The song "Colony of Birchmen" from the band's third album (released in 2006), Blood Mountain, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2007. Blood Mountain was followed in 2009 by Crack the Skye, and in 2011 by The Hunter, which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and achieved major commercial success in the United States. The Hunter features the song "Curl of the Burl", which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2012. Mastodon's 2014 album, Once More 'Round the Sun, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and features the band's third Grammy-nominated song, "High Road". The band's seventh album, Emperor of Sand, was released on March 31, 2017, and features the band's most commercially successful song to date, "Show Yourself", which peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in June 2017. The followup single, "Steambreather", peaked at number 18 on the same chart in October 2017. The album's opening track, "Sultan's Curse", earned the band their first Grammy award. Emperor of Sand was the band's first album to receive a Grammy nomination; it was nominated for Best Rock Album.
Mastodon was formed on January 13, 2000, after drummer Brann Dailor and guitarist Bill Kelliher moved to Atlanta from Victor, New York, and met bassist/singer Troy Sanders and guitarist/singer Brent Hinds at a High on Fire show. They discovered they had a mutual appreciation of sludge metal bands Melvins and Neurosis, heavy metal legends Iron Maiden, and 1970s hard rockers Thin Lizzy, and shortly thereafter formed Mastodon. In an interview in 2009, Kelliher revealed that the first time Hinds attended a practice with the band, he "showed up so wasted he couldn't play".
The band recorded a demo in 2000, which featured Eric Saner on vocals. Saner left the band for personal reasons after just a couple of months. After recording a four-song demo and a 7-inch picture disc through Reptilian Records, Mastodon landed a record deal with Relapse Records in 2001. Mastodon released the EP Lifesblood in 2001, and its first full-length album, Remission, in 2002, with the singles "March of the Fire Ants" and "Crusher/Destroyer" (which was also featured on Tony Hawk's Underground). On each of Mastodon's first three full-length albums, the last track was an instrumental composition with a title that related to the Elephant Man.
Artist Paul Romano was responsible for all of the band's album art and backdrops up to 2011. The artwork for the band's fifth studio album The Hunter was made by AJ Fosik, a woodcarver who was also responsible for the backdrop the band used live at the time. Oakland-based artist Skinner, who, in his own words, specializes in "psychedelic nightmare paintings", has taken the reins on Once More 'Round the Sun. "It's going to be a work of art for sure. It's going to be very eye-opening", said bassist Troy Sanders before the album's release. "Very striking. It's from another dimension, and a lot of our music is geared toward that idea—taking you to another planet on songs. It's out there, and I think it's incredible."
Studio albums
Remission (2002)
Leviathan (2004)
Blood Mountain (2006)
Crack the Skye (2009)
The Hunter (2011)
Once More 'Round the Sun (2014)
Emperor of Sand (2017)
Hushed and Grim (2021)
EPs
Lifesblood (2001)
Cold Dark Place (2017)
Show Yourself
Mastodon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Show yourself
I want to see everything you're made of
Tear it down, rip it out
Shed your skin and float it down the river
Lose yourself
Lose yourself
Wild horses ride you through the valley
Come alive
Sail into the void without your worries
You're not as safe as far as I can tell
And I can tell
Only you can save yourself
Soon this will all be a distant memory
Or could this dream be real at all?
Stars align
Stars align
Stars can fall and get you into trouble
Be afraid
Don't be afraid
Speak the ancient wisdom of the desert
You're not as safe as far as I can tell
And I can tell
Only you can save yourself
Soon this will all be a distant memory
Or could this dream be real at all?
Show yourself
Show yourself
I wanna see everything you're made of
Reveal yourself
Reveal yourself
The truth will send a ripple through your body
See your fate
You'll see your fate
Death will come and steal you from the living
Dead and gone
Dead and gone
I'll see you on the other side of fire
The song "Show Yourself" by Mastodon seems to be about shedding one's old skin, embracing change and revealing the true self. The lyrics encourage the listener to let their guard down, lose themselves in the moment and become vulnerable, in order to experience something new and exciting. The song speaks about taking risks, facing fears and embracing one's destiny. It suggests that sometimes one needs to let go of the past and embrace the unknown in order to truly step into the future.
The lyrics "Stars can fall and get you into trouble, be afraid...speak the ancient wisdom of the desert" suggest that there are elements of danger and fear in taking this leap of faith, but one shouldn't let that stop them. The verse "you're not as safe as far as I can tell, and I can tell, only you can save yourself" emphasizes that this personal transformation is the responsibility and decision of the individual alone. The mention of death at the end of the song suggests that this transformation is a matter of life and death, with the potential to mark a rebirth of sorts.
