Spite & Malice by Placebo Lyrics Meaning – Deciphering the Chaotic Anthem of Discontent
Lyrics
Revolution, dope, guns, fucking in the streets
Aces take your time
Queens are left for dead
Jacks can stand in line
And touch themselves instead
Aces take your pity
And keep it warm in bed
Aces take your time
Cut the deck
The queens left for dead
Soft and wet, scarf tied to the bed
Jack is all tragic when he stands alone
Feeling demonic harmonic in a no go zone
You look well suited like you came to win
Lust, spite and malice, your degrees of sin
Cruising for pity and looking pretty as fuck
Ace take your chances
Queen wish you luck
Aces take your time
Draw your final breath
Jacks are feeling fine
They’ve clubbed themselves to death
Aces take your pity
You sleep with it instead
Aces take your time
You can play your card, I’ll hold onto mine
Tied up in the reasons, Ace take your time
Looks turn to lovers, flames into fires
Jack loves his tragedy, Queen her desires
You look well suited like you came to win
Lust, spite and malice, your degrees of sin
Wrap me in your trauma and I may just give you mine
Queen take your chances
Ace take your time
Dope, guns, fucking in the streets
Everything will blow tonight
Either friend or foe, tonight
Cut the deck
The queens left for dead
Soft and wet, scarf tied to the bed
Jack is all tragic when he stands alone
Feeling demonic harmonic in a no go zone
You look well suited like you came to win
Lust, spite and malice, your degrees of sin
Cruising for pity and looking pretty as fuck
Ace take your chances
Queen wish you luck
Dope, guns, fucking in the streets
Everything will blow tonight
Either friend or foe, tonight
Within the throes of Placebo’s ‘Spite & Malice,’ a chaotic symphony of rebellion and raw emotion unfurls, bearing the weight of discontent and societal unease. The song’s energetic cadence juxtaposes the stir-crazy rhythm of the underground against a backdrop of hedonistic fervor and anarchistic imagery.
Mining the depths of ‘Spite & Malice,’ we uncover a stratum of complex layers, rife with symbolism and provocative allegory that challenge the listener to confront the turmoil bubbling just beneath the surface of civility. This exposé delves into the heart of the song, uncovering the pulsating message interwoven within its defiant lyrics.
A Portrait of Societal Decay through a Deck of Cards
The song’s leitmotif, conveyed through a deck of playing cards, wields a rich tapestry of social hierarchy and individual fate. Aces and queens, jacks and kings, they’re all pawns in a game of societal disintegration, facing inevitabilities that range from futile struggles to outright oblivion. The aces, ostensibly on top, still wrestle with their own form of confinement—pity ensconced within the chambers of loneliness.
This recurring reference to card games is far from frivolous; it’s a stark commentary on the arbitrary nature of power and how, even among the elite (‘aces’), there exists a profound existential emptiness, one that can’t be assuaged by pity or the warmth of a bed.
The Incendiary Chorus: A Rallying Cry for the Disillusioned
From the outset, the chorus of ‘Spite & Malice’ serves as an incendiary call to arms, capturing the visceral spirit of upheaval and the recklessness that comes with radical disenchantment. ‘Revolution, dope, guns, fucking in the streets’—the words repeat like a mantra, an invocation of chaos that’s both a rejection of order and a declaration of freedom from societal constraints.
In this mantra-like repetition, we find more than mere shock value. There’s a clarion call to the youth, a signal to disrupt the complacency of the times, and embrace the fervidness of change, whether it be through self-destruction or the destruction of the existing order.
Unmasking the Hidden Meaning: Aces, Queens, and the Human Condition
Underneath the song’s raucous exterior lies a maze of metaphors that require a careful navigation to grasp the hidden meanings. The aces and queens symbolize the spectrum of human experience—ambition versus insecurity, power wrestling with vulnerability. It’s this duality that pulses through the track, painting a picture of human foibles and the societal pedestals on which we precariously balance.
The heart of ‘Spite & Malice’ is found in its examination of human nature, set against the relentless cycles of hope and disillusionment. Ace take your time; queens, wish you luck—phrases dripping with sarcasm, revealing a disdain for the fragility of positions and the fickle hands of fate that deal our circumstances.
Memorable Lines that Echo Beyond the Song
The lyric ‘Lust, spite and malice, your degrees of sin’ resonates with the rugged honesty that has become a hallmark of Placebo’s songwriting. It encapsulates the essence of the song—a gritty enumeration of human vices that navigate the band’s narrative of excess and destruction. Each word is a mirror reflecting the indulgence of the zeitgeist and our innate tendency to implode under the weight of our darker instincts.
These words, set amidst the backdrop of revolutions and nightly escapades, serve as a reminder of the complexities of our desires, transforming ‘Spite & Malice’ into an anthem that is as haunting as it is memorable, echoing in the minds of listeners long after the last chord has been struck.
The Sonic Blast of Rebellion and Apathy
The aggressive undertones of the guitar and the relentless drive of the drums blend with the raw vocals to create a soundscape reminiscent of pent-up anger giving way to explosive release. The relentless energy of the song is as much a part of its message as the lyrics themselves, conveying a sense of urgency and impatience with the status quo.
The fusion of the instrumental and the lyrical narratives, the societal critique enveloped in every riff and beat, ‘Spite & Malice’ stands as more than a song—it’s a powerful concoction of sound and message that reverberates through the annals of alternative rock, challenging listeners to confront the tumult within and the chaos without.
