Little is known about the Protomen, other than the band is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Because the band often responds to interviews and questions in-character, their own descriptions of their history are delivered with the dramatic flair of their storyline concept and their comments can not always be taken at face value. Their code-names are largely references to pop culture films, song titles, and fictional characters.
The band is composed mostly of MTSU recording program graduates, and first came to be so they could meet class deadlines and the need to record for [their] grades. They produced their first album over two years in various Murfreesboro studios, using analog rather than digital production. Most of the band had graduated and moved to Nashville by 2005.
Group member Commander has stated that their first album was deliberately designed to sound like "distorted pencil sharpeners about 90% of the time" and "was made specifically to go against everything our recording teachers and fellow students were trying to feed us about making everything sound pristine and 'perfect.'. The tracks were mixed on analog tape.
In a 2009 interview, lead vocalist Panther stated, "We basically gathered up all of our good friends from the local rock bands of Murfreesboro, tied ourselves together, and tried to walk. And somehow it worked. At the time, we noticed a void in rock and roll. A hole that could only really be filled with grown men and women painting up like robots and playing some fierce and furious rock music based on a 1980's video game. We were fairly certain no one else was going to fill that hole. But, by god, it's filled now. You can thank us later."
The band has strong ties to the Murfreesboro and Nashville independent music scene, and some members are integrated into several bands simultaneously.
The State Vs. Thomas Light
The Protomen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tom:
Emily, the crowd has gathered here
but it is not because of you.
Emily, the taste of blood in their mouths,
I can't imagine what they'll do.
But it doesn't matter what they'll do to me.
Emily, have they forgotten you
when they set their sights on me?
They will hang me from the rope tonight
Will you be waiting there for me?
Will our souls remember where we said we'd meet
on the way out of this town?
I'm leaving one way or the other, Emily.
There's nothing left here for me now.
Emily, it's so quiet now.
It's like the calm before a storm.
They will punish me for what he did to you
But either way it's all my fault,
'Cause I made the man who laid his hands on you.
And I would tear him down, but I feel like a dead man
and what can a dead man do?
Emily: This is not your fault
Tom: I'm leaving one way or the other, Emily.
Emily: This is not your fault
Tom: There's nothing left here for me now.
Turning his attention to the proceedings...
Here comes the blow.
We find the only man who loved her...
We find the only man who'd give his life
to see her once again... We find this man
Emily: Not guilty!
Tom: Guilty... I am guilty... I am guilty!
The judge entered his chambers. The lawyers and jury filed out of the courtroom, leaving Light, a free man, sitting silently behind the defendant's table. The sound of the mob outside was deafening. Even from within the thickly marbled walls of the courthouse, their rage - their sense of injustice - were palpable. Throughout the trial, the telescreen had told them that their judicial system would ultimately fail them, that the laws of the city were flawed, skewed to shelter monsters like Light, powerless to protect the people. Impotent. Weak. Dangerously out of touch with the times. Obviously, the screen had been telling the truth. Now, it was telling the masses that they would have to take matters into their own hands if justice was to be served.
The lyrics to The Protomen's song The State Vs. Thomas Light tell the story of a man named Thomas Light who was accused and found guilty of a crime he did not commit. The song begins with the aftermath of the crime, where Emily Stanton, a woman who worked at the factory where Light worked, was buried in a beggar's cemetery. Light is shown staggering to her grave, crying and mourning her death. Meanwhile, the media and the masses dissect every shred of evidence to incriminate Light and portray him as a demon. Light then speaks to Emily, saying that he will leave the town soon and that he feels like a dead man who cannot do anything to avenge her death.
In the second half of the song, the scene shifts to the court proceedings where Light pleads guilty despite being innocent. Emily's voice then enters the song, proclaiming that the crime was not Light's fault. Light continues to insist on his guilt as the judge enters his chambers, leaving the court in chaos and the masses feeling powerless and out of touch with justice.
The song highlights the unfairness of a judicial system that can fail the innocent and how it can cause outrage among the masses, leading them to take justice into their own hands.
Line by Line Meaning
Emily, the crowd has gathered here
but it is not because of you.
Despite the crowd that has gathered, Emily, it is not for you, but for the injustice that has been committed.
