"Cuts Marked in the March of Men"

Album Art by Bill Scoville.

**"Cuts Marked in the March of Men"** is a song by the American rock band Coheed and Cambria. It is the third track on their 2003 album *In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3*.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

Listen to the world out on the outside, pressing in

Are you ready on my mark?

Fingers given names and with the last word, they ascend

On the comfort of their well being... in arms

Into something they can't stop

But wish that they could kill

You're the answer to their prayer

**[Pre-Chorus]**

In your last hour stand

You'll notice the one that you had loved in dreams

Is here, among the others

Chase, it's you I want!

**[Chorus]**

But if I can't have her

Then why should I spend any more time

In a world that's gonna end pretty soon?

I need you now, more than I ever did

I'll hand myself over for you

This comlink's lost its frequency

And I feel that we're coming home short

Here, take me instead

I'd rather not see her off, alone

**[Verse 2]**

Scattered amongst the killing streets, the children slate defense

Is God's work to have us fail?

Rivered blood streams out the dead, as bodies foul the air

I'll make peace when this is done

In arms... we storm

Slowly, the streets begin to fill

With new flesh bound to bone

Armed and ready, it begins again

**[Pre-Chorus]**

In your last hour stand

You'll notice the one that you had loved in dreams

Is here, among the others

Chase, it's you I want!

**[Chorus]**

But if I can't have her

Then why should I spend any more time

In a world that's gonna end pretty soon?

I need you now, more than I ever did

I'll hand myself over for you

This comlink's lost its frequency

And I feel that we're coming home short

Here, take me instead

I'd rather not see her off, alone

**[Post-Chorus]**

Tonight, we form

Tonight...

**[Bridge]**

Deliver a favor for my love

Deliver a favor for my love

Deliver a favor for my love

Deliver a favor for my love

**[Pre-Chorus]**

In your last hour stand, you'll notice

The one that you had loved in dreams

Is here, among the others

Chase, it's you I want!

**[Chorus]**

But if I can't have her

Then why should I spend any more time

In a world that's gonna end pretty soon?

I need you now, more than I ever did

I'll hand myself over for you

This comlink's lost its frequency

And I feel that we're coming home short

Here, take me instead

I'd rather not see her off, alone

## Story Context

This song is about Sizer's capture and takes place from his perspective. Starting with "Listen to the world out on the outside, pressing in / Are you ready on my mark?" depicts the initial battle. They, the outsiders, press further into the battlefield to confront the Red Army. They are to go in cautiously, but of course he doesn't. "Fingers given names and with the last word, they ascend / On the comfort of their well being in arms" refers to the Prise and their connection with Chase to rebirth the race. "Into something they can't stop / But wish that they could kill / You're the answer to their prayers" supports this event as well. Wilhelm Ryan, wants to utilize the Prise's power, and to do that he'll need more of them. He doesn't want to stand against them because of this power, so it's a bit of a double-edged sword.

The pre-chorus shifts his attention from the Prise to Chase: "In your last hour stand / You'll notice the one that you have loved in dreams / Is here, among the others / Chase, it's you I want!" The "last hour stand" is his stand to Deftinwolf, before he's knocked out. The one that he has loved in dreams probably refers to Jesse, as he wants Jesse to own up to his role as his father, but also can't say as much out loud. He may be brazen in this fight, but he always has one eye looking out for Jesse in the sea of people. The line "Chase, it's you I want!" is probably spoken by Deftinwolf. Though in the comic no one says this line, prior to the battle, Ryan has Deftinwolf read a passage in Ghansgraad that specifically talks about Chase and Ryan makes it clear that they need her for his plans to go smoothly.

The chorus continues Deftinwolf's thought. At this point in the story, Chase links up with the Prise to rebirth the species. She is completely unattainable in this moment, so Deftinwolf decides to retreat ("why should I spend anymore time / in a world that's gonna end pretty soon?" where "world" refers to the battlefield and "end" refers to the Red Army losing the battle). Then we switch to Sizer's perspective. He went to confront Deftinwolf head on and as the Ryan's side has kept tabs on Jesse and the rebels, they know he's close to both Inferno and Chase. Thus, Sizer "hands" himself over to save his family. He is knocked out with a gas so the line, "This comm-link's lost its frequency" may very well refer to him no longer being able to communicate what happened to the team. He suspects he's been captured which is why the rebels will be coming home "short"; they've lost him. The lines, "Here, take me instead / I'd rather not see her off, alone" are probably only thoughts. Sizer isn't stupid; he knew exactly what he was doing and what the risks were.

Verse 2 swaps to the Red Army briefly. They see they are losing and even worse losing to Jesse's "children" who lead the defense. These soldiers wonder if "God" who to them is Wilhelm Ryan, *wants* them to lose. (Spoiler alert: he does ("I'll make peace when this is done").)

The bridge is a brief look at Jesse on the field. He is still fighting in vengeance for the death of his love, Mariah. His sole, never ending thought as he fights is to take down Ryan on her behalf. This is probably why he lost sight of Sizer.

## Trivia

* Danny Louis played the Keyboard.
* The title probably refers to a passage in the Ghansgraad that describes Chase, as the Vishual as, "...great will be the Vishual's wrath, because the armies of false gods will be on the march..."
* The code name for this track in development was "Chase".
	+ There are only two major changes from development. In the first chorus, the line, "In a world that's gonna end pretty soon," was originally "that's gonna off itself."
	+ The second was the post-chorus and bridge part, which cycled through some different lyrics, the exact words of which were hard to make out.

## References

1. ↑ Coheed and Cambria. Booklet. *In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3*, Equal Vision Records, 2003.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://genius.com/Coheed-and-cambria-cuts-marked-in-the-march-of-men-lyrics
3. ↑ https://archive.org/details/CoheedAndCambriaIKSSE3DemoCassette/02.+Chase.flac