The Agonist was a Canadian metal band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 2004… Read Full Bio ↴The Agonist was a Canadian metal band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 2004. The current line up consists of guitarists Danny Marino and Pascal (Paco) Jobin, bassist Chris Kells, drummer Simon Mckay, and vocalist Vicky Psarakis. Originally known as The Tempest, the band adopted their current moniker upon their signing to Century Media in 2007. Touring extensively since their first album, they have shared the stage with bands such as Arsonists Get All the Girls, Epica, the Faceless, Chelsea Grin, Kamelot, and Visions of Atlantis.

The Tempest
The Agonist Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I say!
Why do you grip so hard - that way?
Of what is there left to be - afraid?
Let the waves elope with your empty - remains
They erode your foothold anyway

They mosh, unaware of their own might
Hypnotizing

Shoreward swallowing
They storm me, ganging up on me!
What’s become of the home that supported me?
They spit me back after drowning me
Then slip away, dragging their fingers behind them

But you expel the salt
Sink down lower than the undertow would bring you
You just don’t seem to see
How returning to them is so far beneath you

But then, how come my corpse – it rises up?
And it is my soul that has sunk
Hear!
That sound rings out across the land
Over the roaring waves, through every grain of sand
Is it of loss and pain or made to seduce man?
Listen!
The oohs and aahs of funeral spectators, death admirators
As they bathe in ritual memories and fake tears
Life’s underrated
Jaded and hatred
Isolate you, so abandon your fears

And spread my ashes like a bouquet of seeds
Far up, far out…
To show you what I’m made of
Kill the parasite in every co-dependent
Brain fallen slave to the pull the waves

The pull of the waves
The natural decay
Of all that is made
Is how redemption is paid

But you expel the salt
Sink down lower than the undertow would bring you
You just don’t seem to see
How returning to them is so far beneath you

Say, Dickinson, who do you, do you blame - for your - romantic death wish?
And does it remain true that angry winds feel like a lover’s breath?
That’s why you grip so hard
No! It’s simply condition keeping me locked in!
I could escape if I knew how to swim!
Look, feel, you’re aided
Wind, sun and strangers have come to guide you
So the choice is clear

We’ll spread your ashes like a bouquet of seeds
Far up, far out…
So show us what you’re made of
We’ll kill the parasite in every co-dependent
Brain fallen slave to the pull of the waves

Playfully badgering
Casually capturing
To escape the surface chaos is
To sink – not to swim

You say to release the stranglehold keeping me safely beneath
But, as sea foam rises up, tickles my lips and sinks inside

Doesn’t the choice of future paths become a matter of pride?
When I’ve struggled so hard to excel, why is it so unappealing to survive?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Agonist’s The Tempest explore themes of fear, death, rebirth, and the natural forces of the ocean. The song begins with the singer questioning why someone would hold on so tightly to fear and encouraging them to let go and allow themselves to be carried away by the waves. The waves are personified, portrayed as a powerful force to be reckoned with, and ultimately triumph over the singer as they are drowned, only to be spit back out and left behind. The chorus, with its repeating lines, "But you expel the salt/Sink down lower than the undertow would bring you/You just don’t seem to see/How returning to them is so far beneath you," encourages the listener to reject fear and embrace the power of the ocean, even as it threatens to consume them.

The second half of the song takes a more optimistic tone, with the singer celebrating the natural decay and rebirth of life, and encouraging the listener to spread their ashes and start anew. The lines, "To show you what I’m made of/Kill the parasite in every co-dependent/Brain fallen slave to the pull the waves," suggest that the ocean and its power can be a metaphor for addiction or unhealthy dependencies. The final verse, with its references to Emily Dickinson and the struggle for survival, feels like a conclusion or a call to action, urging the listener to escape the surface chaos and sink down into the ocean’s depths, to be reborn and renewed.

Line by Line Meaning

I say!
Listen to me!

Why do you grip so hard - that way?
Why are you holding on so tightly?

Of what is there left to be - afraid?
What is there left to fear?

Let the waves elope with your empty - remains
Let the waves take your empty body

They erode your foothold anyway
The waves will wash away your footing

They mosh, unaware of their own might
The waves crash without realizing their own power

Hypnotizing
Mesmerizing

Shoreward swallowing
Swallowing everything towards the shore

They storm me, ganging up on me!
The waves attack me, coming in a group

What’s become of the home that supported me?
What happened to the place that gave me shelter?

They spit me back after drowning me
After drowning me, the waves let me go

Then slip away, dragging their fingers behind them
Then they disappear, leaving their mark behind

But you expel the salt
But you reject the sea

Sink down lower than the undertow would bring you
Go deeper than the undertow pulls you

You just don’t seem to see
You don't understand

How returning to them is so far beneath you
How going back to the waves is below you

But then, how come my corpse – it rises up?
But why does my body rise?

And it is my soul that has sunk
But my soul has sunk

Hear!
Listen!

That sound rings out across the land
That noise echoes everywhere

Over the roaring waves, through every grain of sand
Over the loud waves and through every particle of sand

Is it of loss and pain or made to seduce man?
Is it about suffering or a way to lure men?

Listen!
Pay attention!

The oohs and aahs of funeral spectators, death admirators
The sounds of funeral attendees, people who admire death

As they bathe in ritual memories and fake tears
As they immerse themselves in ritual memories and false tears

Life’s underrated
People don't appreciate life enough

Jaded and hatred
We're tired and full of hate

Isolate you, so abandon your fears
Isolation makes you afraid, so let go of your fears

And spread my ashes like a bouquet of seeds
Spread my ashes like a bunch of seeds

Far up, far out…
To distant places

To show you what I’m made of
To show you my true self

Kill the parasite in every co-dependent
Get rid of anything that depends on you

Brain fallen slave to the pull the waves
Brain enslaved by the pull of the waves

The natural decay
The way things naturally break down

Of all that is made
Of everything that exists

Is how redemption is paid
Is how we pay for our mistakes

Say, Dickinson, who do you, do you blame - for your - romantic death wish?
Dickinson, who do you blame for wishing for a romantic death?

And does it remain true that angry winds feel like a lover’s breath?
Do you still believe that angry winds feel like a lover's breath?

That’s why you grip so hard
That's why you hold on so tightly

No! It’s simply condition keeping me locked in!
No! It's just a circumstance that keeps me trapped!

I could escape if I knew how to swim!
I could leave if I knew how to swim!

Look, feel, you’re aided
Look around, you're being helped

Wind, sun and strangers have come to guide you
The wind, sun, and strangers are here to help you

So the choice is clear
So the decision is obvious

Playfully badgering
Teasing in a playful way

Casually capturing
Capturing casually

To escape the surface chaos is
To get away from the turmoil on the surface

To sink – not to swim
To sink, not to swim

You say to release the stranglehold keeping me safely beneath
You say to let go of what's keeping me safe under the water

But, as sea foam rises up, tickles my lips and sinks inside
But when sea foam rises and touches me, then sinks in

Doesn’t the choice of future paths become a matter of pride?
Doesn't the decision of where to go in the future become a matter of pride?

When I’ve struggled so hard to excel, why is it so unappealing to survive?
When I've worked so hard to succeed, why does it seem unappealing to survive?

Contributed by Madelyn R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS