{There is lambswool under my naked feet
The wool is soft and warm
Gives off some kind of heat
A salamander scurries into flame to be destroyed
Imaginary creatures are trapped in birth
On celluloid

The fleas cling to the golden fleece
Hoping they'll find peace
Each thought and gesture are caught in celluloid
There's no hiding in memory
There's no room to avoid}

The crawlers cover the floor
In the red ochre corridor
For my second sight of people
They've more life's blood than before
They're moving in time
To a heavy wooden door
Where the needle's eye is winking
Closing on the poor

[Chorus]
The carpet crawlers heed their callers
You gotta get in to get out

There's only one direction
In the faces that I see
And it's upward to the ceiling
Where the chamber's said to be
Like the forest fight for sunlight
That takes root in every tree
They are pulled up by a magnet
Believing they're free

[Chorus]

Mild-mannered Supermen
Are held in kryptonite
And the wise and foolish virgins giggle
With there bodies glowing bright
And through the door a harvest feast
Is lit by candle light
It's the bottom of a staircase
That spirals out of sight

[Chorus]

The porcelain mannequin with shattered skin
Fears attack
And the eager pack lift up their pitchers
That carry all they lack
The liquid has congealed
Which has seeped out through the crack
And the tickler takes his stickler back

[Chorus]



Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae

Track duration: 05:01

"The Carpet Crawlers" as written by Anthony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Michael Rutherford, Steve Hackett

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


The Carpet Crawlers song meanings
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27 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I haven't heard anywhere that the song is about conception, but I agree with what proggie is saying. Watching the video for The Carpet Crawlers 1999 confirms my belife that is what the song is about.
    Flag Genesisfanon November 25, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:I once heard an interesting theory that this song was about conception. The carpet crawlers are sperm, the red ochre corridor is the vagina, needle's winking eye is perhaps the opening of the vagina or cervix, only one direction is towards the waiting egg, the spiral staircase is the fallopian tube, the porcelain manquin is maybe the egg itself and, the clincher, 'You've got to get in to get out'!

    Personally I don't believe a word of it but I thought it was worth sharing ;-)
    Flag proggieon October 30, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:The crawlers cover the floor
    In the red ochre corridor
    For my second sight of people
    They've more life's blood than before
    They're moving in time
    To a heavy wooden door
    Where the needle's eye is winking
    Closing on the poor

    Please notice that it is the "heavy wooden door" that is "closing" on the "poor', not the needle's eye. The "wink" of the "needle's eye" is the knowing wink of acknowledgement between confidants. The poor, or meek (pious), know what the needle's eye knows, that it is indeed harder for the "rich" (materialistically absorbed) to get into "Heaven", than it is to pass a camel through the eye of a needle. Indeed, such rich ones usually deny the very existence of Heaven, or a transcendental reality beyond the material plane.

    The rich have even more "life's blood" (worldly wealth), yet are spurred on to acquire more, timing the movements (planning) of their own lives to that of the heavy wooden door (access to material wealth). This door is closed, or closing on the poor, which is a blessing in disguise. For the "First shall be last, and the last shall be first" is the Kingdom of Heaven. The door is wooden, denoting the crass and base nature of materialistic wealth, as opposed to the gold of spiritual wealth.
    Flag wormcasteon August 12, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:I think what makes a good song, as with most songs is the true meaning is what you or I want to think it is about and how it relates to our own being.
    There are some songs that remind me of good times and songs I hear that remind me of very bad times, as well as songs I will listen to to go along with my mood or feelings at the time.
    Flag ralwal0000on July 10, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The "wise and foolish virgins" part is obviously a reference to Matthew 25, in which 10 virgins are awaiting their bridegroom. 5 of them were wise and brought oil for their lamps, but 5 others were foolish and did not bring oil. When they ran out of oil, they went to buy some. Meanwhile, the bridegroom showed up and took the wise virgins inside. When the foolish virgins returned, they knocked and the door and the bridegroom replied "I know you not". The parable is in the middle of Jesus' "no one knows the day or the hour" speech and is meant to convey that one should always be prepared for the coming destruction of the world.
    Flag Zepfreakon January 21, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think, as with many other Gabriel songs, the "visual" side of the story is only a cover for a deeper message. In this case the story of Rael is only the vehicle for the Gabriel's interpretations of social mechanisms and shouldn't be treated as context for meaning of the song.

