It's empty in the valley of your heart
The sun, it rises slowly as you walk
Away from all the fears
And all the faults you've left behind

The harvest left no food for you to eat
You cannibal, you meat-eater, you see
But I have seen the same
I know the shame in your defeat

But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
Know my name as it's called again

Because I have other things to fill my time
You take what is yours and I'll take mine
Now let me at the truth
Which will refresh my broken mind

So tie me to a post and block my ears
I can see widows and orphans through my tears
I know my call despite my faults
And despite my growing fears

But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again

So come out of your cave walking on your hands
And see the world hanging upside down
You can understand dependence
When you know the maker's hand

So make your siren's call
And sing all you want
I will not hear what you have to say

Because I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it's meant to be

And I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again



Lyrics submitted by Nobody-special, edited by 1770

Track duration: 03:36


The Cave song meanings
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176 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:hard to interpret art if you know nothing about art and history. Every song is not about love, or internal struggle or some other prosaic generality.

    Read some Plato. Read the classics. Check out some Greek art. Then come back and interpret this song.
    Flag kanzeion May 04, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:I think that “The Cave” is about a man who is struggling with his self identity. He is tying to break out of the mold that most of conform to. Our world is one that is full of tension and dissension and we are brought up to believe the big lie. This lie creates depressed hope, fear and the myth that our lives can only be happy if we compete for all the things that obedience and conformity can award us. He will fight for his comforts. Against all odds, for a deeply personal reason is trying to achieve truth and enlightenment. His internal struggle to surrender to an unjust, violent world and continue to live within collective reality of struggle, phycological dependence on biases and mistruths. He is tire of the way he has lived in the past. He wants the world to evolve toward self potential and positivity. He won’t allow himself to end his own life, and won’t listen to the sirens who call him toward self destruction. He know knows what he has done and of the self awareness that he has gained. It represents the more sensitive and spiritual people and how we have to struggle to leave the negativity of our past and maybe even our present actions.
    Flag JaredMcon May 03, 2013   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:He references the Sirens and the Allegory of the Cave.
    It's as though he his freeing himself from a relation ship where he comes out of the cave and sees the world as it's mean to be and he it avoiding the siren songs of the lover he is leaving
    "So make your siren's call
    And sing all you want
    I will not hear what you have to say"

    so he can live his life.

    "Because I need freedom now
    And I need to know how
    To live my life as it's meant to be"
    Flag deadpocketsson May 01, 2013   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I think this is just a bunch of guys looking for some good times with women. The dog story is believable too.
    Flag awolfe94on April 19, 2013   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I think this is just a bunch of guys looking for some good times with women. The dog story is believable too.
    Flag awolfe94on April 19, 2013   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:I really haven't given this song alot of thought, but when I lisen to it, I think of the sirens from the Odyssey especially the part

    So tie me to a post and block my ears
    I can see widows and orphans through my tears
    I know my call despite my faults
    And despite my growing fears

    This sounds like the part when Ulysses (or Odyseus, which ever you prefer) came neer them and orders the men to tie him to a post. The widows and orphans part is him seeing there other victims.

    The other part that makes me think of this is,
    So make your siren's call
    And sing all you want
    I will not hear what you have to say

    He is ignoring the sirens.
    Thius is just what I think, please tell me if you think this is right.

    Flag starwarsman1on March 12, 2013   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:I really haven't given this song alot of thought, but when I lisen to it, I think of the sirens from the Odyssey especially the part

    So tie me to a post and block my ears
    I can see widows and orphans through my tears
    I know my call despite my faults
    And despite my growing fears

    This sounds like the part when Ulysses (or Odyseus, which ever you prefer) came neer them and orders the men to tie him to a post. The widows and orphans part is him seeing there other victims.

    The other part that makes me think of this is,
    So make your siren's call
    And sing all you want
    I will not hear what you have to say

    He is ignoring the sirens.
    Thius is just what I think, please tell me if you think this is right.

    Flag starwarsman1on March 12, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:its about walking away from destructive people who have power over you, because you can choose to walk in a different direction to turn away, and you know walking out of the cave is hard and scarry but your finding your way and not just sitting in the cave. and its tempting to stay in the comfort of shelter, (so make your sirens call i will not hear what you have to say) but you deserve better so now you will walk out and ("So come out of your cave walking on your hands") and it will be scarry and new ("And see the world hanging upside down") but you need to start fresh and not feel bad for yourself just because you have a reason, and you dont take it out on people like they did to you, your not a "cannabal" and you can chose freedom
    Flag miranra123on February 24, 2013   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:It is about Pashtunistan. The "Durand Line" negotiations required Pakistan & (what's now) Afghanistan to give the lands back to the Pashto in 1993. It didn't happen. The Pashto still wait to become one again, regain their Sea Port, and the land. "come out of your cave" AND "I'll know my name as it's called again"; i.e. Pashtunistan.
    Flagged Cavalier9on February 20, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I agree it could be a song about the affects of addiction experienced by two people (be it love, drugs or money). It is a comment on the the depression and self loathing experienced by the one who is still in the cave of their addiction, and the other who has struggled to escape in attempt to live their life fully.

    In the first verse the person in the cave 'walks away' from their faults and fears of life through temporary relief - but the 'harvest', or addiction, instead consumes them so they live an unfulfilled life. The writer has been there and understands the shame of the addict, and their depression. 'I have seen the same and I know the shame in your defeat'

    In the chorus the writer will not give up hope for themselves or their friend. He has confronted his addictions and will seek to live his life and explore his gifts, or 'calling' when he says 'I will change my ways and know my name as it's called again'.

    In the next verse, with the image of the bat crawling upside down to view the world differently, he pleads with his friend to leave the cave and create an alternative view of the world from negative to positive. from the darkness to the light ...only then can they become aware of their dependence on something which is not fulfilling their lives.

    The writer acknowledges the difficulties of avoiding the temptations of the cave and, like Homer, he still needs outside help to not become sucked in by the Siren's call. He has to be careful, when helping his friend out of the mire of addiction, that he does not get caught again in it's net. Instead he will change his ways and live his life as an example of what can be.
    "'cause I need freedom now and I need to know how to live my life as it's meant to be'"

    He has needed support, as his friend still needs support, by those around them living their lives productively. You need friends to say 'get out there and live!' not 'the world's really f@###, why bother'
    Flagged 1770on January 18, 2013   Link

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