One Armed Scissor

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“One Armed Scissor” is the first single from At The Drive-In’s third album, Relationship of Command. The lyrics, as with all ATD-I songs, are cryptic. However, they… Read More

Jul. 18, 20001 viewer63.4K views

One Armed Scissor Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Yes this is the campaign
Slithered entrails
In the cargo bay
A neutered is the vastness
Hallow vacuum
Check the oxygen tanks
They hibernate
But have they kissed the ground
Pucker up and kiss the asphalt now
Tease this amputation
Splintered larynx
It has access now

[Chorus]
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from
The one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from
The one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from
The one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away

[Verse 2]
Banked on memory
Mummified circuitry
Skin graft machinery
Sputnik sickles found in the seats
Self-destruct sequence
This station is non-operational
Species growing
Bubbles in an IV loitering
Unknown origin
Is this the comfort of being afraid
Solar eclipsed
Black out the vultures
As they wait
Unknown, unknown
Unknown, unknown, yeah

[Chorus]
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from
The one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from
The one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from
The one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away

[Bridge]
Dissect a trillion sighs away
Will you get this letter
Jagged pulp sliced in my veins
I write to remember
Cause I'm a million miles away
Will you get this letter
Jagged pulp sliced in my veins
I write to remember
I write to remember
I write to remember

[Chorus]
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from
The one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from
The one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away
Send transmission from
The one armed scissor
Cut away, cut away

[Outro]
Cut away, cut away
Cut away, cut away

About

“One Armed Scissor” is the first single from At The Drive-In’s third album, Relationship of Command.

The lyrics, as with all ATD-I songs, are cryptic. However, they represent the heavy touring schedule of the band, which ironically was one of the reasons why ATD-I reputedly split up.

A “one armed scissor” is what “Vodka Red Bull” is called in Canada (Toronto) when a shot of vodka is dropped into Red Bull—similar to a Jägerbomb. On the road, supposedly the band is constantly intoxicated. The song is written from the point of view of this drunken (and drug-fueled) stupor.

The song also seemingly addresses the imminent split and divide of the band members into two factions; Omar and Cedric (who formed the more prog/experimental The Mars Volta) and Jim, Paul and Tony (who formed the more alternative Sparta).