Known for their energetic live shows and concept albums, The Mars Volta formed following the break-up of Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala's previous band, At the Drive-In. Seeking to experiment and expand their sound, Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala recruited Gardner, Isaiah "Ikey" Owens (keyboards), Jon Theodore (drums) and Jeremy Ward (sound manipulation) to form The Mars Volta. The band released their debut EP, Tremulant, in 2002, with Gardner leaving the band prior to recording their debut album, De-Loused in the Comatorium. She was replaced by Red Hot Chili Peppers bass guitarist Flea for the sessions. The Rick Rubin-produced album received widespread critical acclaim upon its release in 2003.
The band's second studio album, Frances the Mute (2005), was self-produced by Rodríguez-López and was the first to feature longterm members Juan Alderete (bass) and Marcel Rodríguez-López. The album debuted at #4 on the US Billboard 200 and became the band's biggest commercial success, selling over 500,000 copies in the US and achieving Gold certification from the RIAA. The band's third studio album, Amputechture, was released in 2006 and was the last album to feature Theodore. In 2008, the band released The Bedlam in Goliath, a concept album inspired by the band's turbulent experiences with a ouija-type talking board. The album's first single, "Wax Simulacra" was awarded a Grammy Award in 2009 for Best Hard Rock Performance. The band released its fifth album, Octahedron, in June 2009.
Following the release of their sixth album, Noctourniquet (2012), and a run of reunion shows with At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta entered a hiatus in September 2012. Rodríguez-López subsequently formed a new project, Bosnian Rainbows, and the band formally broke up after disagreements between Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala. The duo repaired their friendship and reunited in 2014 for a new project, Antemasque, and further At the Drive-In tours and recording sessions.
Reuniting in secret in 2019, Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala recorded a new studio album, The Mars Volta, with Gardner, Marcel Rodríguez-López and drummer Willy Rodriguez Quiñones. The band announced their reunion – after ten years of public inactivity – with an art installation called L'ytome Hodorxí Telesterion, in June 2022. For the band's live return, jazz pianist Leo Genovese and drummer Linda-Philomène Tsoungui were added to the line-up.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mars_Volta
Studio albums
De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
Frances the Mute (2005)
Amputechture (2006)
The Bedlam in Goliath (2008)
Octahedron (2009)
Noctourniquet (2012)
The Mars Volta (2022)
Que Dios Te Maldiga Mi Corazon (2023)
Conjugal Burns
The Mars Volta Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somehow they've made it through the floor
The clocks you set, are they reversing?
Before this visit turns conjugal evermore
Maybe tonight, oh-oh-oh-oh
So my half is waiting filed to a pulp
I got a pain inside that'll rip through the very fabric of time
'Cause I've been with you before, God gave me sin
I've got to get born
Just so you know
There's too many reasons
Too many reasons
Too many ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Too many ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah
Too many re-
You set the silver down to guard me from the weak
You check the spelling for nothing, nothing
You set the silver down to guard me from the weak
You check the spelling for nothing, nothing
You sent yourself the flood
All of this time bedsore containment
Where am I now that the music has faded?
All of this time bedsore containment
Where am I now that the music has faded?
And I'm nowhere near the place
You sent me here to breathe
But I'm drawing closer to the present
And I'll
Find a space with no
Memories
I've got a second chance to inhabit the living
If Goliath wont speak
I'm blinded by heaven
When will your Eden come die?
If the liars that blink
Are bound by the sender
Trinkets you gave have all rusted down
All of this time bedsore containment
Where am I now that the music has faded?
All of this time bedsore containment
Where am I now that the music has faded?
You better steal this chance
To give birth to more
You'll wear those healing damns
Down to the plug
All of this time bedsore containment
Where am I now that the music has faded?
All of this time bedsore containment
Where am I now that the music has faded?
You better steal this chance
To give birth to more
You'll wear those healing damns
Down to the plug
The Mars Volta's song "Conjugal Burns" is a cryptic and enigmatic piece of art that leaves much to the listener's interpretation. The lyrics are abstract and fragmented, and it's unclear what the song is about. However, some clues can be gathered from the imagery used in the lyrics.
The song seems to be addressing a person or a group of people who have some kind of power or authority. The "horseman" that they have brought could represent their soldiers, minions, or enforcers. The clocks that are "reversing" could symbolize the destruction or undoing of the natural order or something that was once certain or fixed. The reference to a "conjugal visit" could suggest a meeting or interaction that is not entirely consensual.
The second part of the song's lyrics seem to be the singer's inner monologue or musings. The reference to being "filed to a pulp" could refer to being drained or exhausted. The "pain inside" that will "rip through the fabric of time" could represent a deep-seated desire or angst that is consuming the singer. They mention having been with the addressee "before god gave me sin," which could allude to a previous life or encounter before they were "fallen." The line "I've got to get born" suggests that the singer is seeking a rebirth or a new start.
Overall, the song creates a surreal and mysterious atmosphere, and the lyrics add to the haunting and unsettling mood of the music.
Line by Line Meaning
The horseman you have brought deserve me
I acknowledge the person/thing that you have brought before me
Some how they've made it through the floor
I am surprised that they were able to arrive in such an unusual manner
The clocks you set are they reversing
Are you reversing the direction of time?
Before this visit turns conjugal ever more
Before this visit becomes a consummation of our relationship
Maybe tonight
Perhaps tonight will be the night we finally come together
So my half is waiting filed to a pulp
I am waiting patiently/quietly, in a state of submission
Used insomnia's been cleansing with floods
I have been unable to sleep and have washed away my problems
I got a pain inside that'll rip through the very fabric of time
I am experiencing unbearable emotional pain
Cause I've been with you before god gave me sin
I have been with you since the beginning of time
I've got to get born
I need to start anew
Just so you know there's too many reasons
There are too many reasons that I cannot stay with you
You set the silver down to guard me from the weak
You have tried to protect me from those who are inferior
You check the spelling for nothing
You are being cautious for no reason
You sent yourself the flood
You brought trouble onto yourself
All of this time
Throughout all of this time
Bedsore containment
Stuck in one place for too long
Where am I now
I am lost
That the music has faded
Now that the happiness has disappeared
And I'm nowhere near the place
I am far away from where I should be
You sent me here to breathe
You sent me here to find life and happiness
But I'm drawing closer to the present
I am getting closer to reality
And I'll find a space with no memories
I will seek out a place where I can start over and forget my past
I've got a second chance to inhabit the living
I have an opportunity to live again
If goliath wont speak
If the big/loud/important people won't speak to me
I'm blinded by heaven
I am confused about what is right or wrong
When will your eden come die
When will your idea of paradise end?
If the liars that blink are bound by the sender
If the people who deceive are controlled by another
Trinkets you gave have all rusted down
The small gifts you gave me have all corroded
You better steal this chance to give birth to more
You need to take advantage of this opportunity to create more
You'll wear those healing damns down to the plug
You will work hard to heal the damage that has been done
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Cedric Bixler, Omar Rodriguez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind