Lyrics for The Martyr as interpreted by jephque

The Martyr Lyrics
And so it's begun
This is year one
The birth of a child
In the form of a man
Wrapped in towel
Passed out on the floor
These drunken hours
Graces deflowered
Cast down by an angel
She used to kiss his weeping eyes
Depressed in her bosom
Tears roll off her nipple

Sweet Baby, don't cry
Your tears are only alibis
To prove you still feel
You only feel sorry for yourself
Well, get on that cross
That's all you're good for

The martyr!

And thusly it ends
Depression seeps in
On a lonely messiah
Now he drinks with the lepers
Losing a limb
His better half
A glass once half full
A head hung half-mast
He claims he's the victim
Strangled by the nine-to-five
And a pattern of stillness
That haunted this still life

Your tears are only alibis
To prove you still feel
You only feel sorry for yourself
And that's how you thrive
Your sorrow's your goldmine
So write some sad song about me
Screaming your agonies, playing the saint

The martyr
The martyr
The martyr
The martyr
The martyr
Oh . . .

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  • 60 Comments
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jacksane
11-05-2008

Rated 0 
My favorite Cursive song after Art Is Hard. I actually only discovered them yesterday, but their lyrics are amazing, and I think lyrics are the most artistic part of a song.

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jrgibz
01-30-2008

Rated 0 
Holy crap,
Im the only person i know who knows or even likes Cursive.
He claims he's the victim
Strangled by the nine-to-five
And a pattern of stillness
That haunted this still life

That like totally fits in my life right now I love cursive

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jrgibz
01-30-2008

Rated 0 
Holy crap,
Im the only person i know who knows or even likes Cursive.
He claims he's the victim
Strangled by the nine-to-five
And a pattern of stillness
That haunted this still life

That like totally fits in my life right now I love cursive

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AnAcidRevolution
05-08-2007

Rated 0 
"Sweet Baby, don't cry
Your tears are only alibis
To prove you still feel
You only feel sorry for yourself
Well, get on that cross
That's all you're good for"

a timeless lyrics by one of our few timeless bands

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the antique
04-16-2007

Rated 0 
Basically, looking carefully at the lyrics, the two choruses seem to be directed towards both "pretty baby" and "sweetie" as if each of them has a part in the song and a reason for being called a "martyr." The first verse of the song is about "pretty baby" and the fact that she has to take care of "sweetie" whenever he gets drunk, while being possibly depressed of her status and of her life. So the chorus following the first verse would be "sweetie" telling "pretty baby" that her "tears are only alibis" to literally prove that she still feels something while perhaps being in a relationship that has caused her to be a shell of her former self.

Now the second verse is about "sweetie" and his depression and his inability to stay sober, using his job and his stress to be sort of an excuse for his drinking and his slow, but sure, decay. So the chorus following the second verse, would be "pretty baby" telling "sweetie" that his tears and his feeling sorry for himself is all a ploy to find an excuse and a reasonable excuse for his behaviour. And since his sorrow is, in fact, his goldmine (song-writing), she's yelling at him to write some song about her in order for people to feel sorry about himself, thus becoming a martyr.

But who really knows?
That's really my two cents.

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mintyexx
07-15-2006

Rated 0 
Jesus, how can I follow the comment? Even if it was written quite awhile ago.. So I'll just say : I agree with the previous person, holdfast, and add, that I lik ethis song very much.

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holdfast
04-27-2006

Rated 0 
all though i think referencing to Christ is contraversial i dont think the song is about Jesus. He uses this example to somewhat exaggerate his story of someone, the person not being important, but someone who is the "savior" and is the one who "cleans up after everyone". someone who is giving to an extent which is neggative or too giving. they no longer live for them selves, cannot say no to anyone and, in a sense being a "matyr". We know a friend that can never say no to anything; whether it be to paint a fence or mow the lawn but it is this character trait that is portrayed and personified into Christ. he uses the word "matyr as an exaggeration but goes to the extreme to use Christ to exaggerate his case further. this song is definately up to interpretation, in my opinoin is the reason why he wrote the song. it is made to be interpreted. although he might of wrote it on personal experiences with references of his wife and conner but it is definately made so that we as the audience can relate and it is this that makes music successful. great song.

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robotlovers.
03-22-2006

Rated 0 
cursive wouldn t be as good without Tim. i love the lyrics of Cursive songs.

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wolf party
01-05-2006

Rated 0 
I heard this was about Conor

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wolf party
01-05-2006

Rated 0 
I heard this was about Conor

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Dang
07-24-2005

Rated 0 
hey chillerthanmost, was there any point to that at all? the entire point of this website is for people to share their own meanings and interpretations of music that they personally connect to. nah shit the meaning of any songis subjective, thats why this site works, because there are so many different ways of looking at something. Its all about context, so yes, what tim kasher was thinking when he wrote the song does come into play, but you are quite right in saying it is also what you bring to the song. I suggest you stop bitching about other people trying to offer their insight. They're not telling you their opinion is law, just offereing it. And dont presume to think that just because you dont agree with people that they aren't talented. Close-minded prick.

