The Serpent Is Rising
Written by John Curulewski, Chuck Lofrano
Lead Vocals by John Curulewski
In the abyss of space
From the center of time
A superman race
Moves the Serpent to climb
The journey has lasted
Seven ages or more
Life after life
Must pass through the door
The secret revealed
When you leave your cave
Is a glory of thunder
And life from the grave
The Serpent is rising
Uncoiling in your spine
Bringing you light
From the depths of your mind
The people have massed
In the center of town
We drink from a glass
And the world turns around
The Serpent is rising
Uncoiling in your spine
Bringing you light
From the depths of your mind
The Serpent is rising
Uncoiling in your spine
Bringing you light
From the depths of your mind
The Serpent is rising
Uncoiling in your spine
Bringing you light
From the depths of your mind
Interpretation
Dennis DeYoung once said in a radio interview that The Serpent Is Rising is about "the third eye coming up" which would imply that this is a song about an penile erection....
...that Dennis is such a kidder! ;-P Of course, given JC's strange sense of humor, evident in the song Plexiglas Toilet, it would not be surprising to find that he intentionally structured the song to make this play on words.
The Serpent Is Rising creates an image hinting of science-fantasy as it uses symbolism to suggest the idea that life on Earth actually has alien origins, floating in from the far reaches of space in the form of RNA, a basic building block of life that is then transformed into life in the "primordial soup" of Earth's early atmosphere with the stimulation of an electrical discharge. This idea may have originated from reading a well-publicized article on just such a theory that appeared at the same time as this song was written and recorded (Crick, F.H.C. and Orgel, L.E., "Directed Panspermia," Icarus,19, 341-346, 1973).
Although the chorus does not appear until later in the song, it is helpful to understand its meaning to unlock the meanings of the verses of the song.
The Serpent is rising
Uncoiling in your spine
Bringing you light
From the depths of your mind
In the chorus, we are finally given the clues to understanding what "the Serpent" from the story is truly representing in this elaborate analogy. The second line "uncoiling in your spine" is the key, for the spine is the organ which links all parts of the human body. The spine, like all human tissue, is composed of cells. All the cells in a person's body have one thing in common, the DNA which contains the genetic blueprint for that person. The physical form of each person's DNA is a double helix, which can be visualized as two interwined spiraling strings molecules. So, "the Serpent" is a double-helix of DNA that is "uncoiling in your spine." Contained in that DNA is the blueprint for the person, including the physical makeup of the brain which allows for free and complex thought, "bringing you light from the depths of your mind." It is, therefore, from the "serpent" that we have achieved the enlightenment to finally understand our origins.
In the abyss of space
From the center of time
A superman race
Moves the Serpent to climb
The use of the word "abyss" is technically correct to desribe the endless depths of outer space, but it also invokes images of Hell, which is associated in modern Judeo-Christian belief with Satan, who first appeared in the Garden Of Eden as a Serpent and has been symbolically associated with that reptile ever since.
"The center of time" probably refers to a state of being outside of time as we know it. This is a familiar theme to science fiction (for example, the Prophets from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine live in a state independent of time). Such a state of being would be conceivable for "a superman race."
The "superman race" is an advanced race of beings that apparently exist in the farthest reaches of space and live in state that is outsde of the limitations of time. These beings send the spores of RNA into space, initiating the chain of events from which the DNA of life will eventually come to arrive on Earth, thus moving "the serpent to climb".
The journey has lasted
Seven ages or more
Life after life
Must pass through the door
"The journey" of the spores has taken a very long time. An "age", while not of definite length, is usually measured in terms of centuries, millennia, or more. In addition, the specific choice of "seven ages" reflects the common usage in numerology and in apocalyptic literature (such as the books of Daniel or Revelation in the Bible) of the number seven to represent completeness. When used to reference time, seven units of time is symbolic of a long period, so "seven ages" could represent a timeframe approaching eternity.
The next lines reinforce the implications of such a long journey by recounting the endless generations of the self-replicating RNA molecules that come and go as "life after life must pass through the door." The "door" which is passed is the figurative portal separating existence from non-existence.
The secret revealed
When you leave your cave
Is a glory of thunder
And life from the grave
The promise of "the secret revealed" is ironic as the following lines are perhaps the most cryptic of all. Based on the structure of the sentence, "the secret" is "a glory of thunder and life from the grave." But what does that mean? And what is the significance of the timing of leaving your cave? The reference to leaving your cave is probably a reference to emerging from the "cave" of ignorance and primitive beliefs, allowing the secret to be revealed, as Plato suggested in his Allegory of the Cave from Book VII of The Republic (circa 360 B.C.). The "glory of thunder" would then be the "thunder" heard with the final "aha!" of enlightenment when we finally understand the truth of our beginnings. The thunder has another meaning, too, by referring to the sound made by the electrical discharge (lightning) that stimulates the RNA in the spores which have arrived on Earth to transform from a state of lifelessess to that of DNA-based life.
