"The Camper Velourium III: Al the Killer"

Album Art by Bill Scoville.

**"The Camper Velourium III: Al the Killer"** is a song by the American rock band Coheed and Cambria. It is the ninth track on their 2003 album *In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3*. It is the final song in the "Camper Velourium" suite of songs.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

At birth given scars along tender heart liberties

In justice for awkward living situated casualties

They lay dead along your floor

Careful not to wake them, they're sleeping

In the morrow's good mourning

The dying will discard the wish to live

**[Pre-Chorus]**

*(Let this colony know)*

*(In the name of the dead, we're coming!)*

**[Chorus]**

When I kill her, I'll have her

*(Dance upon the graves of the dead, upon your name!)*

Die white girls, die white girls

*(Dance upon the graves of the dead)*

*(Upon the graves of the dead!)*

**[Verse 2]**

You'll get nothing for something

Arise the hidden war of a dead, song unsung

The night of your children's day

Beneath the surface, sealed by the floors, boarded up

Seal the lips of your voice with haste

And cowering at the sounds as they make their way

Surprise speed and malice

The opposing break the surface hold ready

**[Pre-Chorus]**

*(Let this colony know)*

*(In the name of the dead, we're coming!)*

**[Chorus]**

When I kill her, I'll have her

*(Dance upon the graves of the dead, upon your name!)*

Die white girls, die white girls

*(Dance upon the graves of the dead)*

*(Upon the graves of the dead!)*

**[Bridge]**

Will the killing veil love

Should the heroes play dumb, dumb?

But killing's no fun

When the heroes are none, none

**[Pre-Chorus]**

*(Let this colony know)*

*(In the name of the dead, we're coming!)*

**[Chorus]**

Bye bye world, bye bye world

*(Dance upon the graves of the dead, upon your name!)*

Die white girls, die white girls

*(Dance upon the graves of the dead)*

*(Upon the graves of the dead!)*

Bye bye world, bye bye world

*(Dance upon the graves of the dead, upon your name!)*

Die white girls, bye bye world

*(Dance upon the graves of the dead)*

*(Upon the graves of the dead)*

*(Upon the graves of the dead, upon the graves!)*

## Story Context

Overall, this song takes place when Ambellina and Claudio Kilgannon are aboard Al's ship, the *Camper Velourium*. While most of the lyrics make perfect sense in this context, some are still a bit confusing. With Verse 1, we start with "At birth given scars along tender heart liberties / Injustice for awkward living situated casualties" which are a mouthful! The first line may refer to Al who obviously has an obsessive personality and serial killer characteristics (like sensation seeking, a lack of remorse/guilt, impulsivity, the need for control, and predatory behavior), likening these things to a birth defect that makes it normal or natural. The byproduct of these conditions (which is an injustice) is dead people. The last lines all describe what happens in the comic: Ambellina unknowingly stubbles upon Al's trophy kills and is stealthily attacked as well. Al is essentially saying that, though he knows the others are dead, they each have their place and she shouldn't touch them, and then, with her being incapacitated herself, she'll join them.

The pre-chorus actually refers to them making it Apity Prime and Chase's announcement that The Crowing is coming. At this point, Claudio has used his Crowing powers on Al, so this may be a bit like a mind meld; he has no pride in ridding the colony of Ryan, but is aware that this is Claudio's purpose as a result of his actions.

In the chorus we get back to Al and he finally says what all his songs thus far have implied. If he kills these substitutes for Luci, then he'll finally have the upper hand over her, only until he kills the real Luci, he'll never be satisfied. Thus the follow up is more general then specific: he'll kill white girls. Luci, who was strawberry blonde and light-eyed, was a slim white woman, and all the subsequent girls we see him hook up with share this feature, though they have different hair and eye colors. Having conquered her, if only temporarily, he'll be giddy enough to dance on their graves.

Verse 2 seems to take a brief look at the events just before they got on Al's ship. Al helps the group out killing some of their attackers (The Narrows who are somewhat zombie-like). Though he helps, he's not going to get much out of it as they are also using him to escape the planet. The lines, "The night of your children's day / Beneath the surface, sealed by the floors, boarded up" might refer to the first stop on the "Escape Shylos X" trip which is a brief stop to the Si-Revody Camp to attempt to save Cecil and the other Stars who have been sequestered as fodder for Ryan's Keywork machine. But in the second half, we are back on the battlefield at House Atlantic. "Seal the lips of your voice with haste" probably refers to the fact that by the time they land by House Atlantic, Claudio has used a newly formed power provided by his mother to take over Al's brain and control him. "And cowering at the sounds as they make their way / Surprise speed and malice / The opposing break the surface hold ready" could therefore be referring to how Al is used on the battlefield.

In the bridge, we get the last look into Al's mind. "Will the killing veil love / Should the heroes play dumb, dumb?" is how he felt on The Velourium Camper before they landed by House Atlantic while, "But killing's no fun / When the heroes are numb, numb" could be how felt (being controlled) afterwards whereas "heroes" includes him and thus doesn't bring him the same thrill as before.

## Trivia

* The code name for this track in development was just "Al the Killer".
	+ A few changes were made: There is no bridge.
	+ In the chorus, the lines "When I kill her, I'll have her" and "And die white girls, die white girls" were simply "Bye, bye, world, bye, bye, world."
* "The Camper Velourium" Suite of Songs has also be credited as "The Velourium Camper" in some instances.
* The character of Al was based on Sanchez's uncle who was a collector, of sorts, for the mafia and his likeness was inspired by some graffiti he saw on his trip in Paris at a club.

## References

1. ↑ Coheed and Cambria. Booklet. *In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3*, Equal Vision Records, 2003.
2. ↑ https://genius.com/Coheed-and-cambria-the-camper-velourium-iii-al-the-killer-lyrics
3. ↑ https://archive.org/details/CoheedAndCambriaIKSSE3DemoCassette/04.+Al+the+Killer.flac
4. ↑ Sanchez, Claudio. “Q&A with Claudio Sanchez.” 26 October 2021. S.S. Neverender I, Norwegian Gem Pool Deck, Deck 12.