There is no break or transition between “Son et Lumière” and “Inertiatic ESP”, and the two songs have often been performed live as a single item.
Based on a short story written by vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala and sound manipulation artist Jeremy Ward, the album tells the story of a man named Cerpin Taxt, lying in a comatose state and hallucinating from an overdose of morphine and rat poison.
The lyrics are opaque and filled with symbolism and drug-induced verbosity. Cedric has admitted that some of his lyrics simply come out in the moment; emotions he tried to capture in words in the recordings.
Inertiatic ESP
The Mars Volta Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Last night I heard lepers
Flinch like birth defects
It's musk was fecal in origin
It said I'm lost
I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Dolls wreck the minced meat of pupils
Cast in oblong arms length
The hooks have been picking their scabs
Where wolves hide in the company of men
It said
I'm lost
I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Are you peaking in the red
Perforated at the neck
What of this mongrel architect?
A broken arm of sewers set
Past present and future tense
Clipside of the pinkeye fountain
What of this mongrel architect?
A broken arm of sewers set
Past present and future tense
Clipside of the pinkeye fountain
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Now I'm lost
It's been said
Long time ago
You'll be the first
And last to know
Ah
You'll never know
Ah
You'll never know
You'll never know
You'll never know
The lyrics to The Mars Volta's song Inertiatic ESP are full of ambiguity and surrealism. The words vividly evoke images of grotesque and macabre scenes that are further underscored by the band's chaotic, experimental sound. The opening lines of the song set the tone for this bizarre journey: "Last night I heard lepers flinch like birth defects. It's musk was fecal in origin, as the words dribbled off of its chin." These lines are striking in their use of grotesquerie, and the contrast between the "birth defects" of the lepers and the "fecal" quality of their musk only heightens the sense of unease.
As the song continues, further surreal images are presented: "Dolls wreck the minced meat of pupils, cast in oblong arm's length. The hooks have been picking their scabs where wolves hide in the company of men." These lines suggest a kind of decay or corruption of innocence, with the dolls representing some childlike innocence and the wolves representing some corrupting force. The theme of being "lost" is repeated throughout the song, as if the singer is trying to find his way through this maze of disturbing images.
The song's powerful, driving rhythm and Omar Rodríguez-López's searing guitar riffs create an intense, almost overwhelming sonic experience. The fusion of progressive rock, punk, and Latin music that characterizes The Mars Volta's style is on full display here, making Inertiatic ESP one of the band's most definitive and beloved songs.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I'm lost
The singer is currently feeling lost and directionless.
Last night I heard lepers
Flinch like birth defects
It's musk was fecal in origin
As the words dribbled off of its chin
The singer heard something eerie and unpleasant (possibly a hallucination), and cannot shake the unsettling feeling it gave them.
It said I'm lost
I'm lost
Now I'm lost
The unsettling thing that the singer heard reiterated their own feelings of being lost and added to their unease.
Dolls wreck the minced meat of pupils
Cast in oblong arms length
The hooks have been picking their scabs
Where wolves hide in the company of men
There are many unsettling things around the artist that seem to be compounding their feelings of being lost and uneasy.
Are you peaking in the red
Perforated at the neck
What of this mongrel architect
A broken arm of sewers set
Past present and future tense
Clipside of the pinkeye fountain
The artist is experiencing disorienting and possibly painful sensations and begins to question the meaning of their surroundings and circumstances.
Now I'm lost
The singer continues to feel lost and uncertain about their situation.
It's been said
Long time ago
You'll be the first and last to know
You'll never know
The singer is grappling with an existential mystery or dilemma that they may never fully understand or resolve, adding to their feelings of being lost and uncertain.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Cedric Bixler, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Maquetilandia
Now I'm lost
Last night I heard lepers
Flinch like birth defects
It's musk was fecal in origin
As the words dribbled off of its chin
It said I'm lost
I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Dolls wreck the minced meat of pupils
Cast in oblong arms length
The hooks have been picking their scabs
Where wolves hide in the company of men
It said
I'm lost
I'm lost
Now I'm lost
Are you peaking in the red
Perforated at the neck
What of this mongrel architect
A broken arm of sewers set
Past present and future tense
Clipside of the pinkeye fountain
Now I'm lost
It's been said
Long time ago
You'll be the first and last to know
You'll never know
@richarddoyle2504
These dudes were communicating from a different plane. Spirit writing, incredible musicianship.
@jakubeugeniuszskomorowski8371
Those guys are underrated af. I don't really like the term "underrated" because people have different tastes, but they're one of the best rock bands from the 21st century. Like holy shit, I feel like if they happened in the 70's or 80's they would be popular like Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin, even to this day. If you look at rock bands that gained popularity in this century, like Kings of Leon for example, they really don't have the kick that The Mars Volta does. Shame they weren't advertised more, they could have been the world's biggest rock band during the span of their career.
@mariamusic9076
Jakub Eugeniusz Skomorowski Totally agree
@nowone666
it really is a huge shame so little ppl actually know and listen to them
@lucasmontenegro8938
Maybe they would be big in the 60s or 70s because people were listening to elaborate music back then, but not today (or 10 years ago). The reason why they weren't advertised more is because the record label knows that no matter how good they are, people want to listen to 4-chord songs with a catchy chorus, easy lyrics and a good looking face topping the package. The Mars Volta instead made complex music, concept albums, complicated lyrics... TMV is the real deal but they're too much for the regular public who wants some Coldplay-like band (not saying they aren't good, their music is just plain simple) and the fact that they're not known as they should be kinda only proves that.
@spiralmind9589
They are underrated yes. They are genius of music, does not matter the taste of each one to do this evaluation.
@zen_arcade
Well they couldn't have existed back then because most of their non-prog influences didn't exist yet (post-hardcore mostly)
@danielgaliciacetina2576
This is the greatest band of the 00's period.
@alexweibel6636
Agreed!
@KennyPatton79
Deloused is one of the best rock albums ever made! Period! Not a bad song on this album!!