Slipknot's Lyrics and Sound
Psychosocial - Slipknot
Symbolism
This is probably the oddest video that I have decided to use for analysis. The chaotic nature of this video says a lot about the topic of the song, Psychosocial. The images of fire that are shown throughout the video could be interpreted as a cleansing fire. Taking into the account the topic of mental illness in the lyrics the fire could represent either the cause/effect of the psychosis or it could be the way in which the issue could be fixed. This imagery is set off at the end of the video with the appearance of water in the form of rain and running down the lead vocalist’s face. This could be signifying the healing or calming affect that water has in comparison to the destructive rage represented by fire. In the very beginning of the video there are large effigial masks on stakes which are shown on fire throughout the video, this is likely representative of the mind plagued by sickness going through the healing process. It is also likely an allusion to the band’s signature masks that they wear in their performances.
Sound Analysis
In its early years Slipknot relied heavily upon Rap influences in their Metal music. So songs like Spit it Out relies more on the speed in which the vocalist says the lyrics rather than the tone in which he presents them. This doesn’t mean that they completely allow the vocal sound go there is a melodic sound to the vocalist’s sound. As the band progressed they developed a far more refined and mastered vocal sound. In the song Dead Memories the lead vocalist actually embraces the Beauty and the Beast method of singing to experiment with a new overall sound. In regards to the rest of the band, there is a heavy emphasis on both the guitar and drums. As with most Metal music, guitar solos are heavily relied upon for instrumental melodies. A large appeal with this band is the upbeat and heavy sound that they produce, it allows the audience to release tension/emotions that are otherwise frowned upon in concerts, through the ability to mosh and dance to the beat.
Lyrical Analysis
Spit It Out
One of the biggest components that set this song apart from the others being analyzed here is the amount of swearing. While the other bands may swear throughout their songs, early Slipknot songs have a heavy emphasis on explicit language which ties into the vulgarity exhibited in Death Metal for the shock value it gives the band. This language helped set Slipknot apart from other NuMetal bands at the time. Taking into account the fact that this song was produced in their earlier years, the theme is rather apparent. It is a barely veiled “Fuck you” to all of the individuals that may have left the band or doubted that they would make it to a record deal when they first began. Lyrics like “Where are you gonna be in the next five years?” and “All you wanna do is drag me down” sound like a conversation that would take place between a disapproving parent and a child who is confident they will succeed. In the same way all of the violent terms referencing fighting could be talking about the individuals that doubted them behind their backs, and wouldn’t confront the band about it.
Psychosocial
There are many themes present in this song, so going chronologically we have, “Go drill your deserts, / Go dig your graves / Then fill your mouth / With all the money you will save.” This is obviously a slur directed at the increase in oil imports putting the US under the thumb of the Middle East. It is also pointing a finger at the corporations who are sending jobs overseas because the labor is cheaper than hiring native workers. “Just look me in the eyes / And say I’m wrong” this is obviously showing their conviction to the issues they are bringing up in the song. Psychosocial is highly politically based but it also has elements of the social issues in our society. “I did my time, and I want out” could be looked at as the band saying that they don’t want to take part in the twisted society that we currently live in. This is further solidified by the lines “Fake and defenseless lie, / I tried to tell you first, / Your hurtful lies are given out, / Can’t stop the killing idea.” The fake and defenseless lie is describing the fact that everyone lies, including the youngest in our culture, they are exposed to it as children to the point that it turns into a habit by the time they are adults. Overall this song sounds similar to a Call to Arms against the society we live in, similar to Sanitarium by Metallica.
Before I Forget
Before I Forget seems to be detailing an individual’s struggle to act as a “sheep”, or a follower rather than a leader, in our society. The lines “Catch me up on all your sordid little insurrections, / I’ve got no time to lose, and I’m just caught up in all the cattle” Thinking of cattle as all of the followers surrounding this individual, he is essentially making fun of them by telling them to catch him up on all of their “sordid little insurrections”. These small coups are meant to appear funny because followers don’t typically fight back when they see injustice in our society. The individual in the song is essentially humoring them by listening. Moving on we have the chorus “I am a world before I am a man / I was a creature before I could stand / I will remember before I forget.” This is insinuating that the individual in the song reminds himself that he is intelligent and he can see what the followers cannot so that he doesn’t succumb to the desire to roll over and become a sheep. Everyone knows that it is far easier to do as you’re told than to order others around. Being a leader is a obligation not a voluntary job.