At 2004's Cornerstone Festival, the band made a surprise appearance and performed 3 songs on Seventh Star's set. Jason Moody announced at that time that the band was getting back together to work on a new album. Dissapointment with the lack of integrity in today's hardcore scene fueled the re-union of this band to do what they did best for the initial 10 years that they were a band - tell people the truth without fear of being rejected, mocked or ridiculed. Long time guitarist - Corey Edlemann has rejoined the band on guitar with Tim Mason which will see NIV as a 5 piece for the first time in their career. Former xDisciplex AD member - Neil Hartman was added to bass and the line up was finalized.
The band signed a deal with Facedown Records on Oct. 22, 2004 for the release of what will be the bands most anticipated album yet. Lyrically they will be tackling the issue that inspired the reunion - a lack of Integrity in the people that claim to be Christians. Drummer Jason Dunn states it like this: "If the world is to see the truth of the teachings of Jesus Christ, it will be because of His followers living those teachings out in their lives. If you claim to be something - live it. Challenge yourself to not be the hypocrite that people will base their rejection of Christianity on."
Deadweight
No Innocent Victim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Him hard
Don't let him show his ugly head
Beat him down, beat him down
Let him lie
So all can see, he is dead
Deadweight - that drags
Us down
You've got to
Take him out, take him
Out
Crush his head
A violent action justified
Stand your ground, hold your ground
Watch your back
He'll return, forgetting that he has died
I've got to
Put away completely
The old man I used to be
So now I must kill him daily
So he can't take control of me
Take him out take him out
Cut him down
Free me from this deadweight
Slowing my discipline, discipline
I must learn
To keep him under authority
The lyrics to No Innocent Victim's Deadweight are heavily metaphoric and speak to the struggle of personal growth and overcoming one's inner demons. The "him" being referred to is likely a personification of the singer's own negative traits or past actions, which they must conquer in order to move forward. The opening lines call for action to be taken against this inner enemy, with the repeated phrases "take him out, take him out" and "beat him down, beat him down" conveying a sense of urgency and determination. The line "a violent action justified" further emphasizes the seriousness of this battle.
The chorus repeats the phrase "deadweight" several times, possibly representing the weight of one's past mistakes or negative behaviors that weigh them down and hold them back. The line "you've got to take him out" reinforces the idea that overcoming one's inner demons is a necessary step towards personal growth and success. The later lines "I must learn to keep him under authority" and "free me from this deadweight slowing my discipline" suggest that this is an ongoing battle that requires discipline and constant effort.
Overall, the song Deadweight is a powerful anthem about the struggle to overcome one's own weaknesses and negative tendencies. It emphasizes the importance of taking action and fighting against these internal enemies in order to achieve personal growth and success.
Line by Line Meaning
Take him out, take him out
The singer is calling for the violent removal of someone they see as a problem.
Him hard
They want this removal to be forceful and potentially harmful to the person being removed.
Don't let him show his ugly head
The person being removed is seen as something negative or unpleasant that should be hidden away.
Beat him down, beat him down
The artist is advocating for ongoing physical violence against this person.
Let him lie
Their goal is to defeat this person and leave them vulnerable.
So all can see, he is dead
The singer wants anyone watching to know that the person has been defeated completely and will not be returning.
Deadweight - that drags
The person being removed is seen as slowing down the singer or the group they identify with.
Us down
This deadweight is impacting the entire group negatively.
You've got to
The artist is placing an imperative on their audience to follow their advice and take action against this person.
Take him out, take him
The artist continues to emphasize that this person needs to be forcefully and violently removed.
Crush his head
The singer's violent rhetoric now includes killing the person they want to remove.
A violent action justified
The artist sees this violence as reasonable and necessary.
Stand your ground, hold your ground
The singer reminds their audience to be prepared for retaliation from the person being removed.
Watch your back
The singer is emphasizing the danger of the situation and the need for caution.
He'll return, forgetting that he has died
The singer is warning that this person may retaliate or come back even if they have already been defeated.
I've got to
The artist is sharing their personal struggle with this issue.
Put away completely
The artist sees the need to change something integral in themselves.
The old man I used to be
This change is related to the singer's previous self or previous actions.
So now I must kill him daily
The singer is using metaphorical language to describe the ongoing effort they must make to resist their previous self.
So he can't take control of me
The artist wants to prevent their previous self (and the negative impulses and actions associated with that self) from having power over them.
Cut him down
Similar to the earlier lyrics, the artist advocates for violence to defeat the problem they see.
Free me from this deadweight
The artist wants to remove themselves (or their group) from the negative impacts of this person or issue.
Slowing my discipline, discipline
The singer sees this person or issue as something that is impacting their ability to maintain focus or discipline.
I must learn
The artist emphasizes the importance of actively working to improve the situation.
To keep him under authority
The singer seeks to establish themselves as an authority over the situation, potentially using force to make this happen.
Contributed by Chase W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.