The Locust are a band formed in 1994 in San Diego, USA. They are known for… Read Full Bio ↴The Locust are a band formed in 1994 in San Diego, USA. They are known for their unique mix of grindcore speed and aggression, complexity, and new wave weirdness. They take inspiration from powerviolence (Crossed Out, Dropdead), experimental rock (Art Bears, Renaldo and the Loaf), and death metal.

The Locust was formed by Justin Pearson, Bobby Bray, Dylan Scharf, Dave Warshaw, and Dave Astor. After a number of personnel changes, they arrived at their current four-piece lineup in 2001, consisting of Pearson, Bray, Gabe Serbian, and Joey Karam. Originally a powerviolence band with a strong tendency towards synth-based passages, they have more recently stripped down much of their past sound, but retained the heavy distortion, synthesizers, screamed vocals, and intense stage presence. On the band's unique sound and live presentations, singer/bassist Justin Pearson has said, "I wanted to change the way people perceive music, or maybe just destroy it in general." Their music is complex, dynamic and fast-paced, often featuring abrupt and inconsistent time-signature changes. These erratic elements are, according to guitarist Bobby Bray, "a reflection of perhaps how our brains have to function in order to be able to do anything in the Western societies we live in."

The Locust have a unique stage presence: costumed in skin-tight, full body nylon suits (which the band refer to as uniforms), they have at times come across to first-time viewers as frightening. The last 5 different suits were designed and made by Ben Warwas. Unlike most bands, which normally have the drums set up behind the other members, the four members of The Locust are usually all positioned in a line at the front of the stage. The group recommends that in order to get the full impact of the music, one should see them live. The Locust boycotts Clear Channel Communications and refuse to play in any Clear Channel-owned venues. This boycott affected a 2005 tour with Fantômas as well as another tour with Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They also have a policy of only playing all-ages shows. The band's lyrics range from stream-of-consciousness poetry to satirical portrayals of mainstream ideas of sexuality to political commentary and critiques of religion.

Inbred America
The Locust Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Run into the darkness of the trees.
Only there you will not be found.
Flee in to the light of the burning sand.
Only there you will not be seen.
They will try to follow you,
Just like they followed those before.
A bastardized culture of inbred fucks.
They aren't going very far.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Locust's song "Inbred America" are a commentary on the current state of American culture. The opening lines, "Run into the darkness of the trees, only there you will not be found," suggest a desire to escape from the mainstream and find refuge in the unknown. The second line, "Flee into the light of the burning sand, only there you will not be seen," is a bit of a contradiction since the idea of fleeing into the light seems to contradict the notion of seeking refuge. However, it could be interpreted as a critique of the American culture's obsession with superficiality and light-heartedness.

The following lines, "They will try to follow you, just like they followed those before," suggest a sense of conformity and a lack of individuality in American culture. The final line, "A bastardized culture of inbred fucks, they aren't going very far," is a harsh condemnation of American culture. The word "bastardized" implies that the culture has been corrupted, while "inbred fucks" suggests that the people who make up the culture are not diverse in their beliefs, mindset or outlook.

The lyrics of "Inbred America" are confronting and confrontational. It is a song about being fed up with American culture, about feeling like you don't belong and wanting to escape. The lyrics invite us to question American culture and the societal norms that are so pervasive in it.

Line by Line Meaning

Run into the darkness of the trees.
Escape from society's watchful eye by seeking refuge in hidden and obscure places.

Only there you will not be found.
Only in the deepest darkness of the woods can you find true privacy and protection from those who seek to control you.

Flee in to the light of the burning sand.
Embrace the harsh, barren landscape of deserts and wastelands where nobody can thrive and normal standards cannot be applied.

Only there you will not be seen.
Only in such stark and inhospitable environments can one truly escape from the eyes of others and live according to their own rules.

They will try to follow you,
Society will always attempt to exert its influence on those who refuse to conform and break away from its norms.

Just like they followed those before.
Countless others before have attempted to escape this same way, but society always catches up eventually, no matter how well hidden they try to be.

A bastardized culture of inbred fucks.
The society they attempt to escape is deeply flawed and corrupt, made up of inbred, twisted individuals who conform to damaging norms and rules without any critical thought.

They aren't going very far.
Ultimately, any attempt to escape from society and its influence is futile and will never lead to true freedom, as the society always has a way of catching up and reining in anyone who dares to deviate from its ideals.

Contributed by Sebastian W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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