Lead vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Fred Cole and bassplayer/vocalist Toody … Read Full Bio ↴Lead vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Fred Cole and bassplayer/vocalist Toody Cole along with drummer Kelly Halliburton, formed the PIERCED ARROWS in Portland, OR in 2007, a few months after Dead Moon's disbandment (previous group the Coles and drummer Andrew Loomis had for the past 20 years) in late 2006.
They have already released their first 7" single, including songs In My Brain/Caroline, a full-length album Straight To The Heart (2008) and second 7" which includes Paranoia/Ain't Life Strange (2008).
You can get updates about the band at their official website (www.piercedarrows.com) or their myspace page (www.myspace.com/piercedarrowspdx) which is actually run by the band members themselves.

Paranoia
Pierced Arrows Lyrics

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I watch their shadows dancing in the light
Something evil coming down tonight
Chains rattling, sparks in the dark
The sound of blades just before they carve
paranoia
Hounds are howling, wolves on the prowl
I don't know what to do
Hairs raise on the back of your neck

When you know they're coming after you

Claws scratching just inside the walls
Red eyes burn, the 13th hour calls
Heavy footfalls dragging like a corpse
A constant creaking, creeping 'cross the floor
Paranoia
Cauldrens boiling, rats crawling 'round
Bones cracking, black heart pounds

yellow teeth, daggers like spikes
Witches bitching, midnight strikes

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pierced Arrows' song, Paranoia, depict a scenario of fear and terror. The opening lines describe watching shadows dance in the light as a sense of impending evil looms. The motif of fear is reinforced by the sound of chains rattling and sparks in the dark, accompanied by the ominous sound of blades being sharpened, all hinting at impending danger. The refrain of the song emphasizes the state of paranoia, a fear of being pursued and hunted, as hounds howl and wolves prowl. The imagery of hairs raised on the back of the neck serves to heighten the senses and prime the singer and listener for the fear that is to come.

The second verse builds on the theme and moves from a primal fear of the wilderness to the fear that comes from within the safety of one's own walls. The imagery is one of claws scratching, red eyes glowing in the dark, and heavy footfalls, all serving to ratchet up the tension and fear. The cauldrons boiling, the rats crawling, and the witches bitching, complete the picture of a world gone mad with fear and hysteria. All of these images and senses serve to heighten the feeling of paranoia, that sense of being pursued by an unrelenting and unknowable foe.

Overall, the lyrics of Paranoia convey a sense of dread, fear, and impending doom. The imagery and language used serve to create a visceral response in the listener and give voice to the fear that lies within all of us.

Line by Line Meaning

I watch their shadows dancing in the light
Observing the shadows of unknown beings flicker before us

Something evil coming down tonight
An ominous feeling in the air, with a foreboding sense that something terrible will happen this evening

Chains rattling, sparks in the dark
The sound of heavy, metallic chains vibrating against each other accompanied by bright, fiery sparks lighting up a pitch-black room

The sound of blades just before they carve
Hearing the sharp slicing noise of a blade being unsheathed and anticipating its use to cause harm and destruction

Paranoia
A heightened psychological state of fear and distrust of one's surroundings, stemming from a perceived threat of danger

Hounds are howling, wolves on the prowl
The sound of wild animals barking and howling in the distance while roaming the night

I don't know what to do
Feeling helpless and uncertain in the face of current danger

Hairs raise on the back of your neck
A physiological response when the tiny hairs on our neck stand upright, indicating that we are experiencing fear, anxiety, or intense emotions

When you know they're coming after you
When one becomes aware that something or someone is pursuing and targeting them for harm

Claws scratching just inside the walls
Hearing the sound of sharp, pointed nails or claws scraping and scratching against the surface of indoor walls

Red eyes burn, the 13th hour calls
The sense of evil or malevolence evoked by the image of burning, red eyes and the eerie significance of the number thirteen

Heavy footfalls dragging like a corpse
The sound of footsteps that feel unnaturally heavy, slow, and clumsy as though moving like a lifeless and decaying body

A constant creaking, creeping 'cross the floor
Hearing an unsettling, constant creaking, and rustling across the ground, giving the sense of something crawling or slithering in the shadows

Cauldrens boiling, rats crawling 'round
Seeing large vessels or cauldrons of bubbling liquid on an open flame, accompanied by vermin crawling and scurrying around them

Bones cracking, black heart pounds
The sharp sound of bone violently breaking and the rapid heartbeats accompanied by suffocating fear and terror

yellow teeth, daggers like spikes
The menacing image of crooked and yellow teeth accompanied by weapons like sharp spikes, evoking a sense of danger and threat

Witches bitching, midnight strikes
The evocation of the supernatural and occult with the word 'witches,' and the ominous magnitude of midnight striking

Contributed by Elijah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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