Deadsoul Tribe were an Austrian progressive metal band founded by Devon Gra… Read Full Bio ↴Deadsoul Tribe were an Austrian progressive metal band founded by Devon Graves (known as 'Buddy Lackey'), and was formed by Devon Graves in 2000. Graves was originally the vocalist for another progressive metal band, Psychotic Waltz, where he was credited as Buddy Lackey, but departed from the group in 1997, claiming that he felt himself to be the band's "weakest link". In Deadsoul Tribe Graves serves as the principal songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist as well as the producer on all of its releases. The remainder of the band consisted of Adel Moustafa on drums and Roland Ivenz on bass, with Roland "Rollz" Kerschbaumer, who joined the band in 2002, providing additional guitar work. The band's sound is characterized by heavy usage of tribal rhythms, dark atmospherics, and unusual time signatures.

Several Deadsoul Tribe tracks, such as "Black Smoke and Mirrors" on A Murder of Crows and "Toy Rockets" on The January Tree feature Devon Graves on flute, an instrument he picked up largely due to his admiration for Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson.
The band's fifth studio album, A Lullaby for the Devil, was released on September 11, 2007.

On November 20, 2009, the band split up.

Discography
Deadsoul Tribe (2002)
A Murder of Crows (2003)
The January Tree (2004)
The Dead Word (2005)
A Lullaby for the Devil (2007)

Flies
Deadsoul Tribe Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Some people say
That the way
An ever winding journey through the blear
So far from here
Yet so near
Obscure
Yet so clear

A light went on in my head

Sometimes I think
Many things
Are far from the way they ought to be
Sometimes I gaze
Numb and dazed
Amazed by what I see
Sometimes it seems
A laughing God has played his joke on me

A light went on in my head

Spiders in the souls of men
Spiders in the souls of men

Mice in the hole
And lions in the field
Jackals in control
And dogs are on the heels

Vipers in the sand
Vipers in the sand

Waiting for you
Biting at you
Preying on you
Coiled around you
Poisoning you
Constricting you
Jaws unhinge to
Swallow you alive

Flies
Flies

Flies
Flies

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Deadsoul Tribe’s song “Flies” present a contemplation of the natural human condition and the paradoxes and contradictions of life. The opening verse introduces the theme of duality, that some assert that the journey of life is an ever-winding road through obscurity, far away from the present location but at the same time, the destination is clear. The singer then announces that a light has gone on in their head, suggesting an awakening or moment of clarity. The following verses explore the singer’s musings on the human condition. The singer ponders the disconnect between how they’d like things to be and the reality they see, leading to a state of amazement or apathy. The second verse suggests the possibility of an all-powerful deity playing a cruel trick on humanity, which they find laughable.

The chorus, “Spiders in the souls of men,” and the subsequent verse featuring insects and reptiles reveal the darker aspects of the human condition. The lyrics describe various creatures preying upon others, whether biting, constricting, or swallowing them whole. The imagery of the “flies” is the most prominent and repeated, indicating the abundance of suffering and chaos in life. The use of animals and insects suggests a primal element, beyond human control or influence.

Overall, the song’s lyrics offer a meditation on the human condition, the ultimate meaning of life, and the primal and often cruel aspects of existence. It explores the paradoxes of life, including the dualities of clearness and obscurity, reality and the unattainable ideal, and the light and darkness within human nature.

Line by Line Meaning

Some people say
There are individuals with opinions

That the way
Concerning the path

An ever winding journey through the blear
A constantly twisting venture through the haze

So far from here
Distant from this location

Yet so near
However seemingly close

Obscure
Unclear

Yet so clear
Nevertheless evident

A light went on in my head
An illumination occurred in my mind

Sometimes I think
Occasionally I ponder

Many things
Various subjects

Are far from the way they ought to be
Are not according to what they should be