"Shortly after releasing "As a Dog Returns" in 2010, Victor rejoined Pentagram for a two-year album & tour stint. Upon departing Pentagram, he founded a new project, Victor Griffin's In-Graved."
The Monster
Place Of Skulls Lyrics
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Our ships come ashore
To discover what's already known
And our greed will cost them more
We take what's not our own
Once denied, blood flows
And let the monster grow
Their homes we took as our own
And fly our flag in their place
The riches of the land we acquired
Are rivers flowing with disgrace
White man, shameful woes
Our independence won
The monster took their soul
We wallow in desire
Like pigs in a mire
No rest for the wicked
Like sons of Bitches
Well I'm not too proud
To talk down
To what's done and said
By the monster we bred
Taken what's not our own
And deny blood had flown
Still the monster grows
The lyrics of Place of Skulls' song, The Monster, speak about colonialism and the atrocities committed by white settlers in order to acquire land and resources that belonged to indigenous people. The opening stanza depicts the arrival of the settlers whose hunger for riches and conquest blinds them to the fact that they are taking away what is not theirs. The second stanza talks about how the settlers displace the natives from their own homes and replace their flags with their own. The riches that the settlers acquire through their conquests are likened to rivers flowing with disgrace.
The third stanza mentions the shameful history of white people and how their independence was achieved through the exploitation of others. The chorus then comes in with imagery of pigs in a mire conveying the guilt and debasement the settlers must feel for their actions. The final stanza seems to speak about accepting responsibility for the monster they have created and being mindful of the pain and suffering they have inflicted. The song has a haunting melody and somber lyrics that stirs one's emotions and imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Their fires are burning
There are already people living there, and their way of life is active
Our ships come ashore
The outsiders have arrived and started to land
To discover what's already known
The outsiders have come to take advantage of the people who already know this land best
And our greed will cost them more
The outsiders want more than they have, and it will come at the expense of the people who live there
We take what's not our own
The outsiders are stealing from the people who already live there
Once denied, blood flows
When the outsiders are refused, there is violence
And let the monster grow
This cycle of violence has created a monster that keeps growing
Their homes we took as our own
The outsiders have taken over the people's homes
And fly our flag in their place
The outsiders have marked that the land now belongs to them
The riches of the land we acquired
The outsiders have taken everything the people had and called it their own
Are rivers flowing with disgrace
The way that the outsiders took everything was shameful and disgraceful
White man, shameful woes
The outsiders are referring to themselves and acknowledge that what they are doing is wrong
Our independence won
The outsiders have gained their independence from their home country
The monster took their soul
The people who live there have lost their way of life
We wallow in desire
The outsiders are consumed by greed and desire for more
Like pigs in a mire
The outsiders are dirtying themselves with greed and desire
No rest for the wicked
The outsiders cannot stop what they are doing and will keep going
Like sons of Bitches
The outsiders are acting like aggressive and violent dogs
Well I'm not too proud
The outsiders acknowledge that what they are doing is not something to be proud of
To talk down
The outsiders are being honest about their terrible actions
To what's done and said
The outsiders acknowledge that their actions have consequences
By the monster we bred
The outsiders have created this cycle of violence and destruction
Taken what's not our own
The outsiders are still stealing from the people who live there
And deny blood had flown
The outsiders refuse to acknowledge the violence and bloodshed they have caused
Still the monster grows
The cycle of violence continues to grow and spread
Contributed by Sophia I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.