Wonderland by Forgive Durden: An Analysis of ANTS

I have mentioned I'm a huge music nerd, right? Even for classical music, I'm a sucker. This post, however, is about my analyzing the lyrics to Wonderland by Forgive Durden, an album I absolutely adore.

#1 ANTS

I am a point in the sky
A star in a constellation
I am all you see
I am Orion's eyes

A towering giant's sight
Me being of mammoth's size
This comes as no surprise

I feel these starting lyrics are pretty self-explanatory. The speaker of the song is the head of a company, someone in power. He seems bigger than the normal person due to their wealth. (think On the Brightside by Never Shout Never).

Orion was the only male Hunter of Artemis. Many different legends surround his name. Some state that he was blinded because he lusted after Merope, but his sight was restored by the rays of the sun. The legends go on to say he joined Artemis on her hunt, but was later killed and placed among the stars. I want to mention that some stories claim he was killed for attempting to begin a relationship with Artemis.

With that knowledge, it's easy to see how the metaphor fits that of a CEO. He is above the rest, a giant watching over them with his all-seeing eyes.

I see all I've created
From my colossus stance
I watch as my investment
Is swarmed by the busy ants

They'll carry ten times their weight
If it means landing the deal
They'll eat what's not on their plate
If it means a full meal

This is the chorus of the song, and it's what got me invested in the album in the first place. It's once again linking back to the metaphor of being a giant. The CEO only has to watch as his employees scramble to take care of his company, fighting for the chance to please. The workers know they need their job in order to survive, so they are willing to work harder and do things that benefit them over their peers. It's focusing on human desires.

Shine down on us now
Wash our hands clean
Lord knows they're filthy

Blackened with greed
Please be our Savior
Great deity
Well if you can't save us
Can this money?

These lines are actually the hardest for me to interpret. I think it's how these billionaires paint themselves as self-made, but in the end they step on the lower-class to become rich. Many present themselves as good Christians while still abusing those who work for them, and in the end they are serving their own greed rather than any holy cause.

CHORUS

Few have cut their strings
And risked it all to chase
Their dreams
Most seek the quick buck
The perfect tan
The easy fuck

Pay for their promotion
They stay in line
They please the queen
They wait their turn
Climb the hill
At all costs, avoid the pain

This, I feel, is representation of people being too scared to attempt anything but survival. In the end, humans chase superficial desires (quick money, loveless sex, perfect appearance) instead of meaningful dreams. The queen being the company which they work, to step out is to risk their very being and source of stability. They keep those in power happy to maintain their wants.

With my titan feet I could
End it with just one step
You cannot dodge agony
If all ten tons of it

Comes stomping
Down on you at once
Like a bullet to the brain
From my monster height
A healthy walk I contemplate

Once again in the CEO's perspective, its narrating how easy it would be to end the stability of the peoples lives. A company laying off a hundred employees while the CEO receives a pay increase. Criticizes the amount of power held by those with money.

CHORUS

Overall, Ants is a lampoon of the business world. It paints CEO's as cruel, towering giants who can easily ruin the lives of their employees, who work hard to maintain what little they have. If you think I'm wrong, or if you have something to add, please please please comment. I only posted this because I want to have other people tell me what they think of this album and it's meanings.

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