Eyehategod have noted Melvins, Black Sabbath, Black Flag, Saint Vitus, Carnivore, Swans and Flipper as key influences to their sound. These influences combined with heavy, down-tuned, bluesy riffs, walls of feedback and torturous vocals create a truly filthy, misanthropic atmosphere.
While Jimmy Bower was busy playing drums for Down, the remaining 4 members of Eyehategod formed a side-project called Outlaw Order (abbreviated to OO%). The band released a limited edition 7" EP in 2003 called Legalize Crime, which has since been re-released on CD with a bonus live track. 2008 saw the release of Outlaw Order's debut full-length, titled Dragging Down the Enforcer.
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Left To Starve
Eyehategod Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a good boy
It takes practice at self abuse
Ceiling turns to paper dolls
Caught with circles under your eyes
I help to blind you
Worried
Hold me down
The lyrics to Eyehategod's song "Left To Starve" represent a self-destructive, nihilistic mindset that often accompanies addiction and mental illness. The line "I scar my body like a good boy" suggests a willingness to engage in self-harm as a form of coping or punishment for perceived failures. The act of self-abuse is seen as a learned behavior, something that takes practice and mastery.
The image of the "ceiling turning to paper dolls" could be interpreted as a hallucination or delusion brought on by drug use, with the "circles under your eyes" indicating sleep deprivation or the effects of stimulants. The singer seems to take some pleasure in "blinding" their listener or audience with harsh truths, but also acknowledges that they are offering a form of insight or perspective.
Ultimately, the song seems to express a sense of desperation and helplessness in the face of addiction and pain, with the final line "worried, hold me down" suggesting a need for physical restraint or emotional support. It's a bleak and confrontational track that doesn't offer much hope or comfort, but is nevertheless compelling because of the raw intensity of Eyehategod's sound and delivery.
Line by Line Meaning
I scar my body
I harm myself physically in a way that is familiar to me
Like a good boy
I harm myself in a way that is habituated and expected from me
It takes practice at self abuse
Harm done towards oneself requires repeated habituation and mastery
Ceiling turns to paper dolls
The surroundings appear to be fluid and unreal
Caught with circles under your eyes
Signs of physical exhaustion and strain are apparent
I help to blind you
I contribute to someone's inability to see anything beyond their current state
I help to see the truth
I bring clarity to situations by revealing hidden aspects or facts
Worried
Feeling anxious and frightened
Hold me down
Physically restraining someone to prevent them from causing harm to themselves or others
Contributed by Bailey V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.