"Mother May I"

Album Art by Christopher Shy.

### Appears on

*Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV - Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness*

### Mastering

Brian Gardner

**"Mother May I"** is a song by the American rock band Coheed and Cambria. It is the eleventh song on their 2005 album *Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV - Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness*. A demo version exists on the *GAIBSIV Demos* cassette.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

Did you ever really think that you'd

Expose the truth that pains the page?

And in their asking, did you see their lie,

The motive, true and earnest side?

Four in the morning, should they wake up?

Or see them precious in this sleep

Every step should break the same

With every move and every need

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So run, little children, play

I'll leave the light off to turn your mother on

So run, little children, play

I'll leave the light off to turn your mother on

**[Verse 2]**

Could you ever really wish of them?

One of your games and counts of truth

With every moment, you'll trace the doubt

And of the premise, what about?

Will they ever really see an end, or

Does it matter now, from then?

What of their love for once pronounced

And of this love, a loss without?

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So run, little children, play

I'll leave the light off to turn your mother on

So run, little children, play

I'll leave the light off to turn your mother on

I should have known...

**[Chorus]**

God only knows when your word isn't pure

And the blood on your hands isn't yours

I won't believe any word that you tell

And I won't drink the blood if it spills

**[Bridge]**

So give them the story they want... you too

Give them the story they want

A kiss to you, girl

Before you fall down and leave me

So give them the story they want you to

Give them the story they want

A kiss to you, girl

Before you fall down and leave me

So give them the story they want...

You too, before you leave me

So give them the story they want...

You too, before you leave me

Give them the story they want...

You too, before you leave me

So give them the story they want...

You too, before you leave

**[Chorus]**

God only knows when your word isn't pure

And the blood on your hands isn't yours

I won't believe any word that you tell

And I won't drink the blood if it spills

God only knows when your word isn't pure

And the blood on your hands isn't yours

I won't believe any word that you tell

And I won't drink the blood if it spills

## Story Context

The moment Ten Speed appears, Ryder is torn between believing that this is all a dream or vision, and believing it is all a symptom of his illness. He struggles with this revelation the way Claudio has been dealing with his own destiny as The Crowing. The song switches between the two's perspectives. Verse 1 is from Ryder's side with imagery like, "the truth that pains the page" (which describes the connection between Ryder and his writing), and asks many questions that are posed as a muse of his characters. (Such as "Four in the morning, should they wake up?" meaning should this or that character wake up at four in the morning?)

In the pre-chorus, we hear how Ryder is trying to maintain his composure while dealing with Erica. He starts by telling his children to "run & play" which can be interpreted as "play your part in my story" and follows it up with "I'll leave the light off to turn your mother on." When a light is illuminated, it shows a sign of someone making connections, so if Ryder wants to leave the light off, this means he doesn't want to acknowledge the previously described connection. In this way, he can keep Erica happy. (If Ryder is the father, then Erica is the mother, especially considering how Ryder used her image in the story's characters.)

Verse 2 takes us back to Ryder's writer block. He feels he's lost the premise of the story, and the characters have seem to have gotten away from him. He's not sure how the ending will happen anymore, and again hints at taking away a loved one ("What of their love for once pronounced? / And of this love, a loss without?") which will be Ambellina.

The chorus gives us Claudio's perspective. Claudio, who has been searching for an answer to why all this is happening to me, gets his answer: God only knows. In the song, he is saying "God may know when I'm lying, but I won't fall for his bullshit either." The bridge sweeps him away and takes us back to Ryder who is again hearing Ten Speed's whispers. Of course, he eventually gives in, begging, again, for one last kiss goodbye.

## Trivia

* Danny Louis played Keyboard.
* According to Sanchez, the simple explanation of this song is: "‘God only knows’ is a line from the story. Now the writer is realizing that he is the father of this story, and these are his children. The Character is losing it, and these papers are lined up in front of him, and on these papers in blood is ‘God only knows,’ and that’s the answer to his questions."

## References

1. ↑ https://genius.com/Coheed-and-cambria-mother-may-i-lyrics
2. ↑ https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2007/10/24/coheed-decoded-coheed-and-cambria-frontman-recaps-his-sci-fi-epic