Cauterize Lyrics

Commentary by vocalist / lyricist Tim Lambesis: "’Cauterize’ uses imagery of a hospital patient in need of an operation. Metaphorically, there is some type of open wound, and that is my way of making it clear that help is needed. Surgery is delicate, requiring a trusted hand, in the same way that opening up to somebody about one’s weaknesses usually requires a trusted friend. Some people I meet are motivated to know me due to their curiosity about me, the public figure. My instinct is to close myself off, rather than speak the depths of my heart to people, most of whom I won’t be seeing longer than a tour. Whether intentional or not, there is a great deal of insincerity exchanged when people know they aren’t going to be around one another in the long term, even when they get into deeper topics. On the other hand, I wanted to take a step back and ask myself if I’m really close to anyone outside of my family anymore. It’s hard for me to justify opening up to some incredible friends I have, only because I know I won’t see them more than a handful of times per year. By the time I finished "Cauterize", it ended up being a letter to a hypothetical friend. It takes a tremendous amount of trust to have a friend like that, and when you share that bond with another person, you each have an obligation to help the other grow."