Shadow Of The Swastika
TYR Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And your father's misdeeds are his son's to carry in shame
Not mine I'll take no part
You can shove the sins of the your father where no light may pass
And kiss my Scandinavian ass
Pages of the past
How long will they last?
Pages of the past
How long will they last?
The shadow of the Swastika by fools' fears now for far too long has been cast
You who think the hue of your hide means you get to blame
The black for your own faults and so bring humanity shame
Make sure you count me out of the ranks of your inbred morons
With your sewer gas and kiss my Scandinavian ass
Pages of the past
How long will they last?
A lie lost in the legacy of fools left us this parody unsurpassed
Pages of the past
How long will they last?
The shadow of the Swastika by fools' fears now for far too long has been cast
Pages of the past
How long will they last?
A lie lost in the legacy of fools left us this parody unsurpassed
Pages of the past
How long will they last?
The shadow of the Swastika by fools' fears now for far too long has been cast
The lyrics to Týr's song "Shadow Of The Swastika" seem to be a commentary on the idea of inherited guilt and shame, particularly as it relates to issues of race and ethnicity. The opening lines suggest that some people believe that individuals should be held responsible for the supposed sins of their ancestors, based solely on the color of their skin. The singer flatly refuses to accept this notion, stating that they will not carry the burden of another's misdeeds.
The rest of the song critiques the lasting legacy of the Nazi regime, which continues to haunt both Germany and the wider world. The line "the shadow of the Swastika by fools' fears now for far too long has been cast" seems to suggest that the symbol of the Swastika, though long since relegated to the dustbin of history, still has the power to inspire fear and distrust. The repeated refrain of "Pages of the past, how long will they last?" implies a weariness with the ongoing effects of events that happened decades ago, and a desire to move on and leave those horrors behind.
Overall, "Shadow Of The Swastika" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that challenges us to examine our own attitudes towards guilt, responsibility, and the legacy of past atrocities.
Line by Line Meaning
You who think the hue of your hide means you are to blame
You believe that the color of your skin is a reason for you to face blame and guilt for the sins of your ancestors.
And your father's misdeeds are his son's to carry in shame
You believe that the actions of your father are a reason for you to bear shame and guilt, passed down from generation to generation.
Not mine I'll take no part
I reject this belief and will not take part in shouldering the burden of the sins of the past.
You can shove the sins of the your father where no light may pass
You can keep the sins of your ancestors and the shame that comes with them hidden away and unacknowledged.
And kiss my Scandinavian ass
I refuse to partake in or be affected by the legacy of shame, and you can kiss my Scandinavian ass as a symbol of my defiance.
Pages of the past
The history and legacy of the past.
How long will they last?
How long will these pages continue to affect our present and future?
A lie lost in the legacy of fools left us this parody unsurpassed
A lie, spread by foolishness and ignorance, has become a part of our history and continues to be perpetuated, leading to a situation that is beyond parody or satire.
The shadow of the Swastika by fools fears now for far too long has been cast
The fear and paranoia caused by the Swastika, a symbol of hate and evil, has been cast for far too long by fools, leading to a legacy of fear and shame that still affects us today.
Contributed by Daniel D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jessejisk9918
@Týr oh cool so y'all were only even addressing the fact that Nordic and Germanic imagery is used by fascists because otherwise you couldn't make a song about white guilt 😑
That's soooo much better
I get it's shitty you guys were almost blocked from playing a show and that that's really frustrating as an artist but instead of taking that as an opportunity to firmly denounce fascism since it came up you guys basically made a song to whine about white guilt and only denounced fascism for PR.
You guys could have improved the scene by telling the fascists to fuck off, you guys could have taken a stance and improved the image that viking metal and Nordic/Germanic heritage have to the general public but instead y'all did this.
Spotify can tell you guys I've basically listened to every song on repeat through various phases of my life so im incredibly inclined to give y'all the benefit of the doubt, but holy shit this is so gross
@ulghoti7044
I think it's a real shame that this song will go unnoticed or unregarded by so many simply because of the title. It's so damn good
@Tyrband
Thank you. It does help when people like and share :)
- Heri
@Dark_Lord_Mr_B
@Týr I just shared it with someone who needed to discover Tyr
@Cybersomnia
It's been so long since I've listened to Týr
Just as good as the first time...
@Tyrband
We’re very glad you think so 🤘🏻😎 Welcome back 🎵🎶
@user-yh4zm4td8z
I love the meaning and story behind this song. Nothing gets in your way Heri!
@Tyrband
Struggle on :)
- Heri
@HeyHeyDoYouLikeTacos
The entire album is killer. Incredibly underrated! Evening Star hits in a way not many other songs have. Makes me want to sing it to my children as a nursery rhyme so they will always remember I love them even if life takes me far away.
I don't even have kids haha
@Tyrband
I'm glad you say that.
- Heri
@CharcoalLord
I first downloaded this song as a very young girl (11 or 12 years old at the time, lol) from a family of metalheads not knowing English very well at the time (it is my second language) , I just really liked the voice and the whole musical vibe of it. And now, coming back to it many years later knowing English quite well already I started to love it even more, now because of the lyrics as well, absolutely genius lyrics, by the way! I applaud to you, amazing artists!