    The sexual (or rather prenatal) interpretations may be true, but these associations works for me as the expression of human natural tendency to stampede and rat-racing.
    Flag Rusoron October 01, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:totally! catch a tasty barrel, brah! kcc4422's interpretation might be as accurate as it is funny. the song is certainly about growing up. whether we (or the character, i suppose) is growing from a sperm, an infant, adolescent, surfer, or sinner into something more formidable is irrelevant to me. maybe i'm biased because a great mentor introduced this song to me, but i say it's about working toward growth. true spiritual growth is a lifelong endeavor, and is seldom completed.
    Flag bradasauruson October 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:I always thought this was about surfing big glassy hollow waves where if you don't get into the barrel you can't get out.
    Flag kcc4422on October 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:GZ Interpretation of symbols

    LAMBSWOOL

    purity

    NAKED FEET

    innocence … just reincarnated … womb is soft and warm

    SALAMANDER

    I googled this one … from my study of metaphysics I have learned that the salamander is highly symbolic … here’s from the google results:
    The salamander represents those who pass through the fires of passion and of this world without stain. Therefore, it stands for chastity, loyalty, impartiality, virginity, courage, Jesus, Mary, and the faithful.
    The salamander is also used to symbolize the flames, which it passes through, and so is a symbol of fire, temptation, and burning desire.

    IMAGINARY CREATURES

    Ego … limited identity we derive from the culture … and accept it as ‘who we really are.”

    CELLULOID

    Instead of having identities that continously unfold in accordance with our nature … we get trapped in celluloid …

    FLEAS

    Humanoids as they function in their limited ego state … a puny vestige of who they really are in their true essence

    FLEECE

    Googled this one with interesting results … four different interpretations from four different writers
    • Superhuman power
    • Protection
    • Divine wisdom
    • Prosperity

    PEOPLE, THEYVE MORE LIFEBLOOD THAN BEFORE.

    Despite appearances … human race is evolvin
    HEAVY WOODEN DOOR
    the inevitable passage out of this world into the next.

    NEEDLES EYE WINKING

    Higher Power … “go through the eye of a needle” … who is winking at us in a knowing sort of way.

    WEVE GOT TO GET IN TO GET OUT.

    Liberation is found deep within the Self

    LIKE THE FOREST FIGHT FOR SUNLIGHT, THAT TAKES ROOT IN EVERY TREE.

    The soul has to fight hard to achieve liberation … the Superconscious Self is built like a building … brick by brick … line upon line … precept upon precept … a long epic journey requiring great commitment … and then someday … boom … … the tree struggling for light … which brings life … just as we must reach out to the LIGHT … lots of glimmerings … then someday … boom !!! a flash of enlightenment.

    MILD MANNERED SUPERMEN

    true infinite nature

    ARE HELD IN KRYPTONITE,

    disempowered through socialization

    AND THE WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS GIGGLE WITH THEIR BODIES GLOWING BRIGHT.

    Virgin

    Purity, innocence, but also foolish and not wise. Divine wisdom has to be sought

    Giggle

    Joy connected to inner child which is connected to our divine selves … which we can recapture through the an absolute purity of intent to strip away the conditioning and become all of who we can be.

    BOTTOM OF A STAIRCASE THAT SPIRALS OUT OF SIGHT.

    Bottom of the staircase

    Earth and our current postion here.

    Spirals out of sight

    Infinity … spiritual growth can be likened unto an evolutionary spiral … where we revisit the same themes numerous times … each time more consciously and soulfully, until the lesson is fully learned.

    PORECELAIN MANNIKIN WITH SHATTERED SKIN FEARS ATTACK

    Ego which will always be rooted in fear and pride.

    EAGER PACK LIFT UP THEIR PITCHERS

    The masses … continuously trying to satiate their desires.

    George Zeigler ... San Diego ... george-zeigler@hotmail.com

    Flag aaawwwhhhon May 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Everyone always focusses on the lyrics - that is not all the track - the music, the feel, the nuances of the structure - never mentioned, focus on the music
    Flag nagromnaion March 21, 2009   Link

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