There are two active groups named Masada:

1) Masada is an experiment… Read Full Bio ↴There are two active groups named Masada:

1) Masada is an experimental klezmer jazz collective and compositional project led by John Zorn.

It began as a "songbook" of more than 200 short compositions for small mixed ensemble, written in according to a number of rules, such as the maximum number of staves and the modes or scales used. Zorn formed the initial Masada group in order to record and perform this set of tunes. This band consisted of John Zorn - alto saxophone, Dave Douglas - trumpet, Greg Cohen - bass, and Joey Baron - drums. This iteration of Masada released the first Masada songbook on 10 discs with the Japanese DIW label, as well as live recordings on Zorn's Tzadik label.

In 2003, Zorn composed a second Masada songbook, "The Book of Angels", and vastly expanded the scope of the project by inviting dozens of artists (from multi-Grammy winners to newly-curated ensembles) to record albums for Tzadik based on Zorn's songs. In 2014, Zorn began a third and final Masada songbook, "The Book Beri'ah", which was released as an 11 disc box set in 2018. With this book, the compositional aspect of the project was completed, bringing the total number of Masada songs to 613, the number of commandments traditionally understood by Jews to be in the Torah.

As a result of the size of the project, multiple offshoot bands and ensembles have developed out of it, such as Electric Masada, Masada String Trio, Bar Kokbha, Bar Kokhba Sextet, Mycale, and Zion80.

2) Masada is a 4-piece screamo/hardcore Band from Erlangen, Germany. They released a demo in 2014 and their first album in 2016. In 2021, they unexpectedly released their sophomore album, "II".

The following short-lived acts formerly using the name are currently inactive or disbanded:
a) A hardcore band from Hamilton, New Zealand, who released two EPs via MySpace in the late 2000s.
b) A Swedish psychedelic trance and goa duo formed in 1999, consisting of producers Mathias Westin and Torsten Edwinson, who saw brief success on the MP3.com Trance chart in the early 2000s.
c) A death metal band from Philadelphia, PA, who released a two-track demo on Bandcamp in 2011.

Piram
Masada Lyrics

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A change of mind has moved around
Takes me back to when we met
Forever moved a promise kept
This all implies I don't believe how this would be for
To be with you
Watching your eyes
I can see it in your eyes
Away go away

To be by your side
I travel all night
Away go away

Concept conceived to let me down
And when you leave I can never make my mind up
We're on the move removed too far
Your way of life
It's only me I'm not deceived at all
To be with you
Watching your eyes
I can see it in your eyes
Away go away
To be by your side
I travel all night
Away go away

So far from me to be the same
I'll try again I'm here alone
I shan't forget I feel this way
And all the time you can dance until we meet again
To be with you
Watching your eyes
I can see it in your eyes
Away go away
To be by your side
I travel all night
Away go away
to be by your side
I travel all night
Away go away

To be by your side
I travel all night

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Masada's song "Piram" depict the turmoil and longing of a person who is torn between the desire to be with someone they love, and the reality of the relationship. The opening lines of the song suggest that there has been a change in the person's way of thinking that takes them back to the time when they first met the other person. The phrase "forever moved a promise kept" implies that they made a commitment to each other at some point in the past. However, despite this promise, the person seems uncertain about the future of the relationship.

The chorus of the song reiterates the conflict within the person, as they express their desire to be with the other person ("to be by your side"), while acknowledging the difficulties that come with it ("to travel all night"). The line "your way of life, it's only me I'm not deceived at all" suggests that the person feels like they are the only one invested in the relationship, or perhaps that they feel like they are being deceived. The final verse speaks to the distance between the two, but also to the hope that they will be reunited someday ("all the time you can dance until we meet again").

Line by Line Meaning

A change of mind has moved around
My thoughts have changed

Takes me back to when we met
Reminds me of our first encounter

Forever moved a promise kept
We made an everlasting commitment

This all implies I don't believe how this would be for
I can't imagine how it would be without you

To be with you
I want to be with you

Watching your eyes
Observing your eyes

I can see it in your eyes
I detect it in your eyes

Away go away
Get away from me

To be by your side
I want to be next to you

I travel all night
I journey all throughout the night

Concept conceived to let me down
You came up with a plan to disappoint me