"Antwerpen" is the title of a track which will feature on the band's upcomi… Read Full Bio ↴"Antwerpen" is the title of a track which will feature on the band's upcoming album. The album, entitled Common Dreads, will be released in June 2009.
According to the Antwerpen Songfacts, the song was inspired by a story to the band by a Belgian cab driver.

Antwerpen
Enter Shikari Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Now I was feeling like a total giant!
But now it feels like Silvius Brabo has sliced my hand off
and thrown it in the river!

Now I was just doing my job,
my feet sink into the bed of the Scheldt
but now my fingers are reeling about with the fishes

I know I'm not making any sense
(no you're not)
all will be revealed
(well I hope so)
all will be revealed if we travel
back in time

I've got to rest, it's for the best.
To build a nest, to take the quest.
To be given just one chance, to be
the best.

Go forth and re-colonize.

It appears the foundations
of all our great nations
are lies and indoctrinations.

So if Silvius Brabo collects the hands of giants
will you join him?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Antwerpen" by Enter Shikari describe how the singer is feeling. At first, they feel powerful and like a “total giant”. However, this feeling is short-lived as they describe how it now feels like Silvius Brabo, the mythical hero of Antwerp, Belgium, has “sliced [their] hand off and thrown it in the river.” They go on to describe how they were just doing their job, with their feet sinking into the bed of the Scheldt (the river on which Antwerp is built), but now their fingers are “reeling about with the fishes”.

The next lines are a bit disjointed but they seem to suggest that by going back in time, all will be revealed, and it will make sense. The song finishes off with the singer declaring that they need to rest and build a nest, and they have been given the chance to be the best. They implore the listener to “go forth and re-colonize”. The song seems to be commenting on the struggles of trying to fit into a place and the fragility of power.

Line by Line Meaning

Now I was feeling like a total giant!
At the moment, I was feeling accomplished and confident.

But now it feels like Silvius Brabo has sliced my hand off and thrown it in the river!
However, I now feel defeated and powerless, as if someone has attacked me and taken away a part of me.

Now I was just doing my job, my feet sink into the bed of the Scheldt but now my fingers are reeling about with the fishes
I was just doing what I needed to do, standing my ground despite the difficult circumstances. But now, I feel as if I am drowning, unable to control my own limbs.

I know I'm not making any sense (no you're not) all will be revealed (well I hope so) all will be revealed if we travel back in time
I recognize that I am not communicating coherently, but I believe that with some reflection and inquiry into the past, the reason for my behavior will become clear.

I've got to rest, it's for the best. To build a nest, to take the quest. To be given just one chance, to be the best.
I need some time to rest and recover, to create for myself a safe and stable environment. From there, I can embark on a journey to find opportunities for growth and success.

Go forth and re-colonize.
Move forward with determination and a sense of purpose, seeking to expand one's influence and make a meaningful impact on the world.

It appears the foundations of all our great nations are lies and indoctrinations. So if Silvius Brabo collects the hands of giants will you join him?
Upon closer inspection, many of the institutions and traditions that we prize as a society are based on falsehoods and manipulation. In light of this, would you align yourself with a powerful figure who seeks to seize control from those deemed too powerful to keep in check?

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRIS BATTEN, LIAM RORY CLEWLOW, ROBERT ROLFE, ROUGHTON REYNOLDS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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