Born in 1978 in Puerto Rico, Gabriel Rios soon chose a path which few from … Read Full Bio ↴Born in 1978 in Puerto Rico, Gabriel Rios soon chose a path which few from his kin before him did. A blonde angel whispered that he should follow her lead. Young Gabriel kicked his heels and travelled through turbulent clouds, ending up in a city that was not his, but which he embraced. Enter a new-found posse. Being a bunch of young wolves, they started playing music, created a way to communicate their thoughts to the outer world and christened themselves The Nothing Bastards. They toured the country.

After a couple of years Gabriel felt an itch. His Puerto Rican roots urged him to start digging in his own past. This led to a quest with the band L. Santo. Alas! Gabi felt that he could only get to the bottom of things on his own. He decided to devote his time to seeking for the inner spark that made him tick. In his search, he ran into one of Belgian s finest producers, Jo Bogaert, whose -Pump up the Jam- after circling the planet successfully crashed with the souls of Puertorican youngsters. Fate brought Gabriel and Jo together and they created a universe in which Gabriel could freely confront his ever creeping demons and yet treat his ghosts with the utmost respect. Gibbering like two old rapscallions Bogaert and Rios created an album, Ghostboy: an ode to that part of you guys who just, well, you know what I am talking about - on which Gabriel united his old-skool Caribbean roots with his love for hip hop and melody. Gabriel, besides currently being involved in extremely nasty, extracurricular activities, is still busy recording with Jo Bogaert. This time the project will bear the name of another species of neither the here nor the there, beware of the -Angelhead-.

Madstone
Gabriel Rios Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He was carrying that madstone that just wouldn't fall away
So he woke up one bright morning to another broken day
Took himself down to the edge of town to the edge of his domain
Tied himself up to the fence to wait
And there he said
Here devil, here devil
Hear me when I call
You been waiting for your moment

You been waiting for my fall
Been running 'round my brain
like you had something to say
So why don't you come tell it to my face? Tell it to my face!
Still raving at the hour
when all the witches meet
While his wife was inside crying
and his children were asleep
They had pleaded with him gently
all along that day
But he wouldn't have it any other way
And he said:
Brace yourself now children
Run along, cuz here they come
My very own abominations laughing in the midday sun He had feathers in his hair
Broken tethers flapping in the wind
and he said Come right in, I'm so glad you came! So glad you came!
And he was made to listen
'til his eyes could hear Hollow words a breakin'
like the dawn up through the hill And he waited until
And the devil said
Boy you are a fire eater
How'd you get to be that way? Lift your eyes and drop that stone We live to fight another day Take it on back from the edge of town
from the edge of your domain
Go back home and join the human race
For who exactly do you think it was you were calling by that name? And who exactly do you think it is that's carrying your name? Yes you are the beautiful number
and this time you get away
But guess who's gonna race you 'till you're dead
'Said boy I'm gonna race you till you're dead

'till your dead
'till your dead

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Gabriel Rios's song "Madstone" tell a dark story of a man tormented by his demons and his desire to confront them. The singer is carrying a madstone, a legendary object believed to cure ailments, that he can't seem to get rid of. He heads to the edge of town and ties himself to a fence, summoning the Devil to face him. He's been running around his brain, and he wants the Devil to tell him what he needs to hear in person. All the while, his family is agonizing and begging him to come back inside, but he refuses. He is so consumed by his inner demons that he welcomes his impending doom, embodied by "his very own abominations laughing in the midday sun."

As he waits, he hears hollow words breaking like the dawn up through the hill, and the Devil appears before him. The Devil tells him that he's a fire-eater and asks how he got that way. He urges him to drop the stone and go back to the human race, where he belongs. He reminds him that he's the one carrying his name, his destiny, and he's the one who will race him till he's dead. The song ends ambiguously, with the singer seemingly accepting the Devil's challenge and the certainty of his fate.

The lyrics of "Madstone" are a potent depiction of the struggle between inner darkness and the need for redemption, between the urge to confront one's demons and the impulse to embrace them. The song is a haunting meditation on the desire to transcend one's human frailty, to bridge the gap between man and the divine, and to face the consequences of one's choices. It's a bleak but powerful message conveyed by Gabriel Rios's evocative singing and the sparse, atmospheric instrumentation that brings out the poignancy and urgency of the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

He was carrying that madstone that just wouldn't fall away
He had a heavy burden that he couldn't shake off

So he woke up one bright morning to another broken day
He started a new day feeling hopeless and defeated

Took himself down to the edge of town to the edge of his domain
He left his comfort zone to confront his problems

Tied himself up to the fence to wait
He prepared himself to face his demons

Here devil, here devil Hear me when I call You been waiting for your moment You been waiting for my fall Been running 'round my brain like you had something to say So why don't you come tell it to my face? Tell it to my face!
He challenged his inner demons to confront him directly

Still raving at the hour when all the witches meet While his wife was inside crying and his children were asleep They had pleaded with him gently all along that day But he wouldn't have it any other way
He was consumed by his madness, ignoring the pleas of his loved ones

Brace yourself now children Run along, cuz here they come My very own abominations laughing in the midday sun He had feathers in his hair Broken tethers flapping in the wind and he said Come right in, I'm so glad you came! So glad you came!
He welcomed his inner demons as if they were his friends

And he was made to listen 'til his eyes could hear Hollow words a breakin' like the dawn up through the hill And he waited until
He was forced to confront the emptiness of his madness

Boy you are a fire eater How'd you get to be that way? Lift your eyes and drop that stone We live to fight another day Take it on back from the edge of town from the edge of your domain Go back home and join the human race For who exactly do you think it was you were calling by that name? And who exactly do you think it is that's carrying your name? Yes you are the beautiful number and this time you get away But guess who's gonna race you 'till you're dead 'Said boy I'm gonna race you till you're dead 'till your dead 'till your dead
He was told to let go of his madness, return to reality, and face his true self

Contributed by Levi A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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