On January 15, 2010, the band released a statement announcing their end.
Brian Cook is now in Russian Circles.
Ryan Frederiksen is now in Narrows.
Steve Sneer is now in Crypts.
Prince Squid
These Arms Are Snakes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"But he's in flux memorandum!"
Caught behind two fuck fearing awful bloodshot eyes.
"Oh god he's coming closer!"
He's Mr. Best, center of everyone's conversation,
and repelled by his wince.
We'd like him best to be strung up
Just like a constellation.
Bring in Mr. Turkey and have him sing along,
"I got the stories to tell ya!"
Wrap him up in rat skin and rock him until his sleeps.
And push him on down stream!
Light up the whole place and have him dance for us.
He's got a past of obsessions!
Write up a story and have him read out loud.
The voice rings of apparitions!
Now this one wants to sit in the back and complain
And draw attention to everyone of his pains,
He eats that shit, to feed the shit in his veins.
Like this one is different when it's all the same.
He's Mr. Best. Center of everyone's conversation,
Repelled by his wince,
We'd like him best to be cut open in the console cavern,
At least he'd make history.
He walks through the tavern just like a squid.
Dripping salt water discharge!
Flops on the bar and proceeds to slither right on in.
Envelopes bottles like he does ships!
Very quick.
I know that you want to be or be square.
You want to be there, to be there, to be there.
You want this to be fair, to be fair, to be fair.
He wants to be there, to be there, to be there.
He came down by the hole. Jumped right on in.
He had no lungs so he didn't bother to swim.
Take all the women. Take all kids.
Throw the dirt in and show him we're still friends.
The song "Prince Squid" by These Arms Are Snakes is full of cryptic and metaphorical lyrics that paint a picture of a character named Mr. Best who desires fame and attention but is repelled by the criticism that comes with it. The lyrics express a desire to see Mr. Best strung up like a constellation or cut open in the console cavern, as though he should be punished for his attempts at being the center of attention. Meanwhile, another character is portrayed as a complainer who draws attention to their own pain as though they are different from everyone else, ultimately leading to a desire to show them that they are the same as everyone else.
The use of the squid as a metaphor adds to the surreal and unsettling tone of the lyrics. Mr. Best is compared to a squid, who slithers into the bar and envelopes bottles like he does ships, while the other character is said to "eat that shit, to feed the shit in his veins", as if they are consuming negativity and pain to perpetuate their own misery. The final lines of the song seem to suggest a willingness to accept these characters despite their flaws, as they welcome Mr. Best back into their circle of friends after he jumps into a hole.
Line by Line Meaning
He wants to be the big shot in your eyes.
He desires to be seen as the most significant person in your eyes.
"But he's in flux memorandum!"
Despite his desire for importance, he is subject to change and instability.
Caught behind two fuck fearing awful bloodshot eyes.
Trapped between two fearful individuals with red, tired eyes.
"Oh god he's coming closer!"
An exclamation of fear as the subject of the song approaches.
He's Mr. Best, center of everyone's conversation, and repelled by his wince.
He is perceived as the best and the talk of everyone, but his facial expression is off-putting.
We'd like him best to be strung up Just like a constellation.
The desire is for him to be punished and displayed like a constellation.
At least he'd finally be a star.
This punishment would give him the attention he craves.
Bring in Mr. Turkey and have him sing along, "I got the stories to tell ya!"
Introducing Mr. Turkey to entertain with his stories.
Wrap him up in rat skin and rock him until his sleeps. And push him on down stream!
Wrapping him in rat skin and causing him to sleep while drifting down a stream is a suggested form of punishment.
Light up the whole place and have him dance for us.
He should be made to dance for entertainment purposes.
He's got a past of obsessions!
He has had past fixations on certain things.
Write up a story and have him read out loud.
Having him read aloud from a written story is another proposed form of entertainment/punishment.
The voice rings of apparitions!
His voice sounds eerie or supernatural in some way.
Now this one wants to sit in the back and complain And draw attention to everyone of his pains, He eats that shit, to feed the shit in his veins.
Another person is described as being a complainer who only talks about their problems and negativities to continue their own negativity cycle.
Like this one is different when it's all the same.
Despite his claims of being unique, he is the same as the rest of the complainers.
He walks through the tavern just like a squid.
He moves through the tavern in a manner similar to a sea creature.
Dripping salt water discharge!
He is oozing some kind of fluid like a squid.
Flops on the bar and proceeds to slither right on in. Envelopes bottles like he does ships! Very quick.
He quickly makes himself comfortable on the bar, taking over the space like a squid taking over prey.
I know that you want to be or be square. You want to be there, to be there, to be there. You want this to be fair, to be fair, to be fair. He wants to be there, to be there, to be there.
The repetition emphasizes the desire for inclusion and fairness, for both the listener and the subject of the song.
He came down by the hole. Jumped right on in. He had no lungs so he didn't bother to swim. Take all the women. Take all kids. Throw the dirt in and show him we're still friends.
The subject of the song enters a hole and jumps in, despite not being able to breathe. The rest of the lines describe a violent action against others while maintaining a false sense of friendship with the subject.
Contributed by Adam B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.