Emily, the taste of blood in their mouths,
I can't imagine what they'll do.
The people are consumed with the taste of blood and Tom fears what they might do in their anger.
But it doesn't matter what they'll do to me.
Tom is resigned to his fate and accepts that nothing can be done to change it.
Emily, have they forgotten you
when they set their sights on me?
Tom wonders if people have forgotten about Emily and are only focused on punishing him for her death.
They will hang me from the rope tonight
Will you be waiting there for me?
Will our souls remember where we said we'd meet
on the way out of this town?
Tom hopes Emily will be there waiting for him in the afterlife and recalls a place they once mentioned meeting on the way out of town.
I'm leaving one way or the other, Emily.
There's nothing left here for me now.
Tom has made up his mind to leave this world, whether through death or some other means, and believes there is nothing left for him here.
Emily, it's so quiet now.
It's like the calm before a storm.
Tom senses a foreboding calm before the inevitable storm of his punishment and the public outcry.
They will punish me for what he did to you
But either way it's all my fault,
'Cause I made the man who laid his hands on you.
And I would tear him down, but I feel like a dead man
and what can a dead man do?
Tom takes full responsibility for creating the robot who caused Emily's death and feels powerless to do anything about it.
Emily: This is not your fault
Tom: I'm leaving one way or the other, Emily.
Emily: This is not your fault
Tom: There's nothing left here for me now.
Emily tries to comfort Tom, telling him that it's not his fault, but he remains convinced that he has to leave.
Here comes the blow.
We find the only man who loved her...
We find the only man who'd give his life
to see her once again... We find this man
The attention turns to Tom as the only one who cared for Emily and would do anything for her.
Emily: Not guilty!
Tom: Guilty... I am guilty... I am guilty!
Emily proclaims Tom's innocence, but he is consumed with guilt.
The judge entered his chambers. The lawyers and jury filed out of the courtroom, leaving Light, a free man, sitting silently behind the defendant's table. The sound of the mob outside was deafening. Even from within the thickly marbled walls of the courthouse, their rage - their sense of injustice - were palpable. Throughout the trial, the telescreen had told them that their judicial system would ultimately fail them, that the laws of the city were flawed, skewed to shelter monsters like Light, powerless to protect the people. Impotent. Weak. Dangerously out of touch with the times. Obviously, the screen had been telling the truth. Now, it was telling the masses that they would have to take matters into their own hands if justice was to be served.
Tom is acquitted of the charges but is aware of the mob's anger and the flawed justice system that led to his trial. The telescreen promotes vigilante justice, leaving the people to take matters into their own hands.
Contributed by Addison L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dorkandproudofit
The following is a little bit of my idea of how a full film of this album would look, continued from the last track in this channel:
[Cut to WILY's show, as he soundlessly rants angrily and more sensational headlines concerning LIGHT run across the ticker. Cut to a family with small children happily sitting in front of the screen, the children watching with fascination as WILY continues ranting. As "The Hounds" fades away, cut to a bailiff in a courtroom holding a bible as WILY places his hand on it.]
BAILIFF: [spoken] Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
WILY: [spoken] I do.
[The courtroom is absolutely packed with people. The jury features THE PROTOMEN out of costume in plain clothing; LIGHT is sitting in a suit and tie next to his attorney, watching WILY on the podium as the prosecutor questions him...]
PROSECUTOR: [spoken] Tell me, what exactly was your connection to the victim?
WILY: [spoken] Well, she was an engineer who regularly helped us on previous projects. She, Light, and myself eventually grew close. Light in particular was interested in her, though I admit, I had... feelings for her as well.
PROSECUTOR: Romantic feelings?
WILY: [briefly pausing with slight emotion, palming a handkerchief and eyedrops out of sight under the podium, putting a few drops on the handkerchief as he speaks] ...Yes. At first, though, I kept my distance--it was clear she and Light cared for each other. Then after a while, I noticed a change in her reactions to him. She seemed... unsettled about him, and his reactions to her grew more... intense.
PROSECUTOR: What do you mean by intense?
