Lizard

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a world shedding old, corrupt structures for something new, albeit with a sense of violence and upheaval. The opening lines bid farewell to a "temple master" and his "black worm seed," suggesting a rejection of established, perhaps spiritual or ideological, authority that offered false promises of "Eden guaranteed." This departure is marked by "Prince Rupert's tears of glass," which seem to inflict pain and damage on the old order, specifically on "the Lizards" who "feed" on the "sacred tablet wax." The chorus acts as a call to action, urging listeners to "Wake your reason's hollow vote" and take aggressive steps, even "Stake a Lizard by the throat," to dismantle these decaying systems. The narrative then shifts to a scene of impending conflict and transformation. The "reapers" are poised for their "harvest," and the tools of the old ways, "tarnished devil's spoons," are destined to "rust." Prince Rupert's domain is now overrun by "bears," a stark contrast to the previous imagery of a controlled "garden." The cycle of destruction and rebirth is evident as "Lizard bones become the clay, And there, a swan is born," signifying that the remnants of the old are the foundation for new life. This suggests a natural, albeit brutal, process of renewal where the old must be broken down for the new to emerge. The lyrics further critique a deceptive establishment in the third verse, describing "upholstered Lizards" who "sold" false "visions to their leaden flock." These charlatans peddled dreams of "rainbows' ends and gold" to a passive audience. In contrast, Prince Rupert's "peacock" now brings news of a more complex reality, with "walls and trumpets thousand-fold," and "Prophets chained for burning masks." This implies a world where truth is suppressed, and illusions are maintained, but the arrival of this new information signals a potential awakening or a more profound understanding of the world's harshness. Finally, the lyrics transition to a more direct depiction of conflict in "The Battle of Glass Tears." The imagery of "Night enfolds her cloak of holes" and "Old moon-light stalks by broken ploughs" sets a somber, desolate scene. Sentries "lean on thorn wood spears," anticipating a confrontation. The armies "stir," fueled by "dream, and taut with fear," preparing to "march forward" in "lines of horse and steel." This stark portrayal of organized warfare underscores the violent struggle inherent in the transition from the old to the new, where the "glass tears" of the initial disruption culminate in a full-scale battle.