Rats And Rope
PHARAOH Lyrics


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Are you really so naïve
Believe the lies you hear
Without so much as wondering
See the world in black and white
Refuse to look between
"You're with us or you're with the enemy"

Reality and fiction
They're both the same in your mind

It's a sickening charade
Pretending what you say
Is something that you know is true
I refuse to be deceived
Your spells don't work on me
I see behind your eyes, there's nothing there

You might see on reflection
That your constant contradiction
Could kill the tune as you

Sing your song (the rats will come along)
Spin your web on and on (until the flies are gone)
Ropes are wound as you
Sing your song (the rats will come along)
Spin your thread 'til its gone (the flies are catching on)

Won't be long...

Forever we are lead astray
Ever blinded to what is true
You liars will face a judgment day
Soon enough we will be coming for you

When the truth has been revealed
And all that you've concealed
Is brought before the world to see
In the face of all your lies
The stones at least will fly
As we who cast them watch you dying

As your feinted conviction
Finally crumbles and falls
For your guilty admission
Voices call as you

Sing your song (the rats will come along)
Spin your web on and on (until the flies are gone)
Ropes are wound as you
Sing your song (the rats will come along)
Spin your thread 'til its gone (the flies are catching on)

Await the break of dawn
But still you spin on and on (until the flies are gone)
Ropes are wound as you




Sing your song (the rats will come along)
Spin your thread 'til its gone (the flies are catching on)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pharaoh's song "Rats And Rope" deal with the issue of blind faith and the willingness of many people to swallow whatever lies and half-truths are presented to them without question. The chorus of the song presents this idea very clearly: "Sing your song, the rats will come along / Spin your web on and on, until the flies are gone / Ropes are wound as you sing your song, the rats will come along / Spin your thread til it's gone, the flies are catching on."


The verses of the song deal with the idea that many people see the world in a very simplistic way, dividing it into black and white categories ("You're with us or you're with the enemy"), without bothering to try to understand the complexities that lie between these extremes. The lines "Reality and fiction / They're both the same in your mind" suggest that for many people, what is true and what is false are not necessarily separate things, but rather two sides of the same coin.


The song ends with a warning to those who choose to propagate these lies: "Soon enough we will be coming for you... As we who cast them watch you dying." This suggests that there will come a time when those who have perpetuated these falsehoods will be held accountable for their actions.


Line by Line Meaning

Are you really so naïve
Do you truly lack experience and judgment?


Believe the lies you hear
Accept falsehoods as truth.


Without so much as wondering
Without even a hint of reflexive thought.


See the world in black and white
Perceive the world as divided into good and evil.


Refuse to look between
Choose to ignore any shades of gray or complexity.


"You're with us or you're with the enemy"
Adopt a simplistic worldview where any disagreement is equated with being an enemy.


Reality and fiction
Actual circumstances and invented ones.


They're both the same in your mind
There is no difference between what's real and what's not in your perception.


It's a sickening charade
It's a revolting game of pretense.


Pretending what you say
Make believe that your words have a basis in truth.


Is something that you know is true
Act like you're confident of the veracity of what you're saying.


I refuse to be deceived
I decline to be tricked or cheated.


Your spells don't work on me
Your incantations don't have an effect on me.


I see behind your eyes, there's nothing there
I recognize there's emptiness lurking behind your words and behavior.


You might see on reflection
If you think about it later.


That your constant contradiction
Your repeated inconsistency.


Could kill the tune as you
Could slaughter your song, which symbolizes your worldview.


Sing your song (the rats will come along)
Express your beliefs (the rats, representative of opportunistic individuals, will join).


Spin your web on and on (until the flies are gone)
Continue spreading your deception (until people are no longer finding it appealing).


Ropes are wound as you
The ties that will ensnare you in your deception are being created.


Won't be long...
It'll happen shortly.


Forever we are lead astray
Eternally, we're misguided.


Ever blinded to what is true
Permanently unable to see veracity.


You liars will face a judgment day
You deceivers will experience a day of reckoning.


Soon enough we will be coming for you
We will arrive to exact retribution.


When the truth has been revealed
Upon disclosure of actuality.


And all that you've concealed
And everything you've hidden.


Is brought before the world to see
Becomes public knowledge.


In the face of all your lies
In spite of your deceit.


The stones at least will fly
At least rocks will be hurled at you.


As we who cast them watch you dying
As we who threw them observe you perishing.


As your feinted conviction
Because your pretended belief.


Finally crumbles and falls
Eventually collapses and tumbles down.


For your guilty admission
Because you acknowledged culpability.


Voices call as you
Various individuals shout at you.


Await the break of dawn
Expect the emergence of daybreak.


But still you spin on and on (until the flies are gone)
Continue your deception for as long as possible (until no one else believes it).


Ropes are wound as you
The cords are being constructed to trap you in your falsehoods.


Sing your song (the rats will come along)
Propagate your beliefs (the rats, symbolizing opportunistic people, will follow).


Spin your thread 'til its gone (the flies are catching on)
Keep spreading your deceit until none remain gullible (the flies realize they're being deceived).




Contributed by Savannah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

A1C WISE Gibson

Ultimately the best progressive rock and roll band ever and haven’t still released another album

DonCarnage42

For nine years no new album, but now I'm looking forward to The Powers That Be to be released in June. Here's the song Lost in the Waves of the coming album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_3PxoQgvtA

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