During the band's early years, In Flames had a varying group of musicians recording with them, including many session musicians. By the release of Colony (1999), the group had established a stable lineup. Their sixth studio album Reroute to Remain (2002) showed the band moving toward a newer style of music that moved further away from melodic death metal and closer to alternative metal. This decision was criticized by fans of the group's heavier metal sound; however, it increased the band's mainstream audience and bolstered their album sales. As of 2008, In Flames has sold over two million records worldwide.
Since the band's inception, In Flames have released thirteen studio albums, three EPs, and two live DVDs, their latest release being their thirteenth studio album I, the Mask in 2019. In Flames has been nominated for three Grammis Awards. They won two of these nominations; one for Soundtrack to Your Escape (2004) in the "Hard Rock/Metal of the Year" category, and one nomination for their following album Come Clarity (2006) in the same category.
The Jester Race
In Flames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The answers so silent
Rusty gods in their machine-minds armors
Grind our souls in the millstone of time
The "deathbed harvest" is dead man's banquet
Of mold ridden bread and black, poisoned wine
And we go...our blooded trace;
The Jester Race
Calling our to the gathered masses;
Their answers so silent
And we go...
Embracing the tools of the neo-wolf age
That speak of silence and silence alone
Offering the tokens, the relined idols
To the heirs of the newly raped ground
Inferior even to the transparent winds
Lesser in motion and sound
And we go...
There is no trace of me
In their altered blueprints of life
Gaia impaled on their horns and lances
To fumes from her body give case
As the throng of blind mind savor the scent,
Dream-dead from prosaic and hate
Sun wind strokes the electroheart,
Ignition roars through the corridors,
Stream launching the binary vessels
Vanities in extreme formations
Ride into tomorrow's rigid futile scripts
Of our dying jester race
The lyrics to In Flames's song The Jester Race can be interpreted as a commentary on the human condition and the impact of industry and progress on the natural world. The opening lines describe a relentless pace of life, with the one-way lane symbolizing the forward march of time. The answers are described as silent, perhaps representing the unresponsiveness of the universe to human queries and struggles. The following lines introduce the idea of rusted gods, potentially referencing machines or corporations, whose mechanistic minds grind human souls down. The deathbed harvest is a metaphor for a life unfulfilled and unexamined, culminating in poisoned food and drink.
The chorus repeats the phrase "And we go," suggesting a lack of control and direction in human life. The Jester Race describes those who call out for guidance or meaning, but their calls are answered with silence, suggesting that the universe is indifferent to human suffering. The second verse introduces the concept of the neo-wolf age, a reference to the rise of technology and industry in modern times. The tools of this age are described as promoting silence over all other values, a potential commentary on the dehumanizing effects of labor and productivity. The passage on relined idols could refer to the ways in which traditional values and beliefs have been changed or replaced by modern ones. The inferiority of humans in comparison to the winds emphasizes the smallness and insignificance of human life in the grand scheme of things.
The third verse introduces Gaia as an image of the natural world, impaled on horns and lances by humans. The scent of the burning world is described as savored by the crowd of mindless people who are blinded by hatred and a lack of imagination. The final lines describe the triumph of industry and technology over humanity, reducing people to rigid, predictable scripts in a "dying jester race."
Line by Line Meaning
Rush faster on the one-way lane
We are moving quickly down the road of life, with no turning back.
The answers so silent
Despite our progress, we have yet to find any answers or solutions to the problems we face.
Rusty gods in their machine-minds armors
The leaders and powers that be are old and outdated, relying on technology instead of real solutions.
Grind our souls in the millstone of time
Our lives are being worn down by the passage of time, leaving us exhausted and worn thin.
The 'deathbed harvest' is dead man's banquet
As we near the end of our lives, we realize that everything we have strived for is meaningless.
Of mold ridden bread and black, poisoned wine
The things we thought were desirable and of value have turned out to be toxic and unappetizing.
And we go...our steps so silent
We continue on with our lives, silently struggling with our thoughts and emotions.
And we go...our blooded trace;
Despite our best efforts, our actions will leave a mark on the world long after we are gone.
The Jester Race
We are all just players in the game of life, just going through the motions.
Calling our to the gathered masses;
We cry out to those around us, hoping to find someone who understands our struggles.
Their answers so silent
Despite our pleas for help, we receive no response or assistance from those around us.
Embracing the tools of the neo-wolf age
We adopt the latest ideas and trends, hoping that they will bring us closer to a solution or enlighten us in some way.
That speak of silence and silence alone
The new ideas and trends we adopt are centered around the concept of silence, or not speaking up when we see something wrong.
Offering the tokens, the relined idols
We present our new ideas and trends as a cure-all for the world's problems, but they are no more effective than the old ways.
To the heirs of the newly raped ground
We try to sell our ideas to the younger generations, but they too are mired in the same problems as the generations before them.
Inferior even to the transparent winds
Our efforts are shown to be ineffective when compared to the natural forces of the world, such as the wind.
Lesser in motion and sound
Our efforts pale in comparison to the grand movements and sounds of nature.
There is no trace of me
The individual is lost in the chaos and noise of the world, leaving no mark on it.
In their altered blueprints of life
The world has changed so much that the plans and ideas of the past are no longer relevant or effective.
Gaia impaled on their horns and lances
We are causing great harm to the planet, ignoring the damage we are doing to the environment in our endless quest for progress.
To fumes from her body give case
We are slowly killing the planet with our pollution, and it is only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down.
As the throng of blind mind savor the scent,
Despite the obvious signs of impending disaster, people are still blissfully unaware and indifferent to the world around them.
Dream-dead from prosaic and hate
People are living dull, unfulfilling lives consumed by hatred and trivialities, and are largely ignorant of the bigger picture.
Sun wind strokes the electroheart,
Technology is advancing at an alarming pace, and we are becoming increasingly reliant on it to live our lives.
Ignition roars through the corridors,
Despite the dangers it poses, technology is advancing faster and faster with each passing day.
Stream launching the binary vessels
We are connecting ourselves to technology in new and dangerous ways, giving it more control over our lives than ever before.
Vanities in extreme formations
Our obsession with ourselves and our own desires has reached new heights, leading us down dangerous, narcissistic paths.
Ride into tomorrow's rigid futile scripts
Our fixation on ourselves and our own desires is leaving us unprepared for the future, and is ultimately futile in the grand scheme of things.
Of our dying jester race
We are all just clowns in the grand circus of life, ultimately doomed to failure and demise.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDERS PAR FRIDEN, BJOERN INGVAR GELOTTE, JESPER CLAES HAAKAN STROEMBLAD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind