Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a bleak picture of humanity, suggesting a fundamental lack of reason and an inherent predisposition towards negativity. The narrator observes a world consumed by disease and a stagnant mental state, where sadness is a visible, inescapable mark on everyone's faces. This widespread despair seems to stem from an inability for people to change or connect, leading to a cyclical existence of suffering.
The core tension arises from the perceived futility of human existence and the breakdown of societal order. The lines "The rules have broken men eat men" and "The hunger of their souls can't be satisfied" point to a primal, destructive drive that fuels conflict and oppression. The pursuit of power over the weak and the "killing life" suggest a deeply ingrained, self-destructive pattern that the narrator sees as unchangeable.
A striking element is the repeated assertion that "the answer doesn't exist" and the idea that humanity is "born deaf and dumb" with "closed minds." This suggests a profound, almost biological, inability to learn, evolve, or find solutions. The lyrics imply that this inherent limitation is the root cause of the "empire of hate and pride" and the ultimate "sadness and desolation" that pervades the human heart.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their unflinching, almost nihilistic, portrayal of human nature. By focusing on the absence of reason and the pervasiveness of negative emotions, the narrator creates a powerful sense of despair. The concluding lines, "Poor mankind they are wrong / Poor mankind they are alone," offer a final, somber judgment, emphasizing a profound isolation born from humanity's perceived failings.