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chiller than most
03-20-2005

Rated 0 
Hi, you psuedo-intellectuals should stop trying to pretend you know everything about everything. Especially the "deep meanings" of Cursive songs. The meaning of any song is subjective. Your supposed to connect with it yourself, and derive what it means to you. Not what Tim Kasher was thinking when he wrote the song. However... Yes, Cursive are good. Yes, Tim Kasher is talented, but everyone of YOU are not.

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erika89
02-16-2005

Rated 0 
im surprised yall couldnt figure this one out. its really not hard. its obviously about a musician capitalizing on his depression. it doesnt have to be directed toward anyone necessarily, because in a sense thats what most artists in this genre of music do, but i am not complaining. he is not relating himself to jesus, and its pretty ignorant to think that because there have been many martyrs (i.e. sept. 11 terrorist attacks) whether christian or not. you dont even have to be a martyr for a religion, it could be for any cause. its just a bold metaphor thats attention grabbing and draws you into the song.

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my_own_parasite
02-05-2005

Rated 0 
this was my first cursive, i still love, how can you not?

I think that this song could be about tim himself or the whole "emo" genre, even though cursive arent that emo...but anyways. a lot of the "emo" bands thrive on self pity, and pity from others, they are the martyrs.

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indignity
01-26-2005

Rated 0 
i think he's saying his wife thinks she's a martyr, because it seems like he's adressing these comments to another person. she stays with him when he's drunk and passed out on the floor, so she can save him, and play jesus. then again, he does seem to be refering to himself in the second verse, when he says he's a lonely messiah, and drinking with the lepers. he says he's losing his better half, so i think that has to do with his wife leaving. sorry, i don't know what i'm saying anymore, but my main point is i think he's accusing his wife of trying to be the personification of jesus.

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xavengemyname
01-18-2005

Rated 0 
chiller than most, you're not completely right. the jesus reference is obvious (well get on that cross), but it's not the point of the song.

first, it's definitely biographical--the album was written shortly after kasher and his wife divorced, so all the comments about the martyr accusations are on target. and as someone said, it comes out again in the ugly organ, esp. in 'art is hard'.

second, i think it concerns another theme which is revisited in the ugly organ--the artist as the attention-craving martyr, who suffers for the entertainment of it and wallows in narcissistic self-pity. he hates himself for being this, but this self-loathing plays into the role into which he has cast himself.

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chiller than most
12-23-2004

Rated 0 
Whoever mentioned Jesus in any comment should hang themselves immediately. 97% of the people who post comments on songs here make me sick.

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shutupshutupshutup
12-06-2004

Rated 0 
i don't think he's making himself out to be a martyr. seems more like it's his wife who's accusing him of that.

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xlivinxliesx
10-27-2004

Rated 0 
These guys are amazing... but they are so much better live then on the cd.. and the martyr is my fav song of all time it makes me think of the bible and how it contradicts its self so many times

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DebtServicer
10-14-2004

Rated 0 
i agree with ImtheMartyr. tuffghost is a poof, he just wants a piece of tim. you just gotta put it all behind you tuffghost, noone likes a fag. so stop beating off to all these great songs.

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ImtheMartyr
10-14-2004

Rated 0 
Tuffghost.... indie heroes in capes. i reakon your just jealous coz u want a piece of tim.. not so much conor.. just tim. coz your weird like that.

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RachiePie
06-20-2004

Rated 0 
Even though the entire idea of Conor Oberst and Tim Kasher having a sexual relationship is absolutely insane....

....is it wrong that if they did, I would want to watch? Heh.I'll shut up now.

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TuffGhost
06-17-2004

Rated 0 
Rachel4ever should really shut the fuck up and never talk again. and ImtheMartyr is a dumbass too. please, both of you just shut up. this a great song, and it's not about a sexual relationship between two indie heroes.

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nolies,justlove
05-13-2004

Rated 0 
Basically, what he is saying is that don't use your sadness to your advantage. "Your sorrow's your goldmine". I think he is referring to himself. It goes along with Art is Hard when he says "cut it out. your self-inflicted pain is getting too routine." He, or whoever he is referring to, uses their pain to sell music, get people's attention, and gain things. I think what it comes down to is "stop marketing your pain, you're not alone, don't be selfish, and don't take advantage of your sadness."

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wayne_ozacrot
05-10-2004

Rated 0 
My favorite Cursive songs (lyrically speaking) are when Tim Kasher turns his sights on himself. In both this and in "Art Is Hard" (though both songs could also be interpreted as being about Conor Oberst, there doesn't appear to be any bad blood between the two) it's really impressive to hear a band led by a man who could otherwise be considered self-important or conceited taking some brutal shots at his own writing. He labels himself a martyr before and after devaluing the purpose of what he's martyring himself over. "Screaming your agonies, playing the saint" gives a good idea of the contempt he has for what he's doing. It's really impressive, especially considering that it does nothing to devalue the rest of the cd lyrically.

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