The Gift of Guilt Lyrics
We leave the shores to see the mountains rising
A distant impression growing
This judgment creates the pain we hold
Destructive intentions that serve no purpose but the end of us all
[Chorus]
These vultures from the past, coming
In all the hells and worlds, the time has come
Delivered from their eyes
Embrace, suffer, destroy - the gift of guilt
[Verse 2]
The shame and sorrow, self-condemnation
Fill all the gaps and the spaces, unyielding
Bestowed upon us, devastating power
We're building connective tissue to a maze of lies
[Bridge]
We're left as starving orphans, the vital core is gone
Our sins are all over and over again we swallow
We're sick and tired when this wind blows, the reflex is insane
We must forgive and stop blaming ourselves for this love
[Interlude]
In all the hells and worlds, the time has come
In all the hells and worlds, the time has come
These vultures from the past, coming
In all the hells and worlds, the time has come
Delivered from their eyes
I'm leaving this behind - the gift of guilt
About
The Gift of Guilt describes the emotion of inherited guilt and the (painful) process to free yourself from it and grow by leaving it behind.
According to an interview (in french) of Mario Duplantier :
In an environmentalist context, one simplistic meaning of the song could be: we all inherited our destructive behavior and thinking from the past, we suffer from them, let’s leave them behind. The song could describes what it feels to become vegetarian for ethical reasons having grown up eating meat.
On The Gift of Guilt, Gojira uses harmonised tapping (a guitar technique) in a slow, repetitive 2 note pattern chord progression to create an aerial/hypnotic feel on the intro, choruses and outro (the chord progression changes for the outro). They use the same harmonised tapping technique at a much faster pace on Oroborus.
Verses are heavy with the typical Gojira touch. In the middle of the song, a heavy (also typical Gojira) breakdown/bridge build up releases to the second chorus followed by outro in fade out. Like most Gojira’s work, the song is focused on emotional and musical intensity. It’s a fan favourite from the album
but the band wasn’t expecting that.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 1.Explosia
- 3.The Axe
- 4.Liquid Fire
- 8.The Gift of Guilt
- 10.Born in Winter
- 11.The Fall
- 12.This Emptiness
- 13.My Last Creation