Ape Uprising
Slough Feg Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You called us animals
We found the right and used it
Kingdom of cannibals

It's fight or flight
Our strife continues on

We shared your ancestors
You kept us caged like monsters
Simian manifold

It's fight or flight
Our strife continues on
You found the might in
Your opposing thumbs

But our battle's begun
Just a step on the rung
Thought you buried my brain
All your efforts in vain

But our battle's begun
Now you're biting your tongue
All the world is your stage
Until you rattled my cage

Now that your missing link was
Found in the shackled chain
Death to the noble savage
Life to the spoils of Kane

Prodigal Caesar rising
Rolling in leaves of rage
Swinging on vines you'll find him
Locked in his human cage

Dragging this out through centuries
Paleolithic maze
Caught in an endless circle
Chased in a fossilled craze

Corpus of ill-intention
Oedipus bound in chains




Bored of his new inventions
Bankrupt for all his pains

Overall Meaning

The first verse of the song, "You called us animals, We found the right and used it, Kingdom of cannibals", seeks to identify the subject of the song as animalistic creatures, referred to as "Kingdom of Cannibals." They are creatures who have been called animals by humans but are aware of their rights and have fought to secure them. They use their animalistic abilities to assert their power in a kingdom that is reserved for them alone.


According to the second verse, "We shared your ancestors, You kept us caged like monsters, Simian manifold," we can infer that the song is about a group of creatures that share ancestors with humans. However, unlike humans who have evolved and thrived, these animals have been kept caged like monsters, isolated from society. Despite being seen as grotesque creatures, these animals, known as Simian manifold, continue to fight for freedom.


The chorus, "But our battle's begun, Just a step on the rung, Thought you buried my brain, All your efforts in vain," underlines the fact that despite all efforts to keep these animals captive and contained, they have risen up to fight for their rights. Their struggle will continue even though their oppressors believed they buried their intelligence and dreams of freedom. The second half of the chorus "Now you're biting your tongue, All the world is your stage, Until you rattled my cage," expresses how the animal kingdom's liberation has made humans realize their mistake, and it is too late now to prevent the revolution.


Line by Line Meaning

You called us animals
You dehumanized and marginalized us by referring to us as animals.


We found the right and used it
We found the tools to fight back against your oppression and used them to our advantage.


Kingdom of cannibals
You created a society where people are willing to consume each other to get ahead.


It's fight or flight
We're caught in a perpetual struggle where we have to either fight back or flee to survive.


Our strife continues on
Despite your attempts to subjugate us, we remain in a state of unrest and struggle for liberation.


We shared your ancestors
We are not so different from you, as we share a common ancestry.


You kept us caged like monsters
You treated us like animals and confined us to cages, simply because of our race.


Simian manifold
We are complex beings with many dimensions, despite your attempts to simplify us as 'apes'.


You found the might in
You discovered the power of


Your opposing thumbs
Your evolutionary advantage of opposable thumbs.


But our battle's begun
We have finally started to fight back against our oppressors.


Just a step on the rung
This is only the beginning of a long and difficult journey.


Thought you buried my brain
You thought you had rendered us intellectually inferior and incapacitated.


All your efforts in vain
Your attempts to subjugate us have ultimately been unsuccessful.


Now you're biting your tongue
You're regretting your previous actions and words.


All the world is your stage
You thought the world was yours for the taking and manipulating.


Until you rattled my cage
Until you provoked and brought forth our fury and indignation.


Now that your missing link was
After you discovered that your link with us was


Found in the shackled chain
Based on the fact that we were enslaved and shackled.


Death to the noble savage
You seek to destroy the notion of indigenous people as inherently virtuous and pure.


Life to the spoils of Kane
You promote and celebrate the plunder and exploitation of resources at the expense of native populations.


Prodigal Caesar rising
A powerful leader like Caesar is emerging from our community.


Rolling in leaves of rage
Our leader is full of anger and indignation at the way we have been treated.


Swinging on vines you'll find him
Our leader is resourceful and adept at using the environment to his advantage.


Locked in his human cage
Our leader is still confined to the limitations imposed on him by society.


Dragging this out through centuries
This struggle has continued for centuries and seems never-ending.


Paleolithic maze
We are caught in a complex and confusing situation that harkens back to ancient times.


Caught in an endless circle
We are stuck in a repeating cycle of oppression and rebellion.


Chased in a fossilled craze
We are being hunted down and persecuted by society for being different.


Corpus of ill-intention
The dominant group has malicious intent towards us, and treats us as disposable.


Oedipus bound in chains
We feel a sense of powerlessness and are restricted to the roles that society has assigned us.


Bored of his new inventions
The dominant group is growing increasingly desensitized to and apathetic towards innovation.


Bankrupt for all his pains
Even though the dominant group has achieved great things, they have ultimately brought themselves to ruin through their cruelty and oppression.




Contributed by Charlie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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