WILY: Well, to be honest, I began to suspect that their relationship had become... abusive to some degree. Not physically so, but the look in her eyes whenever he looked at her definitely showed fear. The night before it happened, she came to me, telling me that Light was scaring her, that she wanted out. She asked for me to help get her away for a while... I said... I told her I couldn't believe Light would actually do anything to harm her... so I didn't... I didn't help her...
[WILY dabs at his face with the handkerchief as he puts on a show of emotion. LIGHT glares at him the whole time. The audience and the jury alike look at WILY with genuine sympathy. LIGHT's face is contorted with anger.]
WILY: That day, after the presentation, he asked me about her. This time, though, he scared ME. He seemed paranoid. I told him I wasn't doing anything, that Emily wasn't the cheating type. He stomped out of the room. I called the police, but... if I had only helped her the day before... It's all my fault. God, it's all my fault!
[WILY cries fake tears into his handkerchief. LIGHT is about to say something when he hears the words "it's all my fault"; a look of shock in his eyes as he sinks down into his chair, mouthing the words to himself. The rest of the courtroom becomes soundless, the trial continuing as the first notes of "The State vs. Thomas Light" play. LIGHT turns to look at the crowd in the courtroom, who look back at him in anger. He turns back ahead and stares off into space.]
LIGHT: [sung] Emily, a crowd has gathered here,
But it is not because of you.
Emily, the taste of blood in their mouths,
I can't imagine what they'll do.
But it doesn't matter what they do to me...
Emily, have they forgotten you
When they set their sights on me?
They will hang me from the rope tonight.
Will you be waiting there for me?
Will our souls remember where we said we'd meet
On the way out of this town?
I'm leaving one way or the other, Emily.
There's nothing left here for me now.
[the jury leaves the room to deliberate; LIGHT clasps his hands together in front of his face as his eyes water.]
Emily, it's so quiet now;
It's like the calm before the storm.
[As he sings the next few lines, tears begin to fill his eyes and he breaks down.]
They will punish me for what he did to you,
But either way it's all my fault,
'Cause I made the man who laid his hands on you!
I would tear him down, but I feel like a dead man,
And what can a dead man do?
[EMILY appears behind him, hand on his shoulder as LIGHT becomes an absolute wreck.]
LIGHT and (EMILY with choir): (This is not your fault!) I'm leaving one way or the other, Emily!
(This is not your fault!) There's nothing left here for me now!
[EMILY fades away from behind him. He looks up to see the jury filing back in. The jury leader is PANTHER, out of costume and in a suit.]
LIGHT: Here comes the blow...
JURY LEADER: We find the only man who loved her, we find the only man who'd give his life to see her once again... We find this man...
[close-up of the jury, now THE PROTOMEN in full costume and makeup singing the lines "not guilty"; cut to LIGHT weeping again as he cries out his lines.]
LIGHT and (JURY/PROTOMEN): (Not guilty!) Guilty!
I am guilty! (Not guilty!)
I am guilty! (Not guilty!)
[The crowd in the courtroom erupts at the verdict; the judge calls for order as LIGHT is led out of the courtroom by the bailiff. The first notes of "Give Us The Rope" begin...]
@SuperLlama42
Album premises you never would've expected to be so emotionally powerful: "Hey, wanna hear my dark and edgy Mega Man fanfiction?"
@velocireapertv7349
Sad songs about robots.
@windextor345
i hate you for phrasing it like that but you're not wrong
@StraveTube
@@DembaraLemoon You have to finish the quote, man!
"We were fairly certain no one else was going to fill that hole. But, by god, it’s filled now. You can thank us later.”
@lupusalbus3795
@@velocireapertv7349 I love it.
Best album name
@darkplasmo7921
if the if fanfiction together with act l is the best one ever made
@Darkmage1293
Could you imagine feeling so guilty....and then in the court, your eyes snap open, hearing "NOT"? Fuck I love this song.
@williambarnes5023
Can you imagine being so crushed that you DON'T hear it. Because the judge's verdict is the LEAST important thing you're thinking about.
@robotcoffin
"Will our souls remember where we said we'd meet on the way out of this town?"
@Threewisejavi
I love the end of the song. How even though the court finds him not guilty what you can really make out more clearly is Thomas Light's own personal verdict...guilty.