Hung Drawn and Quartered
High on Fire Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The candle has burnt through the wax that once covered my eyes
The Pharisees told you, but you knew of the black serpent lies
Come all ye losers, don't you know you're the children of life
Follow me now and we'll burn down the pillars of time

The evil has come and the darkness will cover the light
Above the legions, who will slay the poor and the blind
Warriors that follow, won't you read the sign and the time?
Stand now in battle and we'll crush the clan and their kind





Overall Meaning

The lyrics in High on Fire's song Hung Drawn and Quartered speak of rebellion against oppression and the desire to rise up against those in power. The first line speaks of an awakening, as the candle has burnt through the wax that once covered the singer's eyes. This could either indicate a literal awakening, or a metaphorical one, in which the singer has become aware of the true nature of the world around them.


The next lines refer to the Pharisees, religious leaders in the time of Christ who are often criticized for their hypocrisy and arrogance. They are said to have told the people of their time of "black serpent lies," again indicating the presence of lies and deceit in positions of power. The singer then speaks to the "losers," those who are downtrodden and oppressed, and tells them that they are the children of life. This can be seen as a message of hope, that even those who are defeated can rise up and fight back against their oppressors.


The final lines of the song speak of standing in battle against the "clan," which can be interpreted as a reference to those in power. The goal is to "crush" them and their kind, bringing an end to their oppression and tyranny. Overall, Hung Drawn and Quartered can be seen as a call to arms against power structures that seek to keep people down, and a message of hope that even the most oppressed can rise up and fight back.


Line by Line Meaning

The candle has burnt through the wax that once covered my eyes
I have finally realized the truth and am no longer blinded by lies


The Pharisees told you, but you knew of the black serpent lies
The religious leaders tried to deceive you, but you were aware of their deceitful tactics


Come all ye losers, don't you know you're the children of life
Despite being considered inferior, you are still valuable and important


Follow me now and we'll burn down the pillars of time
Join me in revolutionizing the world and destroying outdated systems


The evil has come and the darkness will cover the light
Bad things are happening and the future looks bleak


Above the legions, who will slay the poor and the blind
Those in power are willing to harm and oppress the vulnerable


Warriors that follow, won't you read the sign and the time?
Those who support change, are you aware of the current situation and the need for action?


Stand now in battle and we'll crush the clan and their kind
Join the fight against those who wish to maintain their oppressive ways, and we will emerge victorious




Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@TheMetalAllfather

"Mold all these riffs, then find my drummer and be like, 'Drummer, there you are, there's a new riff.' And the bass player, he plays the bass line." - Riffmaster Pike, 2002

@douchebagcrew9

This song played at my funeral. I couldn’t think of a song that better summed up my life‘s accomplishments

@davedollar4

I had the pleasure of meeting High on Fire when my old band opening for them when they played New Zealand. They were the nicest guys no rockstar attitude just good fucking guys.

@iamcrookedas

hey what's up bro. Fellow kiwi here (thrash metal, speed metal, heavy metal, doom/desert/stoner rock fan), just wanted to chime in and say that's gonna be the coolest comment to slap on your grand kids when you're old. Legit. I checked out some of your content, solid drum covers, interesting spread of tracks and bands. Keep rockin' brah \m/ * * \m/

@unclestaple

my buddy catered a show they played in Austin once and said the same thing.

@perks6292

1:25 That close-up of Matt's face is epic

@AaronBaker12345

I love how Sleep,OM and High On Fire all have a trademark style of singing.

@semitar6

The drum sound on this album....awesome...

@McAwesomeDelux

Like the encroaching hooves of some terrifying beast

@Boston_420

Pretty much everything on this record is awesome that heavy gritty sound

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