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Throughout Coheed and Cambria's extensive discography, there exists a number of motifs and themes - both musical and lyrical - which recur and/or are reprised across a number of songs. Some of these themes are known or believed by fans to represent an event in The Amory Wars mythology.


Recurring Musical Themes & Motifs


Time-Skip Motif / Interlude

The most frequent and easily-recognizable use of a recurring motif across the entire discography, this interlude's placement is believed by fans to indicate a passage of time in the Amory Wars story. It is played in varying renditions and by numerous instruments on nearly every Coheed and Cambria album, excluding only The Afterman: Descension and the non-canon The Color Before the Sun. Like the "Keywork Theme," it is a leitmotif which indicates to the listener that the story is moving forward.

Appearances:


The "Keywork" Theme

This melody is believed by fans to represent the Keywork, the interconnecting beams of light energy that connect the planets and the stars of Heaven's Fence. As this melody is heard at the beginning of each song that includes it (most of which are album-openers), it can be viewed as a leitmotif which sets the tone and reminds the listener that they are being told the story of The Amory Wars universe.

Appearances:


Onstantine Priest Cry / The Crowing Scream

This high-pitched, raptor-like scream is believed by fans to either indicate moments in the Amory Wars story when either the cries of the monsteros Onstantine Priests are heard, or Claudio Kilgannon uses the abilities of The Crowing. As this particular vocalization can be heard across many albums, including those that do not include the Priests or the Crowing in their story, it can be assumed that singer Claudio Sanchez also uses it as a sort of "signature."

Appearances:


"Children of the Fence" Chanting

A recurring vocal chant appears across multiple songs in varying forms. The dub "Children of the Fence" chant refers to the audience involvement when these songs are played live, as fans of Coheed often refer to themselves as such.

Appearances:


Lyrical Reprisals and References


"Jessie, Just Come Look at What Your Brother Did"

These lyrics are heard twice, with both instances acting as serving as an in-story reference to Jessie Killganon finding out about the murder of his niece and nephew at the hands of their father Coheed Kilgannon. This line also references an infamous line from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: “Look what your brother did to the door!” Sanchez has mentioned in interviews that the film is one of his all-time favorites.

Appearances:

  • Everything Evil - Beginning at 3:27 - "Jessie, just come look at what your brother did. Here, he did away with me."
  • The Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth - Beginning at 4:53 - "Jessie, bad boy, just come look at what your brother did to that girl's precious little whore of a body.

IRO-Bot

IRO-Bot is a hidden track that first appears at the end of The Second Stage Turbine Blade (album), and is then reprised at the end of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (album). The placement of IRO-Bot on The Second Stage Turbine blade varies between the album's original and reissue versions.

Appearances:

  • The Second Stage Turbine Blade (Original Release):
    • God Send Conspirator - Beginning at 7:37 after the main song, time-skip motif, and silence
  • The Second Stage Turbine Blade (Reissue Release):
    • Everything Evil (Demo Version) - Beginning at 7:26 after the main song and silence
  • In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3:
    • 21:13 - Beginning at 8:17 immediately following the main song


"What Did I Do To Deserve...?"

These lyrics are included on three different albums, each with a slightly altered end to the phrase. On the third reprisal, both previous phrases are sung.

Appearances:

  • Blood Red Summer (Original) - Heard at 3:17 - "What did I do to deserve, What did I do to deserve (this)?"
  • The Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth (Reprisal) - Heard at 4:39 - "What did I do to, to deserve all of you?"
  • No World for Tomorrow (song) (Reprisal of both previous versions)- Heard at 3:51 - "What did I do to deserve all of this? What did I do to deserve all of you?"


The Fence

Heaven's Fence, the grid of planets and stars held together by an energy known as the keywork, is the primary setting of The Amory Wars story. Fans of Coheed and Cambria have come to dub themselves "Children of the Fence" in reference to Heaven's Fence.

Appearances:


Newo Ikkin

The character Newo Ikkin is referenced in lyrics once on each of Coheed and Cambria's first tetrilogy.

Appearances:

  • Junesong Provision - Beginning at 0:43 - "Dear Newo Ikkin, how's Apollo been treating you?"
  • The Crowing (song) - Beginning at 3:52 - "I’ve parted three ways for you, the Newo that I loved"
  • Crossing the Frame - Beginning at 0:52 - "I'm spying on you, Newo"
  • Feathers - Beginning at 0:43 - "Do you really want him calling, Newo? Do you really think he’s coming back to you?"


Secrets

In addition to In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3's album title, the word "Secret" also appears in the lyrics to a number of songs across the band's discography.

