw exploding stars
They thought it was a gift from beyond far
Would they consider it a present from a distant source
Look close between the lines
Pay closer attention to the details
Beyond what you believe to be real
Look beyond what you think is true
Are they just theories of time
Are they simply concepts related to the passage of time?
Behold the tooth of yesterday
Notice the relic or artifact from a previous era
It holds the truth to set you free
It contains the factual information to liberate you
From history some live their lives
Some people base their existence on historical events
Not long ago we looked at power as just a vision
Recently, people regarded power as a mere concept or fantasy
To shatter dark with just a beam of light
To obliterate darkness with a single ray of light
It might be worth to take a close look at infinity
Investigating infinity may be valuable
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHUCK SCHULDINER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike Straw
Control and death two best metal bands of all time in my eyes. truly cant get enough and iv been listening to them both for over 8 years
Pig Dick
Girrawaa word dawg
Mike Straw
Iv listened to them before. I really liked it. Good call man Thanks for the suggestion.
Jacob Bharrat
Navi - I would actually appreciate that. I spent most of my life listenin to rock and metal, but there is always room for more. I recently got into hip hop and rap, mostly j Cole honestly. His lyrics hit deep. But my philosophy for music is you will never truly appreciate what you are listening to unless u live it. I feel the only reason I got into hip hop and rap is because I recently started crushing on a girl I could never have. So I'll start this music sharing experience by suggesting that u listen to "she lives in my lap" by outcast and "no role models" by J cole. Please send me some of your suggestions as well if the offer is open.
Pig Dick
you love jacob
ivan
Jacob Bharrat Good music. I can help you out and expand your metal listening too if you like :P
Alec Smith
some of the best metal out there! thank you chuck RIP
Estelle Lefebvre
Some of the best music ever composed!
C.H
Steve is killing it on this song.
C.H
@Elizabeth Carlo ya. I heard an interviews where Chuck wanted to make it up to Steve. I guessed he was drowned out on the previous death record.so he made his bass more prominent.