Aov by Slipknot Lyrics Meaning – The Rage, Rebellion, and Resolve in Metal’s Visceral Anthem
Lyrics
Was the proof too good to be believed?
It’s the cunt with the tongue
Who belongs on broken knees
So far it occurs to me
That everybody in the world is afraid of me
Just one more sin and down we go
But the news is out and I think I’m going to kill myself
Or fuck myself, or tell myself
About the only thing that matters now
We bury what we fear the most
Approaching original violence
Is the silence where you hide it?
‘Cause I don’t recognize you anymore
To each his own
Life can do with one less watered-down excuse
If this is over you can tell me it’s no use
Use, just tell me it’s over
Today we will deceive our better selves
Into assimilating pain from something else
Put on your face and show me why
Behind the scenes we had to simply comply
Now the community doesn’t feel any better than it used to be
I want to be a judge in a criminal case
You covered up, did you cultivate?
Be yourself, not yourself, know yourself
‘Cause no one seems to know you now
We carry what we can’t control
Approaching original violence
In the silence there’s a nihilist
Who doesn’t care and never did
To each his own
Life can do with one less watered-down excuse
There comes a time when we can’t take the same abuse
If this is over you can tell me it’s no use
Use
Drug out, pissed on, everything’s the same
Bitch and moan, it doesn’t matter, nothing’s going to change
I don’t want to watch another brother fucking die
So discarded, fallen by the side
Don’t tell me it’s the only way
Just another reason why you never take the bait
The trials, the scheming, the burden of the beast
Both your faces turn your back on everything you fought to save a dream
Now that it’s over
When this is over
We are the angels, fear to tread
Approaching original violence
We’re the silence, we’ll deny it
We can’t continue on like this
To each his own
Life can do with one less watered-down excuse
There comes a time when we can’t take the same abuse
My god, it would’ve taken just one word to stay from you
Now that this is over you can tell me it’s no use
Now that this is over you can tell me it’s no use
Use, just tell me it’s over
It doesn’t matter what you say
It doesn’t matter what you do
We can’t continue on like this
Propelled by roaring distortion and unrelenting percussion, Slipknot’s ‘Aov’ manifests as a battle cry lacerating the veneer of societal expectations, flaying the concept of personal identity to its raw and bleeding core. As the Iowa-originated behemoth delivers this track from their 2014 album, ‘.5: The Gray Chapter’, it’s clear that ‘Aov’ is more than a mere arrangement of aggressive sounds—it is a schematic of human vulnerability, defiance, and the struggle for authenticity.
The nuances within the gnarled poetry of ‘Aov’s lyrics beckon a deep contemplation of the internal and external tumults faced by individuals in the grips of modern chaos. Its verses are a labyrinth of pain and truth, challenging listeners to peer through the mire of intense emotion and find the core message Slipknot imparts—an invitation as daunting as it is illuminating.
The Stigma of Vulnerability and the Weight of Judgement
Opening with a raw, visceral image of ‘Black dirty teeth, in the crease,’ ‘Aov’ immediately drags us into the world of someone castigated and marred by the presupposed notions of normality. The ‘proof’ discussed may well be the protagonist’s own attempts to conform, scrutinized and deemed ‘too good to be believed’. Here, Slipknot grapples with society’s penchant for suspicion, where authenticity, ironically, is often rejected for its disparity with widespread duplicity.
A profound loneliness stems from such rejection; it’s evident in the admission, ‘That everybody in the world is afraid of me.’ This single line is a mirror reflecting the alienation that comes when one deviates from the societal mold. What unfolds is a narrative of self-destruction—’I think I’m going to kill myself’—an internal battle magnified by the world’s harsh glare.
Distorted Yells for Authenticity in a Homogenized World
Complicity and identity erosion are dissected mercilessly in ‘Aov.’ Phrases like ‘Today we will deceive our better selves’ and ‘Put on your face and show me why’ undulate with a growing dissonance between who we are and what society dictates we should be. The song’s portrayal of self-betrayal is a cautionary tale, warning of the peril in losing oneself amidst the stress of ‘assimilating pain from something else.’
The call to be oneself—’Be yourself, not yourself, know yourself’—sounds like a riddle at first, but it’s Slipknot urging for self-realization over acceptance. It digs into the confusion when the lines blur, when the ‘self’ becomes as opaque to oneself as it is to everyone else. Slipknot questions the very foundation on which identities are built, or perhaps, imposed.
The Litany of Existential Rage and Resistance
Slipknot’s distinct approach to music often involves a profound examination of anger and its origins. Refusing to be placated by ‘one less watered-down excuse,’ ‘Aov’ is an anthem for those fed up with vapid justifications and insincerity that plague human interaction. When confronted with ‘original violence,’ the visceral response ingrained in humanity’s darker recesses, the song unveils a form of rage that is less about destruction and more about a clamorous demand for truth.
As ‘Aov’ engulfs listeners with its sonic assault, it’s impossible to overlook the defiance presented in lyrics such as, ‘I don’t want to watch another brother fucking die.’ The manifestations of this existential defiance are as relevant today as ever—a rallying cry for an audience besieged by the tribulations associated with resisting a corroded status quo.
Peering into the Abyss: ‘Aov’ and the Nihilist’s Quiet
Behind the cacophony, there is an arresting stillness to be found in the ‘silence’ referenced in the song. Here, Slipknot presents a nihilist paradoxically overwhelmed by noise yet shrouded in seclusion—’In the silence, there’s a nihilist / Who doesn’t care and never did.’ This silence is a stark contrast to the relentless energy of the track, symbolizing the isolation felt by someone rendered apathetic by the suffocation of indifferent chaos.
There is a deeper message within this duality: an invitation to confront the uncertain quietude within oneself. It propels a dialogue with the nihilistic tendencies that arise from witnessing the perpetuation of ‘original violence’ and societal disaffection—a conversation as necessary as it is unnerving.
Memorable Lines: The Visceral Cry of ‘It Doesn’t Matter’
The crux of ‘Aov’ may arguably rest in the tormented and resigned lines, ‘It doesn’t matter what you say / It doesn’t matter what you do.’ These words are a powerful testimonial to a climactic sense of defeat and disillusionment with prescribed narratives. It captures an intense weariness with the futility in attempting transformation within a system that seems inherently inclined towards stasis.
Yet, paradoxically, it is within this admittance of despair that ‘Aov’ delivers its most potent message—that the recognition of the supposedly insurmountable is the first step towards mounting a challenge. The repetitive contention that ‘We can’t continue on like this’ isn’t a white flag; it’s the sharp inhale before a scream, the harbinger of coming change, reverberating through the song’s bone-shaking conclusion.
