[Intro]
Can you demonstrate
(How to participate)
[Verse 1]
Locked in a closet
(Dying to get out)
Death is no closer
(To winning this bout)
[Bridge]
Shout!
(But you can’t get out)
[Chorus]
A demonstration
(Of incarceration)
There’s no fun in winning war
(Any more)
[Bridge]
Can you demonstrate
(How to participate)
[Verse 2]
When wars can’t be won
(It’s no longer fun)
What is the use
(Of being obtuse)
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
[Outro]
Can you demonstrate
(How to participate)
Tackled and shackled
(Can’t figure it out)
’till the god of war
(Said no more)
ABOUT THE SONG
In Greek mythology, King Sisyphus outwitted Thanatos (Death) by asking him to demonstrate how his own shackles worked, subsequently trapping him. This trick, performed to avoid being taken to the underworld, caused a period where no mortals died, forcing Ares to intervene.
The Trick: When Thanatos arrived to take Sisyphus to the Underworld, Sisyphus pretended to be honored but asked to see how the chains functioned first.
The Imprisonment: Thanatos willingly demonstrated, and Sisyphus quickly snapped the shackles shut, trapping him.
Consequences: As a result of Death being locked in a closet/cell, nobody on Earth could die, causing chaos.
Release: The god of war, Ares, angry that his battles were meaningless because people wouldn’t die, intervened and released Thanatos.
Final Fate: Sisyphus was eventually taken to the underworld and punished with the endless, futile task of rolling a boulder up a hill.
From the album “Sisyphus“