"This Shattered Symphony"

Album Art by Bill Scoville.

**"This Shattered Symphony"** is a song by the American rock band Coheed and Cambria. It is the sixth track on their 2010 album *Year of the Black Rainbow*.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

Oh, I'm giving up the one I love

I'll conduct the great disaster

To scar my skin, to own this hurt

**[Pre-Chorus]**

They offered their hearts and we tore them apart

They offered their blood and we left them so parched

I don't know if I can give you anything you want

**[Chorus]**

Go on and give me the gun, never mind what I've done

They left me no choice, oh, they left me no choice

Go on and give me the gun, let me blow them open

It's out of my reach, never mind what they think about me

**[Verse 2]**

I don't want to say

That with mercy, we decay

Converging closer and faster

Does all I touch turn to dust?

**[Pre-Chorus]**

And she confessed her love, only I shut her up

As I took all her words and allowed them to rust

I don't know if I'm the man you truly want to love...

**[Chorus]**

Go on and give me the gun, never mind what I've done

They left me no choice, oh, they left me no choice

Go on and give me the gun, let me blow them open

It's out of my reach, never mind what they think about me

**[Bridge]**

Little have they learned anything about me

Meddling eyes that judge mistakes

What awful things they say

When backs are turned and no one's looking

**[Chorus]**

Go on and give me the gun, never mind what I've done

They left me no choice, oh, they left me no choice

Go on and give me the gun, let me blow them open

It's out of my reach, never mind what they think about me

**[Outro]**

Oh, in this shattered symphony

Oh, in this shattered symphony

Give me the gun!

Give me the gun!

Go on and give me the gun

## Story Context

This would technically be the last song in chronological order as it depicts Leonard going to the victory rally Mayo Deftinwolf is holding for Wilhelm Ryan. He has a gun and intends to either kill one, or both of them, or be killed as he has nothing more to live for. This is not the end of the story, but as the album focuses on Leonard's perspective, this would effectively end with his death.

The first verse describes where he's coming from. He's given up Coheed and Cambria for Pearl's release. He had to also create the Monstar Virus, which could lead to the destruction of the entire Fence, so instead he splits and hides in the pair. This is painful for him.

The pre-chorus is probably how he views the actions he and KBI set out to do, only for them now to come to an end, leaving them high and dry. The actual chorus is taken almost entirely from the novel. Pearl is returned to him, but has been brainwashed by Deftinwolf to believe Leonard is a total enemy, telling her of the conditions to her release and giving her a pulsar gun. She angrily confronts Leonard and brandishes the gun while he tries to explain ("Go on and give me a gun, never mind what I've done / They left me no choice" and "It's out of my reach, never mind what they think about me").

In the second verse, the line "Does all I touch turn to dust?" seems to foreshadow the conclusion to this chapter of the story. He's lost pretty much everything. The following pre-chorus is a twisted vision of his relationship with Pearl. All throughout the novel we've seen how much he cares for her and wants to make her happy again in the face of such a devastating event. He has done nothing like shutting her up and has hung on every word she's spoken to him, when she speaks. But all of this leads to the line "I don't know if I'm the man you truly want to love" which is what he's really questioning and concerned about.

In the bridge we get to the main event of this song: Leonard arrives at the rally. Everyone may not know who he is, but Deftinwolf instantly recognizes him and shoots him, though it's just a graze. In the outro, we get the title line "Oh, in this shattered symphony." If the story is a symphony than at this point it truly shatters. They bring him up to the stage and goat him. Hohenberger eventually spits on Deftinwolf who is shocked and stunned. This is when Hohenberger steals a soldier's pulsar gun and fires at him, but completely misses. Deftinwolf fires back on instinct and and kills him. The crowd cheers.

## Trivia

* Sanchez played the Synthesizers & Keyboard with Wes Styles.

## References

1. ↑ Coheed and Cambria. Booklet. *Year of the Black Rainbow*, Columbia Records, 2010.
2. ↑ https://genius.com/Coheed-and-cambria-this-shattered-symphony-lyrics