The people have massed
In the center of town
We drink from a glass
And the world turns around
Once the discovery of the truth about human origins becomes accepted, the enlightened people gather together and celebrate with a toast of champagne. As word of the discovery spreads, the entire world takes notice and "turns around."
[The following is an alternate interpretation that was developed more as an intellectual excercise than as a likely meaning behind the song. Still, anything is possible. Perhaps JC was intentionally leaving the meaning ambiguous or even intentionally layering multiple meanings into a single song?]
The Serpent Is Rising uses an epic science-fantasy story as a vehicle to recount, through analogy, the story of humanities emergence, with God's divine assistance, to an understanding of the secret of eternal life.
In the abyss of space
From the center of time
A superman race
Moves the Serpent to climb
Heaven is often characterized as being "above," which to one familiar with modern science would, if taken literally, be in the endless depths of space. The choice of the word abyss might also have been intentional in its association with Satan, who is often characterized as a serpent, creating a harsh contrast to its use in describing the location of Heaven. God and His angels exist in a state outside the limits of time as we understand it, characterize here as "the center of time." The "superman race" may be the angels in God's service, carrying out his commands in moving the Serpent (analogous to humanity's DNA - more on that later) to "climb" (or ascend, indicating that the DNA is being improved).
The journey has lasted
Seven ages or more
Life after life
Must pass through the door
The "journey" is a figurative journey through time rather than space. The "seven ages" are the entirety of human history, using the numerical significance of seven as a measure of completeness in combination with the indefinitely long period of time characteristic of an age to create an image of time approaching an eternity. All the while, the cycle of life beginning and ending continues, waiting for the day that the secret of eternal life is revealed.
The secret revealed
When you leave your cave
Is a glory of thunder
And life from the grave
When Christ rose from the grave, the secret to eternal life was revealed. The "glory of thunder" is perhaps the earthquake that preceded the arrival of the angel that rolled away the stone from the mouth of the cave in which Christ was entombed.
The people have massed
In the center of town
We drink from a glass
And the world turns around
The people massing in the center of town are gathering at the Cathedral to worship. The choice of words is careful, as the worship service is called "mass." A significant ceremony of Catholic mass is holy communion, one part of which is the drinking of wine from a glass.
The Serpent is rising
Uncoiling in your spine
Bringing you light
From the depths of your mind
The "serpent" is the double-helix of human DNA, an intertwining coil of two strands of molecules present in every cell of the human body, including the tissue of the spine that ties together all other parts of the body. The "light" which is revealed is the light of God's truth, which has been present in the depths of every person's mind and soul from the beginning, but which has only been understood for a relatively small fraction of human history.
[Below is an alternate interpretation of the meaning of the chorus submitted to the Styx Internet Mailing List.]
If you don't mind Todd, I'd like to muddy the waters a little more.The following lyric reminds me of something I came acrosswhile studying eastern meditation and healing methods.
> The Serpent is rising
> Uncoiling in your spine
> Bringing you light
> From the depths of your mind
Most people usually have alot of energy built up in their first chakra, at the base of their spine, and less in the chakras higher up in the body. One meditation practice for balancingand creativity, is to imagine the energy in your base chakraas a coiled snake that as it uncoils brings energy to each chakrathat it passes through until it reaches the chakra at the top ofyour head. In this way the tail of the serpent is at the base of your spine and the head even with your head.
The first chakra, at the base of the spine, is related to physical andworldy persuits. The chakra at the top of your head is ,of course, related to spirituality and enlightenment. The theory is that if each of your chakras has the same amount of energy as the others, that you will be a healthier and more balanced person.
It's something to think about, anyway. I do see how it fits in withthe whole theory of extraterrestrial origin and the superhumans.To begin with we were, as a race more concerned with survivalthan spiritual pursuits. Now, we have more leasure for spiritual pursuits. Our answers were incoded in us and now we have thetime to find them.
Also the RNA/DNA stuff works well with this. If you think of the atomas a small picture of the workings of the universe, then the RNA/DNA can be seen as symbolic of the spine and energy's traveling along it.
Also, isn't a snake just a spine with a head?
Kelly Dianne
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