Overall, the song "Show Yourself" feels empowering, hopeful and energizing. The lyrics encourage listeners to embrace change, take risks, and reveal their true selves in order to fully experience life.
Line by Line Meaning
Show yourself
Let me really see who you are
Show yourself
Show me your true colors
I want to see everything you're made of
I want to know everything about you
Tear it down, rip it out
Strip away your facade and be vulnerable
Shed your skin and float it down the river
Let go of your past and move on
Lose yourself
Get lost in the moment
Wild horses ride you through the valley
Let your instincts guide you
Come alive
Be fully present and awake
Sail into the void without your worries
Let go of your fears and take a chance
You're not as safe as far as I can tell
You may be in danger
And I can tell
I have a sense about these things
Only you can save yourself
You need to take responsibility for your own life
Soon this will all be a distant memory
This will all be over soon and forgotten
Or could this dream be real at all?
Maybe this is all just an illusion
Stars align
Things are falling into place
Stars can fall and get you into trouble
Things can go wrong quickly
Be afraid
Be cautious and careful
Don't be afraid
Be brave and take risks
Speak the ancient wisdom of the desert
Listen to the old advice and stories
Reveal yourself
Don't keep secrets, show who you really are
Reveal yourself
Be honest and transparent
The truth will send a ripple through your body
Hearing the truth will have a big impact on you
See your fate
Understand your destiny
Death will come and steal you from the living
We all will die eventually
Dead and gone
No longer alive
I'll see you on the other side of fire
I'll see you in the afterlife
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: William Breen Kelliher, William Brent Hinds, Brann Timothy Dailor, Troy Jayson Sanders
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@knyaz_svyatoslav
Lyrics
Show yourself
Show yourself
I want to see everything you're made of
Tear it down, rip it out
Shed your skin and float it down the river
Lose yourself
Lose yourself
Wild horses ride you through the valley
Come alive
Come alive
Sail into the void without your worries
You're not as safe as far as I can tell
And I can tell
Only you can save yourself
Soon this will all be a distant memory
Or could this dream be real at all?
Stars align
Stars align
Stars can fall and get you into trouble
Be afraid
Don't be afraid
Speak the ancient wisdom of the desert
You're not as safe as far as I can tell
And I can tell
Only you can save yourself
Soon this will all be a distant memory
Or could this dream be real at all?
Show yourself
Show yourself
I wanna see everything you're made of
Reveal yourself
Reveal yourself
The truth will send a ripple through your body
See your fate
You'll see your fate
Death will come and steal you from the living
Dead and gone
Dead and gone
I'll see you on the other side of fire
@ericpederson5591
Show yourself
Show yourself
I want to see everything you're made of
Tear it down
And rip it out
Shed your skin and float it down the river
Lose yourself
Lose yourself
Wild horses ride you through the valley
Come alive
Come alive
Sail into the void without your worries
You're not as safe as far as I can tell
And I can tell
Only you can save yourself
Soon this will all be a distant memory
Or could this dream
Be real at all?
Stars align
Stars align
Stars can fall and get you into trouble
Be afraid
Don't be afraid
Speak the ancient wisdom of the desert
You're not as safe as far as I can tell
And I can tell
Only you can save yourself
Soon this will all be a distant memory
Or could this dream
Be real at all?
Show yourself
Show yourself
I wanna see everything you're made of
Reveal yourself
Reveal yourself
The truth will send a ripple through your body
See your fate
You'll see your fate
Death will come and steal you from the living
Dead and gone
Dead and gone
I'll see you on the other side of fire
@Genhazaell
You Mastodon fans are amazing. Instead of hating because they make a somewhat different music than before, you guys appreciated what Mastodon has produced and kept on supporting them. Cheers!
@nullfather7872
Pretty much just because Mastodon is one of the most mainstream metal bands around today and have a shitload of fanboys.
@dylanwillis1473
null father I didn't even realize how bad it was until they were telling people to go fuck themselves because of a song. They act like they are the better people too.
@dylanwillis1473
+WeShall4ttack Yeah. Somebody in an ultimate guitar forum.
@hellonurd8957
That's how it was.
That's how it is.
That's how it will be.
@gantin100
What I love about mastodon, they're always changing
@Endisupertramp
Record companies: You need to take your videos seriously
Mastodon: No
@reaper-ov-death-
Fellow Traveler the motherload video
@cruzd.k.7450
I dont understand
@kitty5964
love is video....it makes the song even better