1. Thou is a doom/s… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two bands with the name Thou.
1. Thou is a doom/sludge/drone metal band from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Their lyrics deal mostly with social decay, death and general despair. All of their recorded music, after a period of time, is posted for free on Bandcamp or here
Despite having only released five full-lengths — Tyrant, Peasant, Summit, Heathen, and Magus — Thou have an extensive and varied discography. The band have released several EPs, including a collection of Black Sabbath covers Through the Empires of Eternal Void and splits/collaborations with bands such as Kowloon Walled City, Leech, Emma Ruth Rundle, The Body and Hell.
Thou are quite involved in the New Orleans DIY scene, and, as stated above, make all of their music available for free.
2. Another Thou is a Belgian band. Early on, they had an electro sound, but have grown to sound more along the lines of pop rock. It is said that Thou is the most underestimated band in the Belgian music scene because of their already ten year long career and with very little success. They are set to release a bunch of new songs, called "This is Not a Record," available only on the internet (iTunes, eMusic). here
Pill
Thou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics of Thou's song Pill depict a disturbing scene of violence and violence to come. The repetition of "vacant eyes meet vacant eyes" suggests a sense of emptiness and disconnection, possibly alluding to the dehumanization of the perpetrator and victim. The line "fingers run over the lying tongue, down the throat" implies a forceful and invasive act, perhaps representing the violent actions of the singer. However, the following lines "grasp the writhing truth" and "purged" indicate a cathartic release of emotions and the shedding of emotional baggage.
The following lines "insubstantial blame", "inconsequential anger", and "purposeless discourse" suggest a lack of meaning or justification for the violence that is promised. Furthermore, the use of the word "benevolent" to describe the malice that is promised adds another layer of complexity to the emotions conveyed in the lyrics. It suggests that the violence being promised is not simply malicious, but rather carries some kind of positive intention or purpose (though whether that purpose is desirable or ethical is left ambiguous).
Overall, the lyrics of Pill are open to interpretation, but allude to violence, catharsis, and the potential for violence to be tied to complicated emotions and intentions.
Line by Line Meaning
Vacant eyes meet vacant eyes meet vacant eyes meet vacant eyes.
People seem to lack motivation and purpose, and this is reflected in their eyes.
Can there be more? There must be more. Reach inside. Deep inside.
There is more to life than what is on the surface. We need to explore our inner selves to find meaning and purpose.
Fingers run over the lying tongue, down the throat, probing deeper and deeper and deeper.
We must examine ourselves and explore our deepest thoughts, even if they are uncomfortable or painful.
Grasp the writhing truth. Purged. Insubstantial blame. Purged. Inconsequential anger. Purposeless discourse.
We need to confront the truth about ourselves and let go of the insignificant negative emotions and conversations that hold us back.
And now a promise of benevolent malice. A promise of impending violence to you, my friend. This is a promise to you, my friend.
The artist is making a promise to their friend that they will take action in a way that may be painful or uncomfortable, but ultimately well-intentioned.
Contributed by Jackson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.