Appearances:


Home

  • Devil in Jersey City - Sweet Josephine, will you follow me home? / Sweet Josephine, will you fuck me back home?
  • 33 - We're bringing it home!
  • Junesong Provision - 'Cause I won't be coming home, when you get this, I'll be dead; and Yet you'd say, "I'll be home alone again, waiting"
  • Neverender - "I'll be home." and "Peace and figuring, will he be home again?"
  • God Send Conspirator - "He'll be coming home to you"
  • IRO-Bot - "The ride home through perilous" and "Will systems take me home and disassemble me?"
  • IKSSE:3 - "We'll have you home pretty soon", "You'll be better off when you get home", "We'll have you home, pretty soon" and "Now, we're coming home"
  • Cuts Marked in the March of Men - "And I feel that we're coming home short"
  • 21:13 - "The ride home through victory"
  • Welcome Home


Goodbyes

  • Devil in Jersey City - Scream loud, scream sayonara
  • Three Evils (Embodied in Love and Shadow) - "Write them in a letter that says 'goodbye'"
  • The Camper Velourium III: Al the Killer - "Bye bye world, bye bye world"
  • A Favor House Atlantic - "Bye bye, beautiful; Don't bother to write"
  • Radio Bye-Bye
  • The End Complete
  • On the Brink - So Long, Amory


Goodnight

  • Time Consumer - Me and my star, Matthew, goodnight
  • The Camper Velourium I: Faint of Hearts - "But I don't wanna sleep without...So I bid to you, goodnight. Tonight, sleep tight, my love."
  • Goodnight Fair Maiden


Lines

  • 33 - "And outside boundary lines"
  • Junesong Provision - "Stand at attention and make sure you know the lines and yourself"
  • God Send Conspirator - "Not to disturb your steadied-arm straight line"
  • The Light and the Glass - "I measure distance in lines; Departing the rest of my life"


Stars / Burning Star

  • Time Consumer - Me and my star, Matthew, goodnight


Children

  • Everything Evil - Amongst the children, and the jury that stands the verdict
  • God Send Conspirator - "We'll lie here alone, locked, our children in the floor"
  • IKSSE:3 - "The restless children sit and mourn the graves", "The truth be told, the child was born" and "Will, do the children really understand"
  • Cuts Marked in the March of Men - "Scattered amongst the killing streets, the children slate defense"
  • Blood Red Summer - "A child in keeping secrets from"
  • The Camper Velourium III: Al the Killer - "The night of your children's day"


Father

  • In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 - "The victim to our fathers' lost war"
  • The Crowing - "As a son should to mother and father"
  • The Light & the Glass - "Your father's dead, he passed in his sleep"
  • 21:13 - "In the words of father to son, 'Thy kingdom come'"


Running

  • Everything Evil - Would you run? Would you run? Would you run, down past the Fence?
  • 33 - (I'm running you down), Shift right and let it run down
  • A Favor House Atlantic - "Good eye, sniper; Here, I'll shoot, you run!"
  • 21:13 - "Please, mom, run, lock your door, they're coming for..."


God

  • Cuts Marked in the March of Men - "Is God's work to have us fail?"
  • Three Evils (Embodied in Love and Shadow) - "In the face of his god, would he tell the truth?"


All Mother

Throughout both The Afterman: Ascension and The Afterman: Descension, there are interludes featuring conversations between Sirius Amory and All Mother, the AI he programmed to protect him as he ventures to explore the Keywork.

Appearances:

  • The Hollow - First Heard at 0:45 - Sirus calls out to All Mother, and she reassures him that she will look after him continuously through their journey
  • Goodnight, Fair Lady - Heard at 3:18 - All Mother warns Sirus of Holly Wood's Entity approaching
  • Key Entity Extraction III: Vic the Butcher - Heard at 4:33 - All Mother analyzes Sirus' deteriorating physical condition after his encounter with Vic's Entity, and warns him of another unknown entity's approach
  • Key Entity Extraction V: Sentry the Defiant - Heard at 5:14 - All Mother attempts to contact Heaven's Fence, to no avail, and then asks Sirus if he would like to return home.
  • Dark Side of Me - Heard at 4:15 - All Mother recounts the incredible danger that Sirus put himself in while exploring the Keywork, and questions the rational behind his decision to return to it, asking "Is this what love is?"


Musical Reprisals


Time Consumer Opening

Time Consumer's instrumental opening sequence is reprised twice.

Appearances:

  • Time Consumer (Original) - Beginning at 0:00
  • 21:13 (Full Reprisal) - Beginning at 5:47
  • Dark Side of Me (Drums only, slower) - Beginning at 0:00


Blood Red Summer Riff

The opening riff of Blood Red Summer is reprised once.

Appearances:

  • Blood Red Summer (Original) - Heard at 0:00
  • The Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth (Reprisal) - Heard at 4:46


Fear Through the Eyes of Madness Riff

This riff is reprised once.


The Final Cut Riff

Both Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the Good Apollo albums feature this riff in their closing song: