PROJECT 12 is a 12 week campaign leading up to the release of the band's debut album Silent Machine on November 2nd.
Shuriken
Twelve Foot Ninja Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
the mind,
the target,
the shape,
the breath,
the hand,
the weapon,
the weight.
the sound,
the tide,
the wake,
the sword,
the spirit,
the soul,
Ablaze.
The bird slips out of my hand,
and into the heart of the enemy,
the bird slips out of my hand,
plunges into the heart.
The strike,
the union,
the quest,
the aim,
the perfect momentum,
the unyielding haze.
The focus,
the tide,
the void,
the space,
the domain of self.
The bird slips out of my hand,
and into the heart of the enemy,
the bird slips out of my hand,
plunges into the heart.
Rin,
kyo,
toh,
sha,
kai,
jin,
retsu,
zai,
zen.
The lyrics of Twelve Foot Ninja's song "Shuriken" are dense with imagery and driven by a martial arts theme. The first verse describes the physical and mental aspects of martial arts training--the body, mind, and breath, as well as the weapon and its weight. The second verse references the spiritual and metaphysical aspects of the practice, including the sword, spirit, and soul being ablaze.
The chorus focuses on the shuriken, or throwing star, as a weapon, and the idea of a bird slipping from the hand and piercing the heart of the enemy. The lyrics describe the strike and the aim, as well as the focus and void required to make a successful attack.
The final section of the song features a series of Japanese words, presumably related to the martial arts practice being referenced. Overall, the lyrics paint a vivid picture of martial arts training and technique, with a specific focus on the use of the shuriken.
Line by Line Meaning
The body,
The physical form of the self.
the mind,
The cognitive self, including thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes.
the target,
The desired objective or goal.
the shape,
The form or structure that is being aimed for.
the breath,
The act of breathing as a means of maintaining focus and awareness.
the hand,
The physical tool that is being used to accomplish the task.
the weapon,
The instrument that is being wielded in the pursuit of the objective.
the weight.
The physical mass of the instrument being used to accomplish the task.
The silence,
The absence of sound.
the sound,
The presence of auditory information.
the tide,
The ebb and flow of energy or momentum.
the wake,
The trail that is left behind as a result of the action.
the sword,
A specific type of weapon that is typically associated with martial arts or combat.
the spirit,
The non-physical aspect of self that is often associated with a sense of morality or ethics.
the soul,
The intangible essence of self that is seen as separate from the physical body and mind.
Ablaze.
Burning or aflame with passion, energy, or intensity.
The bird slips out of my hand,
The pursued objective or goal slips away from the grasp of the self.
and into the heart of the enemy,
The desired outcome is potentially being taken by an opposing force.
the bird slips out of my hand,
The objective continues to elude the self, potentially causing frustration or discouragement.
plunges into the heart.
The objective is achieved in a sudden and dramatic way, potentially with violent or aggressive force.
The strike,
A forceful, deliberate action that is taken in pursuit of a goal.
the union,
The coming together of different aspects of self, such as body, mind, and spirit.
the quest,
The journey or pursuit of something that is difficult or challenging.
the aim,
The intended objective or goal that is being pursued.
the perfect momentum,
The ideal combination of energy, direction, and force that is necessary to achieve the objective completely and successfully.
the unyielding haze.
The obstacle or challenge that is preventing the achievement of the objective, potentially due to confusion, uncertainty, or lack of clarity.
The focus,
The act of directing one's attention and energy towards a particular objective or goal.
the tide,
The rhythm or pattern of energy that is affecting the situation at hand.
the void,
The sense of emptiness or lack that is preventing the achievement of the objective.
the space,
The physical or metaphorical environment in which the objective is being pursued.
the domain of self.
The personal realm of thoughts, feelings, and experiences that are unique to the individual self.
