Song Meaning
The lyrics to "Evening Redness" immediately plunge the listener into a stark, isolated world. The speaker is adrift, perhaps in an altered state, questioning reality "outside this wine." A sense of desolation hangs heavy, rooted in a "wasteland that is west." This is a grim, unforgiving landscape.
Central to these verses is the speaker's self-identification as a "bastard" of this world, suggesting a profound sense of illegitimacy or rejection. This personal alienation quickly morphs into a chilling, collective contemplation. The presence of a "scary beacon" mountain man and the grotesque image of a "chopped up sewer man" hint at a brutal, lawless environment where judgment and violence are imminent.
The craft here is particularly unsettling in its word choice and the perversion of familiar concepts. The idea to "Decide what kind of martyrs we should grow" is chillingly detached, treating human sacrifice as a calculated, almost agricultural process. This cold planning culminates in the stark command to "Impale them all and live like kings," twisting the notion of royalty into a reward for extreme brutality.
These lyrics are effective because they don't just describe violence; they inhabit its mindset. The stark imagery and the speaker's progression from personal isolation to a collective, brutal resolve create a powerful, unsettling experience. It's a raw glimpse into a world where morality has been inverted, and power is seized through uncompromising force.