The Rifle's Spiral – English Lyrics

• By: The Shins

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the complex themes of religious violence and destiny with The Shins' "The Rifle's Spiral." This song offers a unique opportunity to explore dark themes hidden beneath a catchy indie-folk melody, encouraging listeners to reflect on the motivations behind destructive acts.

[English]

Dead lungs command it

You pour your life down the rifle's spiral

And show us you've earned it

The cleric's fog will recede right before your eyes

So long to this wretched form

Them gray eyes on the subway

Long before you were born

You were always to be a dagger floating

Straight to their heart

Listen now, we won't tell anyone

But you're gonna tell the world

This whole life ain't been any fun

Now your viscera unfurls

As you rise, rise from your burning fiat

Go, go get my suitcase, would you?

You've thoroughly blown their minds

And now I must have passage home, your life's

To veins from your heart

...

You're not invisible, now

You just don't exist

Your mother must be so proud

You sublimate yourself, granting us a wish

...

Primitive mural on the wall

To fortify your grim resolve

Amid the glitz of a shopping mall

Another grain of indigent salt for the sea

Good night to these wretched forms

All them gray eyes on the subway

So long before you were born

You were always to be a dagger floating

Straight to their heart

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
lungs /lʌŋz/ A2	noun - either of the two organs in the chest that people and animals use for breathing
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
rifle /ˈraɪfl/ B1	noun - a gun with a long grooved barrel that makes a bullet spin as it is fired so that it travels a long way with force and accuracy
spiral /ˈspaɪrəl/ B2	noun - a shape like a coil or a winding staircase verb - to move in a spiral course
cleric /ˈklɛrɪk/ B2	noun - a priest or religious leader, especially in the Christian Church
fog /fɒɡ/ A2	noun - a cloudlike mass or layer of minute water droplets or ice crystals near the surface of the earth, appreciably reducing visibility
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs that detect light and send signals along the optic nerve to the brain
gray /ɡreɪ/ A1	adjective - of a color intermediate between black and white
dagger /ˈdæɡər/ B2	noun - a short knife with a pointed blade used for piercing or stabbing
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features
fun /fʌn/ A1	noun - enjoyment or amusement
viscera /ˈvɪsərə/ C1	noun - the internal organs in the main cavities of the body, especially those in the abdomen, e.g., the intestines
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ A2	adjective - producing a sensation of great heat; on fire. verb - producing flames and heat.
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.
passage /ˈpæsɪdʒ/ B1	noun - the act or process of moving through something or to somewhere
veins /veɪnz/ A2	noun - any of the tubes forming part of the blood circulation system of the body, carrying in most cases oxygen-depleted blood towards the heart
proud /praʊd/ A2	adjective - feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements, qualities, or possessions or those of someone with whom one is closely associated.
primitive /ˈprɪmɪtɪv/ B2	adjective - relating to, denoting, or preserving the character of an early stage in the evolutionary or historical development of something.
mural /ˈmjʊrəl/ B2	noun - a painting or other work of art executed directly on a wall.
resolve /rɪˈzɒlv/ C1	noun - firm determination to do something.
glitz /ɡlɪts/ B2	noun - extravagant but superficial display.
shopping mall /ˈʃɒpɪŋ mɔːl/ A2	noun - a large enclosed shopping area formed by a mall with stores along it.
indigent /ˈɪndɪdʒənt/ C1	adjective - poor; needy.