Enter Shikari is a four-piece experimental post-hardcore/electronicore band… Read Full Bio ↴Enter Shikari is a four-piece experimental post-hardcore/electronicore band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England formed in 2003. The band's music incorporates various rock and metal sub-genres with elements of various electronic genres such as electronica, dubstep, trance, and drum and bass, making the band particularly difficult to assign to one genre. The incorporation of electronic genres has become more prominent in their music throughout the band's history. Lyrically, their music tackles political, social and scientific issues.

The band is named after a boat belonging to Roughton "Rou" Reynolds' uncle, and a character in a play which he wrote before forming the band, both of which are named Shikari. Despite being offered several major label record deals, their debut album Take to the Skies was released on their own label - Ambush Reality - in March 2007, reaching the dizzy heights of #4 in the UK's official Album Charts and going on to sell over 100,000 copies in the UK (the album was released in Europe through PIAS, in North America on Ambush Reality / Tiny Evil, and in Japan on Hostess).

In March 2008, after spending 12 months on the road across the globe, Enter Shikari set up camp in their rehearsal room (a large shed in Chris Batten's back garden which they christened "The 'Low") to begin writing tracks for their second album such as Antwerpen which was released as a free digital-download from the band's website.

In July they played to their largest live audience at the UK date of Linkin Park's 'Project Revolution' travelling festival alongside JayZ, Pendulum and N*E*R*D, as well as playing several shows with Linkin Park in mainland Europe.

Enter Shikari followed a UK / Ireland tour in October 2008 with the release of a one-off single 'We Can Breathe In Space, They Just Don't Want Us To Escape' (a finished version of a track the band demoed in 2005 but never got around to ever finishing properly until the summer 2008).

In mid-November 2008 the band started work recording their second album in Arreton Manor on the Isle of Wight with producer Andy Gray. Here they demoed, produced and mixed new tracks for the band's second album titled Common Dreads which was released June 15th 2009 on CD, Vinyl and digital download. The first track to be heard by the public was Juggernauts aired on 15th April 2009 as Zane Lowe's "Hottest Track in the World" on BBC Radio 1. Juggernauts was released on the 1st June 2009 reaching #26 in the UK Official Single Charts and was aired regularly by Radio 1.

Following the release of Common Dreads via Ambush Reality on the 15th June 2009, the album reached #16 on the UK Top 40 Official Album Chart and was highly-rated by magazines such as Kerrang!, Rocksound and Metal Hammer. No Sleep Tonight was also released as a single on August 17th 2009 with a large number of remixes following it from artists such as ROUT, Mistabishi, The Qemists and LightsGoBlue.

The band recently visited the US, Germany and the Czech Republic on a mini-tour and have another UK tour scheduled for October 2009 supported by The Devil Wears Prada and also a number of dates with The Prodigy in November.

After their late 2009 UK tour, Enter Shikari toured throughout the US on the extensive summer of 2010 Vans Warped Tour. November 2010 saw Enter Shikari touring with 30 Seconds to Mars.

Enter Shikari's third album titled A Flash Flood Of Colour was recorded at Karma Bay Studios in Bangkok, Thailand and was produced by Dan Weller (former-SikTh guitarist). The album was released on the 16th January 2012 in the UK and worldwide. The first single from the LP was "Sssnakepit". It was released on September 20, 2011 as a digital download. According to the Sssnakepit Songfacts, "Quelle Surprise," which was made available in May 2011, was originally intended to be the first official release from the set, but the band ultimately decided to not include it on the album in the end, although did include it on the Deluxe Version. The second single, "Ghandi Mate, Ghandi" was released as a digital download on iTunes in December, followed by a video of single 'Arguing with Thermometers' posted on YouTube a few days before the release of the album.

Enter Shikari is:
Roughton 'Rou' Reynolds - vocals, electronics
Liam 'Rory' Clewlow - guitar, vocals
Chris Batten - bass, vocals
Rob Rolfe - drums

The Last Garrison
Enter Shikari Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Can you hear the war-cry?

The adrenaline bursts through the riverbanks
Welcome to the skirmish (I can't feel my legs)
Give me morphine, give me morphine, give me more!

