Slipknot’s “Psychosocial” Lyrics Meaning

Slipknot co-founder Shawn Crahan is on record as stating that this “song has got a lot of… social anxiety”. Said phenomenon, social anxiety, can be most simply defined as a person having developed a strong discomfort in terms of being around other people. 

And if such is the case with the vocalist at hand, that would be because under his perception the world, excuse our French, has gone to sh*t and is being further driven in that direction. Or put otherwise, what we are met with here may be more accurately dubbed an overall social analysis rather than focusing on an individual. 

And it has been gleaned that “Psychosocial” more specifically serves the purpose of critiquing certain aspects of American society, as related to the Iraq War.

Verse 1

The listener is initially met with a first verse which reads as if it is critical of the economic mentality of the world to begin with. Or at least that’s one way of interpreting what Corey means by “go drill your deserts” and “fill your mouth with all the money you’ll save”. 

The former can be taken as alluding to the fact that oil companies continue to keep drilling – and society depending on their product – despite the negative environmental ramifications. And that latter comes off as if the vocalist is criticizing the type of people who are obsessed with money.

In between making those two statements, Taylor also instructs the intended addressees to “go dig your graves”, which of course is a reference to death. And with that in mind – oil, deserts, death and money – some have argued that Slipknot is alluding to the Iraq War.

The Iraq War was an initiative launched by the US in 2003 which proved to be one of the more controversial wars that the country involved itself in. Under such circumstances, creatives such as musicians are going to be at the forefront of criticizing the government. 

And there are other lyrical clues within this song which actually give a lot of credence to the theory that “Psychosocial” may have been inspired by that conflict, which was very much ongoing when this track was dropped. 

But again, the first verse can also be taken as the vocalist speaking more to the less-than-ideal state of the world in general or the mentality of those who prioritize money over everything.

The Chorus of “Psychosocial”

The idea that this piece is more macrocosmic in scope than just being focused on the actions of the US is buttressed by the chorus. This is Slipknot we’re dealing with here, so some of the things they’re putting forth have to be interpreted by the listener within. 

For instance, it is interesting that the vocalist considers himself a loner in ‘preserving the martyr’ within himself. Such a statement would imply that he’s not only making a conscientious effort to stay righteous but also perhaps be outspoken, i.e. this song. But it isn’t such that we can come to a consensus of its meaning, unless provided by the writers themselves.

Prior to that, Corey makes another intriguing statement in noting that “the rain will kill us all”. He may be speaking to a phenomenon such as acid or poisoned rain. And if so, that would support the notion that the aforenoted lines of the first verse may indeed have environmental implications.

“And the rain will kill us all
Throw ourselves against the wall
But no one else can see
The preservation of the martyr in me”

Post Chorus

Afterwards comes the post-chorus, in which the word “psychosocial” is repeated six times. It would appear that said term, most simply interpreted, points to how one’s psychology is affected by social interactions and interpersonal experiences. 

And all lyrics considered, perhaps what it’s supposed to mean in context is how what’s going on in the world at large, such as war and environmental degradation, is adversely affecting us on the individual level.

Verse 2

So with that in mind, the second verse is based on the opinion that we as a whole are headed down the wrong path alright, but it isn’t as if this course is irreversible.  Along those lines, some analysts have theorized that this verse is also by and large speaking to the Iraq War. 

For example, when Taylor gets to asking ‘who needs another mess’ and following that query up with “we could start over”, it has been put forth as Slipknot’s indirect call to end said conflict.

But conclusively the vocalist expresses pessimism in that regard, not appearing to have much faith that  mankind can change its ‘empty, venomous and insipid’ ways not being very likely. 

And as with the first verse, this passage also concludes with Corey noting that he’s “not the only one” who believes that society around him has irrevocably failed. Or put alternatively, there are many people who are convinced that we are facing the end of the world.

The Bridge of “Psychosocial”

Shortly thereafter we are met with the rendering of the bridge, which consists of the phrase “the limits of the dead” being repeated four times. That’s a statement which can be taken a number of different ways, especially given the subject matter of this piece. 

For instance, it may be that Corey is alluding to the death toll of the Iraq War which, to reiterate, was still climbing up when this song came out. Or if taken literally, the dead are, in reality, completely limited, i.e. being in a state where they can no longer do anything physically. 

So maybe what he’s getting at, in a roundabout way, is a notion like killing people, such as when the US invaded Iraq, creates more problems than it solves.

Verse 3

The beginning of the third verse is what really makes the theory of this song being critical of the Iraq War and other such initiatives possible. The singer mentions “purple hearts” which is, as generally understood, a type of award given to US military personnel. 

More exactly, the Purple Heart is granted to such individuals who are either killed or wounded while on the job. But the way Slipknot references it, by stating “your purple hearts are giving out”, gives the impression, if nothing else, that they definitely aren’t the patriotic types, i.e. blindly believing that their government is a righteous or infallible one.

“fake anti-fascist“

Prior to that, in the first line of the verse, they make mention of a “fake anti-fascist lie”. Fascism, simply defined, is a government led by a dictator. And as for the United States, it has established a reputation, at least since World War II, of being against such institutions.

But what Slipknot is implying here is said position being a false one. Another way of interpreting that statement, all things considered, is as pointing to the notion that the US used the ideology of anti-fascism – i.e. taking down Saddam Hussein, who was a dictator – as the rationale to invade Iraq. 

However, such assertions were actually a front hiding America’s true goal which, as theoretically alluded to in the first verse, were oil, money and death.

So as the vocalist goes on to poetically note, it’s as if we are living in an era of “killing” and “hunting”.  And Corey proceeds to insinuate that there’s nothing we can do to stop this, even if it’s not what the average man actually wants.

What “Psychosocial” is all about

So all lyrics considered, it may not be that the vocalist is actually taking on the role of a martyr, but he does come off a lot like a prophet. After all, Slipknot is an American band. And whereas the Iraq War may have been unpopular stateside, the initiative had its supporters – and some powerful ones – nonetheless. 

Additionally, at that time, the US was still more or less dealing with 9/11-related hysteria, so it took a lot of heart to concurrently be publicly critical of the government.

But that said, it isn’t such that “Psychosocial” is a scathing critique. Indeed, the notion that this piece is centered on US military involvement in the Middle East may well fly over the listener’s head if not for the first half of the third verse. 

So going back to the notion of the vocalist playing the role of martyr/prophet, it’s as if for the most part he is speaking to these times in general, though using the Iraq War as an example. And perhaps the most-concise way of encapsulating his message in “Psychosocial” is along the lines of putting forth that we live in an age where income generation, etc. is given a higher premium by the powers-that-be than human life itself.