(for the UK band with a similar name see http://www.last.fm/music/Down+And+Outs/ )
Sick Of It All
The Down And Outs Lyrics
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Cruel to himself and generous about it
Cruel to the world, not hard to spot it
Can't give up, shut up on a tirade
Off the top of his head, so ripe becoming rotten
He's hit the wailing wall
He's kissed the wailing wall
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
Failed his name, no care to hide it
Failed escape that's documented
Instilled or distilled, the spike or the chill
It's immolation, the **** of nonexistence
He's hit the wailing wall
To pass out hard upon
He's kissed the wailing wall
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
Headstone tells nothing about him
Headstone reads two decades wasted
A funeral pyre, no one to burn it
Because self-destruction brings misfortune
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
No lower heaven for his bones
Nor handing life back what it's owed
Caretaker careless, what he's sown
Porously reaching his lowest low
The negative has just begun
Joining the war, impossible
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
The opening line “Go slow” sets an ominous tone from the start. The song seems to be about someone who is self-destructive, with a lot of internal turmoil. The lyrics describe this person as being “cruel to himself and generous about it,” suggesting that they take pleasure in their own suffering. They are also “cruel to the world,” implying that they may take their anger and pain out on others. Despite all of this, the person cannot give up and instead channels their emotions into rants that are “off the top of his head, so ripe becoming rotten.”
The chorus repeats the phrase “in the thrall of it all,” which seems to mean that the person is completely consumed by their own misery and despair. The lines “failed his name, no care to hide it” and “failed escape that’s documented” suggest that this person has a lot of regrets and may have attempted to escape their problems in the past, with no success. The lyrics also describe their state as “immolation,” which means self-destruction through fire. It’s unclear if this is meant literally or metaphorically.
The final verse is perhaps the most despairing, with the description of a headstone that reads “two decades wasted” and the suggestion that there will be no one to mourn their death. The person is described as “porously reaching his lowest low,” implying that they are sinking into a kind of spiritual void. The song ends on an uncertain note, with the line “joining the war, impossible,” suggesting that there may be no way out of the cycle of self-destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Go slow
Take your time and reflect on the situation
Cruel to himself and generous about it
He mistreats himself and doesn't even try to stop it, but doesn't mind treating others better
Cruel to the world, not hard to spot it
Everyone can see that he's cruel and cold towards the world
Can't give up, shut up on a tirade
He won't give up, keeps ranting non-stop
Off the top of his head, so ripe becoming rotten
He speaks impromptu and doesn't think before speaking, which can lead to destructive consequences
He's hit the wailing wall
To pass out hard upon
He's kissed the wailing wall
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
He's hit rock bottom and lost all control. He's stuck in a cycle of self-destruction and can't escape it.
Failed his name, no care to hide it
He's failed to live up to his own expectations and doesn't even try to hide it
Failed escape that's documented
Any attempt at escaping his situation has been a documented failure
Instilled or distilled, the spike or the chill
It's immolation, the **** of nonexistence
His actions are burning him from the inside out, and he feels like he's going nowhere in life
Headstone tells nothing about him
Headstone reads two decades wasted
A funeral pyre, no one to burn it
Because self-destruction brings misfortune
His legacy is nothing, and he's wasted over 20 years of his life. He's alone in his self-destruction, and no one will celebrate his life
No lower heaven for his bones
Nor handing life back what it's owed
Caretaker careless, what he's sown
Porously reaching his lowest low
He won't have a peaceful afterlife and won't receive what he deserves. He's careless in his actions, and the negative consequences are catching up with him.
The negative has just begun
Joining the war, impossible
Things are only getting worse for him, and he can't escape the ongoing battle.
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
In the thrall of it all
He's completely lost in his self-destructive behavior and can't escape it.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMMY BOWER, KIRK WINDSTEIN, KIRK MICHAEL WINDSTEIN, PEPPER KEENAN, PEPPER JAY KEENAN, PHILIP ANSELMO, PHILIP HANSEN ANSELMO, REX BROWN, REX ROBERT BROWN
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