Serpents

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark, ancient portrait of corruption. Deep roots and a "poisonous core" suggest an inherent, foundational evil. "Kings of the shadows" and "split tongues" immediately establish deceit and hidden power. The tone is dark, foreboding, and deeply critical. A central tension emerges from the pervasive nature of this corruption. It's not just external; "the scales of hatred lie / Underneath your skin," suggesting an insidious, internalized evil. This is compounded by the idea that "Hands that feed / Will spread disease," implying betrayal and a cycle of harm from trusted sources. The conflict is between a world "bound" by this ancient darkness and the individual caught within it. The imagery is particularly potent, moving from the mythological "Two headed serpent crown this cup / Of blood your destiny" to the stark reality of "The golden thrones are turning black." This progression illustrates a fall from grace, where even symbols of power and divinity are corrupted. The chilling command to "Now bite the hand" introduces a desperate, almost self-destructive response to this inescapable decay, urging a violent rejection of the very forces that sustain. The repeated phrase "Since dawn of time" anchors the corruption in an ancient, almost primordial past, making it feel inescapable and deeply ingrained in existence. This cyclical nature, reinforced by the repeated stanza about "scales of hatred" and "hands that feed," creates a sense of fatalism. The lyrics effectively convey a world where evil is not an anomaly but a fundamental, enduring force, leaving the listener with a profound sense of unease and the weight of an inescapable destiny.