Discography:
- Demo Tape (2005)
- Extortion 7”/CD (2005)
- Degenerate LP/CD (Deep Six/Common Bond, 2006)
- Control 7”/CD (Deep Six/Trial and Error, 2007)
- Sick LP/CD (Common Bond, 2008)
- Split w/ Rupture 5" (2008)
- Split w/ Agents of Abhorrence 7" (Deep Six, 2008)
- Terminal Cancer EP (Shortfuse, 2009)
- Split w/ Septic Surge 7" (RSR, 2009)
- Split w/ Jed Whitey 7" (Distort, 2009)
- Loose Screws 10"/CD (Resist, 2010)
- Split w/ Completed Exposition 7" (RSR, 2010)
- Get Fucked 5" (RSR, 2011)
Official Website: www.myspace.com/extortionextortion
Fever
Extortion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From your fevered state
Stuck on overdrive, still you lie
With your skin on fire
A body slick with sweat, in your bed filthy, almost dead
Stinking inanimate mess, is how you're left
Laid out but still can't rest
Burn up, burn down, burnt out
You body smoking out sickness now
The only way it know how
Burning down the house to kill the thief seems to extreme but
Regardless this is you sitting through
Being completely screwed
By you body's own defense, own defense
Has drained you and left you spent
Burn up, burn down, burnt out
Burn up, burn down, burnt out
In "Fever" by Extortion, the lyrics describe a person who is experiencing a high fever that seems to have no end. The person is in a helpless state, with their body burning up and unable to find any relief. Despite lying in bed, they cannot find rest as their body is on overdrive and their skin is on fire, covered in sweat. The lyrics depict the person's current state as a "Stinking inanimate mess," which gives details to the severity of the sickness. The lyrics describe the individual's desperation to shake off the fever, but it's futile as their body had been damaged significantly by their immune defense. The repeated use of "Burn up, burn down, burnt out" implies that this process of fever and its after-effects of fatigue and exhaustion will continue until the final stage.
The lyrics also suggest the idea that the body's immune system is seen as a defense mechanism that can prove to be harmful to the person. By burning down the body and killing the fever, it's just like burning down the house to kill a thief, which may seem extreme, but in the end, it is an attempt to rectify the situation. The lyrics suggest that sometimes the body’s natural immune system can cause more damage than good, and the aftermath of this natural process of healing is often long-term exhaustion and fatigue. The lyrics tell a story of a person who is going through a difficult time, and they suggest that when the body experiences sickness, the process of recovery can be just as draining and daunting as the initial illness.
Line by Line Meaning
Your body's burning up, there's no scape
Your body is experiencing a highly elevated temperature and there is no escape from this condition.
From your fevered state
Your body is in a state of fever, where the temperature has risen above normal levels.
Stuck on overdrive, still you lie
Your body is in overdrive mode, but you still cannot get up from lying down.
With your skin on fire
Your skin feels hot and burning, due to the elevated body temperature.
A body slick with sweat, in your bed filthy, almost dead
Your body is covered in a layer of sweat and you are barely alive, lying in a filthy bed.
Stinking inanimate mess, is how you're left
You are left in a state of complete exhaustion and helplessness.
Laid out but still can't rest
You are unable to rest even though you are physically exhausted and unable to move.
Burn up, burn down, burnt out
This is a reflection of the continuous and exhausting cycle of fever, where the body burns up, burns down, and eventually becomes burnt out.
You body smoking out sickness now
Your body is fighting the sickness and trying to get rid of it by producing high fever and sweating.
The only way it know how
The body is using its own natural defense mechanisms to fight off the sickness, which involves producing high fever and sweat.
Burning down the house to kill the thief seems to extreme but
The extreme measures taken by the body to fight off the sickness, such as producing high fever, seem excessive but are necessary.
Regardless this is you sitting through
Despite the discomfort and pain caused by the fever, you have to sit through it and endure it until the sickness is over.
Being completely screwed
You are in a helpless situation, completely at the mercy of the sickness and the body's own defense mechanisms.
By you body's own defense, own defense
The fever and sweating are part of the body's own defense mechanisms against sickness and infection.
Has drained you and left you spent
The continuous cycle of high fever, sweating, and exhaustion has left you drained and completely spent.
Contributed by Landon M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.