The Tower
NoMeansNo Lyrics


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The sword of truth is just another weapon
Let me live for just one more second
I see a woman, she's holding flowers
A bouquet of roses that are blood red
From a burning building, a man leaps to his death
I stand above these mansions of the dead
Red tombs and above us looms
The tower
I see red
I see a tower against the sky
Beneath a red unblinking eye
Radiowaves curve and cross
I stand below them - lost!
Above me is a black obelisk
And the dangers that I risk
Here gather the ghosts of the mind
That tear my heart and here I find
All the traps that have been set
Everything I would forget, beneath
The tower
I see red
I see a tower against the sky
Beneath a red unblinking eye
Violence is close at hand
You are damned if you do
And if you don't - damned!
A red eye, tyrant full of hate
Glares from the sky, it's captive state
If it should blink or deviate
A thousand worlds would obliterate
I do not move, nor do I speak
Beneath that hard and pitiless peak
Of concrete, steel and antennae wheels
The tower
I see red




I see a tower against the sky
Beneath a red unblinking eye

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to NoMeansNo's song "The Tower" paint a grim picture of a world dominated by violence and control. The first verse begins with a cynical statement about the "sword of truth," suggesting that even our most cherished convictions can become tools of oppression. The singer then begs for just one more second of life, perhaps in the hope of finding some kind of redemption. Next, we see a woman holding blood-red roses, a potent image of both love and violence. From a burning building, a man jumps to his death, underscoring the theme of self-destruction that pervades the song. The singer stands above mansions filled with dead bodies, a harrowing image that contrasts sharply with the beauty of the roses. Finally, we see the looming tower, surrounded by a red sky and a sinister "unblinking eye." The tower represents the ultimate symbol of power and control, and the singer is trapped beneath it, haunted by the ghosts of the past.


The chorus repeats the phrase "I see red," suggesting both anger and fear. The tower, with its concrete, steel, and antennae wheels, is an ominous presence that dominates the landscape. The singer feels lost and trapped beneath the tower's shadow, surrounded by "radio waves" that seem to cross and curve at will. He is constantly at risk, facing "traps that have been set" and struggling to forget the horrors of the past. The second verse is even more bleak than the first, with the singer suggesting that violence is never far away. The final lines of the song describe a tyrannical red eye that glares down from the sky, threatening to destroy everything in its path.


Line by Line Meaning

The sword of truth is just another weapon
Truth can be twisted and used as a weapon


Let me live for just one more second
A plea to extend life by any means possible


I see a woman, she's holding flowers
Observing a peaceful image amongst chaos and destruction


A bouquet of roses that are blood red
Even love and beauty are tainted by violence and death


From a burning building, a man leaps to his death
Witnessing the desperation and hopelessness of those trapped in tragedy


I stand above these mansions of the dead
An outsider looking down on the destruction of society


Red tombs and above us looms
The remnants of death and destruction that surround us


The tower
A symbol of power and control


I see red
The color of blood, violence, and danger


I see a tower against the sky
The tower is an unstoppable force, overwhelming and ever present


Beneath a red unblinking eye
The feeling of constantly being watched and controlled


Radiowaves curve and cross
Technology can be used to both connect and oppress


I stand below them - lost!
Overwhelmed by the complexity and power of technology


Above me is a black obelisk
Another ominous symbol of power and control


And the dangers that I risk
Every action taken has consequences and inherent risk


Here gather the ghosts of the mind
The mental toll of living in a violent and oppressive society


That tear my heart and here I find
The emotional weight of trauma and loss


All the traps that have been set
The systems and structures in place to maintain power and control


Everything I would forget, beneath
The pervasive nature of violence and oppression


Violence is close at hand
The constant threat of violence and danger


You are damned if you do
No matter what choice is made, there will be negative consequences


And if you don't - damned!
Even inaction has consequences in a violent and oppressive society


A red eye, tyrant full of hate
The tower is a tyrannical force, filled with rage and hate


Glares from the sky, it's captive state
The tower is all-seeing, controlling and manipulating from a distance


If it should blink or deviate
The fear of a breakdown in the system of control


A thousand worlds would obliterate
The catastrophic consequences of the collapse of the oppressive system


I do not move, nor do I speak
Feeling paralyzed and powerless in the face of overwhelming oppression


Beneath that hard and pitiless peak
The tower is an unfeeling and unsympathetic entity


Of concrete, steel and antennae wheels
The lifeless and dehumanizing architecture of the oppressive system


The tower
A constant reminder of the impossibility of escape from oppression


I see red
The inescapable presence of violence and danger in a violent society


I see a tower against the sky
The oppressive forces in society are always looming, inescapable and overwhelming


Beneath a red unblinking eye
Always under the watchful eye of the oppressor




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CARL MCCOY, CARL WISKER, NOD WRIGHT, PAUL WRIGHT, TONY PETTITT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@jackdareviewer8823

Just discovered this album yesterday. Absolutely incredible

@michaelkottler

Agreed. Dropped in '89, I didn't pick up on it until like '91 but one listen and wow, game changing bad-assery.

@Joeybananas100

I saw this song live in Fredericton in 1993 or 1994 or whenever. IT was a game-changer. They had 2 drummers that night. It was the most powerful show I'd ever seen.

@KRIS-KILO

Pure adrenaline. Moves like a bullet. Cannot be duplicated.

@michaelkottler

Abso-f-cking-lutely

@davidhicks2900

These Canadians are old -
But paved the road for some kick ass music. The bass is burned into me and a huge influence!!!

@michaelkottler

Monster track, electrifying and epic beyond all language. Used an excerpt as my answering greeting back in the day. An existential firestorm - "You're damned if you do, and if you don't: Damned!" Evoke that hard and bitter truth, NoMeansNo!

@fotoplastikon.

I remember This song like yesterday.

@simonaskoira

good music nerver gets old - ic about NMN !!! - i should die and return or smth

@SergioIggy

Impresionante, muy buena cancion, me encanta.

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