Rin,
A concept in martial arts that refers to a circular pattern of movement that is intended to disarm or evade an opponent.
kyo,
Another concept in martial arts that refers to a sudden or explosive movement that is intended to surprise or overpower an opponent.
toh,
A third concept in martial arts that refers to a linear or direct movement that is intended to move an opponent out of the way.
sha,
The fourth concept in martial arts, which refers to the act of cutting or striking with a weapon.
kai,
The fifth concept in martial arts, which refers to the moment of decision or initiation of action.
jin,
The sixth concept in martial arts, which refers to the moment of awareness or realization that precedes action.
retsu,
The seventh concept in martial arts, which refers to the moment of shifting or changing direction during an action.
zai,
The eighth concept in martial arts, which refers to the moment of stillness or calmness in which action is initiated.
zen.
The final concept in martial arts, which refers to a state of complete awareness and balance that allows for effortless action.
Contributed by Sarah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Trill Jaded
The body,
The mind,
The target,
The shape,
The breath,
The hand,
The weapon,
The weight.
The silence,
The sound,
The tide,
The wake,
The sword,
The spirit,
The soul,
Ablaze.
The bird slips out of my hand,
And into the heart of the enemy,
The bird slips out of my hand,
Plunges into the heart.
The strike,
The union,
The quest,
The aim,
The perfect momentum,
The unyielding haze.
The focus,
The tide,
The void,
The space,
The domain of self.
The bird slips out of my hand,
And into the heart of the enemy,
The bird slips out of my hand,
Plunges into the heart.
Rin,
Kyo,
Toh,
Sha,
Kai,
Jin,
Retsu,
Zai,
Zen.
LvL99 Studioz
LOTS of versatility. Tight musicianship. Amazing compositions. It was and still is an awesome mix. But the average person doesn't have the basic understanding of music structure to be able to understand how great this is. And unfortunately it didn't blow up like it should have. These guys deserve more. Not lazy mumblerap clones and their copy/paste garbage. Make Music Great Again.
jairo fuentes
By far one of their most underrated songs they've released... Brilliant composition, musicianship, and to make it better one of the most humble guys you'll ever meet... Love these guys and proud to call them mates
Vagelis Moulakakis
so true
Larry Smith
@R TJ I have to believe even Hellen Keller would somehow be able to connect with energy of their music. Fucking amazingly awesome band! Have you seen the ‘Slay at Home’ acoustic versions of ‘Deluge’ and ‘Liberation’? Incredible! Further illustrates just how much raw musical talent they have.
Larry Smith
Totally agree. The masses have been dumbed down by crap that meets commercial viability standards, but fails to check any quality boxes. Phil Collins anyone? Puke. There are many great metal and progressive bands out their who are not slaves to their record labels and pushed to meet some profit motivated quota for new tracks. For those bands, commercial success is secondary to their art. I feel TFN is one of those rare bands that can be true to their creative convictions and bridge the gap between art and mainstream success. Do I care that everyone 'gets' the creativity and complexity of their music? I wish they did, but no. As long as their music and lyrics connect with listeners and that propels them to the popularity they deserve, I'll be happy for them and rejoice in the knowledge that I 'get' every element TFN baked in for my ear's enjoyment!!!
Knuckle Hammer
I sincerely think we are witnessing a band just moments before become huge .. music this good won't stay down for long ..
MJ Cussen
@StevieCzykPN Que!? This music is completely catchy and so varied that it appeals to a lot of people and they are very entertaining, irreverent comedians similar to the way The Beatles were in the 60's. They just have to stick to their guns and keep at it. But, yes, a mainstream hit would draw in the MOR listeners. It's a long way to the shop if you want a sausage roll.
johnathan palmer
@Van Westley literally just listened to dance of the manatee and was like "oh man gotta look up 12 foot ninja now" :( good news is- new 12 foot music this may!
Bong Zilla
@StevieCzykPN New music in May people! Stay tuned for that shit. Also, their Slay at Home unplugged performance is worth checking out!
darth paul
5 yrs later and sadly....no☹