"Chamberlain"

Album Art by Bill Scoville.

**"Chamberlain"** is a song by the American rock band Coheed and Cambria. It is the thirteenth track on the Deluxe Version of their 2010 album *Year of the Black Rainbow*.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

Worlds are burning, now

To the endless shame of this mistaken way

We wither on and on in this game we play

Go ring on the bells of war

And head straight into the lion's cage

You went and told your secrets here

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So, you can take to the grave

'Cause there is no stopping me, so long

Lungs hanging this dead man's curtain

Believe in me as I won't believe in this

**[Chorus]**

The end is now starting

Oh, so please just take your seat

And live your last moments

Waving goodbye desperately

Having a nice day, are we?

Swinging from gallows, perched atop

Fool, sit still and watch your friends let you go

You now learn...

**[Verse 2]**

Spill on through killing fields

The blood of desperate men can change

The thirst of a boy that breathes again

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So, you can take to the grave

For there is no stopping me

Love hanging this dead man's curtain

Believe in me as I've been holding you back

**[Chorus]**

The end is now starting

Oh, so please just take your seat

And live your last moments

Waving goodbye desperately

Having a nice day, are we?

Swinging from gallows, perched atop

Fool, sit still and watch your friends let you go

You now learn...

**[Bridge]**

There is no room for words against them now

'Cause you're my guiding light, they couldn't make a sound

Is there no way to say, to incriminate, oh, listen to me

Oh, well baby, open that door

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So, you can take to the grave

'Cause there is no stopping me, so long

Lungs hanging this dead man's curtain

Believe in me, as I won't believe in this

**[Chorus]**

The end is now starting

Oh, so please just take your seat

And live your last moments

Waving goodbye desperately

Having a nice day, are we?

Swinging from gallows, perched atop

Fool, sit still and watch your friends let you go

You now learn...

**[Outro]**

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Hallelujah, ha...

## Story Context

This song seems to be from Ryan's perspective as he is in the throws of war against his fellow Mages. The word "Chamberlain" is usually used to refer to the role someone has in which they manage a royal household. This person would not only coordinate the paying and receiving of money for the household, but also arrange their domestic affairs like a personal assistant might today. This could be how Ryan, who aspires to achieve the role of "Supreme Tri-Mage" views himself: someone who is in control of all the affairs of the Mages.

In the first verse, the lines "Go ring on the bells of war / And head straight into the lion's cage / You went and told your secrets here" could refer to Ryan's meeting with Marth in which Marth told him of his premonition that Ryan would be the downfall of the Fence, and though he tried to warn his fellow governors of the impending doom, he went unheard. The bridge seems to support this with lines like, "no room for words against them now," "you're my guiding light" and "there no way to say, to incriminate." Verse 2 seems to depict some war scene ("killing fields" and "The blood of desperate men").

The chorus may be referring to the ultimate outcome of their war: Marth, believing he'd finally destroyed Ryan ("Having a nice day"), was ultimately trapped by Ryan instead ("just take your seat") and ends up being killed by him ("live your last moments"). Again in the bridge we get the line, "open that door" which Marth did try to escape from when caught after "killing" Ryan by Ryan.

The outro in which "hallelujah" is sung, this is probably a a reference to how the people praise Ryan upon his victory, and even treat him as a god in some respects.

## Trivia

* The state of New York, from which the band hails, has a Chamberlain in New York City. This officer is in charge of maintaining appropriate records of municipal financial operations.

## References

1. ↑ https://genius.com/Coheed-and-cambria-chamberlain-demo-lyrics