House of Cards
Piet Louter Lyrics
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Any story suiting well.
They were told about an afterlife and it got them to conceive
Of a heaven and of a hell.
Cunning people took advantage of this silly state of mind
And just got hold upon the crowd.
They proclaimed the gospel of peace and love,
But took the power all about.
But how it would come down
And all those sacred figures would fall onto the ground.
It would be rationally stripped of its hearts.
It would turn out to be an unsteady house of cards.
In later times they went on making up all sorts of things
Got people tied to their device.
By firmly underlining what it would bring;
Eternal life in paradise.
So self-interest changed people into a tame flock of sheep
Looking up to the herder.
Who′s watching over and keep them asleep
And from looking any further.
But how it would come down
And all those sacred figures would fall onto the ground.
It would be rationally stripped of its hearts.
And just turn out to be an unsteady house of cards.
In modern times people should know better than that
And wake from their illusions.
And rather be guided by reason and fact
To come to their conclusions.
Cause now it's coming down
And all sacred figures are falling to the ground.
Now it′s rationally stripped of the hearts,
Those once were the pillars of a groundless house of cards.
The lyrics in Piet Louter's House of Cards explore the history of human belief systems and how they have been constructed like a shaky house of cards. The song examines how early societies were easily influenced by powerful leaders who manipulated their faith for personal gain, leading people to believe in an afterlife and the potential for eternal paradise or damnation. The lyrics suggest that cunning people got hold of the crowd, and although they proclaimed the gospel of peace and love, they took power all about.
As time passed, the song suggests that people continued to be duped into believing in made-up things that would bring them eternal life in paradise. These people become a "tame flock of sheep" who look up to the herder to watch over and keep them asleep, so they don't look any further. However, the song suggests that we should wake up from our illusions and be guided by reason and fact to come to our conclusions.
The song concludes by suggesting that now is the time of reckoning. The sacred figures that people once believed in are falling to the ground, and the house of cards that was once the pillars of these belief systems is unsteady and falling apart. Ultimately, the lyrics suggest that it is crucial to examine our belief systems and ensure that they are based on reason, rather than blind faith.
Line by Line Meaning
In ancient times most people were so credulous, they believed
Any story suiting well.
In the past, people were very gullible and would believe any story that suited them.
They were told about an afterlife and it got them to conceive
Of a heaven and of a hell.
They were made to believe that there was an afterlife which led to them thinking of heaven and hell.
Cunning people took advantage of this silly state of mind
And just got hold upon the crowd.
They proclaimed the gospel of peace and love,
But took the power all about.
Manipulative people took advantage of this naive state of mind and gained control of the masses. They preached about peace and love but used it to gain power over others.
But how it would come down
And all those sacred figures would fall onto the ground.
It would be rationally stripped of its hearts.
It would turn out to be an unsteady house of cards.
But this false narrative would eventually collapse, and all the revered figures associated with it would lose their power. The shaky foundation supporting it would be exposed.
In later times they went on making up all sorts of things
Got people tied to their device.
By firmly underlining what it would bring;
Eternal life in paradise.
Later on, people continued to fabricate stories to keep others under their control. They reinforced these stories by promising eternal life in paradise.
So self-interest changed people into a tame flock of sheep
Looking up to the herder.
Who′s watching over and keep them asleep
And from looking any further.
Self-interest caused people to become obedient followers, blindly trusting their leaders. These leaders kept them in a state of ignorance to maintain their control over them.
But how it would come down
And all those sacred figures would fall onto the ground.
It would be rationally stripped of its hearts.
And just turn out to be an unsteady house of cards.
But just like before, this facade would eventually crumble, and the revered figures associated with it would lose their power. The shaky foundation supporting it would be exposed once again.
In modern times people should know better than that
And wake from their illusions.
And rather be guided by reason and fact
To come to their conclusions.
In today's world, people should be more aware and not fall for these illusions. They should rely on reason and evidence to form their own conclusions.
Cause now it's coming down
And all sacred figures are falling to the ground.
Now it′s rationally stripped of the hearts,
Those once were the pillars of a groundless house of cards.
And now, as predicted, the falsehoods and revered figures associated with it are being exposed and losing their influence. The faulty foundation on which it all stood is now laid bare.
Contributed by Ryan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.