Wilson Lyrics

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Under a stone
Skin and bone
The children of fear
Are not alone

Rivers of tears
Flesh and blood
An eye for an eye

That's all we've got

Time will be ending
Life's a crusade
For a consciousness rising
Out of desperate state

Power and truth
Desire and trust
Like the wind and the rain
Ashes and dust

Into light and the future
Education is work
Into violent peace
That will conqure the world

We got the power
Excessive force
Industrial soundtrack to the holy wars!

Under a stone
Skin and bone
The children of fear
Are not alone

Rivers of tears
Flesh and blood
An eye for an eye
That's all we've got

We got the power
Excessive force
Industrial soundtrack to the holy wars!

Time will be ending
Life's a crusade

For a consciousness rising
Out of desperate state

Overall Meaning

The first stanza of KMFDM's "Power" introduces us to the theme of fear, suffering, and isolation. It speaks of the children of fear, those who are hidden under a stone, those whose skin and bones may show how deprived they are. These oppressed or vulnerable people, according to the lyrics, are not alone, as they weep rivers of tears and bleed flesh and blood. The stanza also alludes to the vicious cycle of revenge, where the oppressed can only offer an "eye for an eye", perpetuating the very fear they want to escape.

The second verse talks about the urgency of the situation, with "time will be ending" referring to the limited time humanity has to fix its problems. The lyricist emphasizes that life's a crusade, or a spiritual journey, towards consciousness, and that we need to rise above our "desperate state." The following line "power and truth, desire and trust" suggest that the solutions to the problems of fear and oppression can be found in empowering people with knowledge and trust in one another, thereby breaking the cycle of revenge. Ultimately, the lines "violent peace that will conquer the world" hints at the idea that something radical and transformative (a violent peace) is needed to achieve lasting change.

Line by Line Meaning

Under a stone
Hidden and trapped, unseen from view

Skin and bone
Weak, vulnerable and fragile

The children of fear
Those who are afraid, the oppressed

Are not alone
They have support and companionship

Rivers of tears
The overwhelming sadness and trauma

Flesh and blood
Humanity, fragile and mortal

An eye for an eye
Retaliation, vengeance

That's all we've got
Our only recourse for justice

Time will be ending
The end is coming

Life's a crusade
Life is a fight for justice

For a consciousness rising
To awaken our understanding, to realize the truth