No doubt
This is a tragedy for all

(But it ain't over yet)
Head's up and thank fuck you're still alive!

Still air in my lungs
Still blood in my veins
(We're part of the last garrison)
Still alive
Still air in my lungs
Still blood in my veins
(We're part of the last garrison)

I wanna lie here and soak up the sun
But do not alight here, you cannot outrun
"this could be the end" he said, "the end my child"
So I made good use of my face and I smiled

Can you hear the war-cry?

The epinephrine plows through the barriers
Welcome to the skirmish (I can't feel my arms!)
Give me opium, give me opium, give me help!

No doubt
This is a tragedy for all
(But it ain't over yet)
Head's up and thank fuck you're still alive!

Still air in my lungs
Still blood in my veins
(We're part of the last garrison)
Still alive
Still air in my lungs
Still blood in my veins
(We're part of the last garrison)

I wanna lie here and soak up the sun
But do not alight here, you cannot outrun
"this could be the end" he said, "the end my child"
So I made good use of my face and I smiled

Let's toast to the fact we got this far
Let's toast to the fact we got this far

The adrenaline bursts through the riverbanks welcome to the skirmish)
The epinephrine plows through the barriers welcome to the skirmish
The adrenaline bursts through the riverbanks welcome to the skirmish)

Head's up and thank fuck you're still alive!

Still air in my lungs
Still blood in my veins
(We're part of the last garrison)
Still alive
Still air in my lungs
Still blood in my veins
(We're part of the last garrison)

Head's up and thank fuck you're still alive!

Still air in my lungs
Still blood in my veins
(We're part of the last garrison)
You're still alive
Still air in my lungs
Still blood in my veins
(We're part of the last garrison)

Yeah we're still alive

Overall Meaning

"The Last Garrison" by Enter Shikari is a song that conveys a sense of chaos and desperation during wartime. The opening lines, "Can you hear the war-cry?" bring the listener into the frenzy of a battle. The adrenaline is pumping through the singer's veins, and they plead for morphine or opium as they can't feel their legs or arms. The chorus repeats the phrase "Still air in my lungs, Still blood in my veins, We're part of the last garrison," emphasizing that despite the chaos and tragedy around them, they are still alive and fighting.

The second verse describes the anxiety and fear that permeates wartime. The singer wants to bask in the sun, but they can't rest, knowing that danger is everywhere. The line "this could be the end" brings a sense of finality and urgency to the situation. However, the singer chooses to smile, a hopeful gesture in the midst of chaos.

Overall, "The Last Garrison" is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of tragedy and war. It emphasizes the importance of staying alive and being grateful for what we have, even in the most trying of times.

Line by Line Meaning

Can you hear the war-cry?
Are you mentally prepared for the intense battle?

The adrenaline bursts through the riverbanks Welcome to the skirmish (I can't feel my legs) Give me morphine, give me morphine, give me more!
The intense emotions are overwhelming and I need immediate medical help.

No doubt This is a tragedy for all (But it ain't over yet) Head's up and thank fuck you're still alive!
Despite the tragedy that has occurred, we still have hope and should be grateful for our survival.

Still air in my lungs Still blood in my veins (We're part of the last garrison) Still alive Still air in my lungs Still blood in my veins (We're part of the last garrison)
Although we have endured much, we are still strong and resilient - part of the last remaining group that has not given up.

I wanna lie here and soak up the sun But do not alight here, you cannot outrun "this could be the end" he said, "the end my child" So I made good use of my face and I smiled
Despite the situation being dire, I still find beauty and positivity in the world around me and choose to smile.

The epinephrine plows through the barriers Welcome to the skirmish (I can't feel my arms!) Give me opium, give me opium, give me help!
The adrenaline is overwhelming and I am in significant pain, needing immediate medical assistance such as opium.

Let's toast to the fact we got this far Let's toast to the fact we got this far
We should appreciate and celebrate the fact that we have survived and endured so much.

You're still alive Still air in my lungs Still blood in my veins (We're part of the last garrison) You're still alive Still air in my lungs Still blood in my veins (We're part of the last garrison)
We have made it through one of the toughest battles and are still alive, reminding us of our strength and resilience.

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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