CANNIBAL
Tally Hall Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Looking for a cavern
A place where she can stay
Waiting for the darkness
When she leaves obsessed to make her way to me
Because it's getting to the time when she will need to feed and

I am the willing victim of a cannibal
She rips out my bones just like I'm an animal

And right when I'm feeling like my blood is drained
She calls it a game
But the wound that she leaves is unmistakable

I am not the only one that she has come to see
Dig up the skeletons of men who thought that they would be the
One like me
Like they could be the ones to make her believe
But for now

I am the willing victim of a cannibal
She rips out my bones just like I'm an animal
And right when I'm feeling like my blood is drained
She calls it a game
But the wound that she leaves is unmistakable

Hiding in corners disguised
She's a phantom, a glimmer inside
She keeps on feeding while I am conceding
So please won't you tear me open wide

I am the willing victim of a cannibal
She rips out my bones just like I'm an animal
And right when I'm feeling like my blood is drained

She calls it a game
But the wound that she leaves is unmistakable

Overall Meaning

The song "Cannibal" by Tally Hall is a story about a man who is willingly subjected to the brutal and hungry advances of a female cannibal. The song begins with a description of the cannibal searching for a hiding spot, as she awaits the opportunity to satiate her hunger. The singer knows that he is in grave danger, but still allows himself to be victimized by her.

The lyrics describe how the cannibal is not just satisfied with taking the life of her victims, but she also delights in inflicting pain and causing visible harm. She is depicted as a predator, who preys on unsuspecting men, swallows them whole, and leaves behind nothing but their empty shells.

The singer may be a symbol of a person who willingly submits to destructive or harmful relationships. The lyrics suggest that some people might have a common impulse that drives them to seek danger or a sense of "thrill" by willingly putting themselves in harm's way. Tally Hall's "Cannibal" is a haunting and thought-provoking song about abuse and self-destruction.

Line by Line Meaning

Looking for a cavern
She is searching for a place to stay hidden

A place where she can stay
She is looking for a safe hiding place

Waiting for the darkness
She waits until it is dark to leave and search for victims

When she leaves obsessed to make her way to me
She becomes fixated on finding the artist as her next victim

Because it's getting to the time when she will need to feed and
She knows it's time to find a victim to consume

I am the willing victim of a cannibal
The singer is aware of their inevitable fate as the cannibal's victim

She rips out my bones just like I'm an animal
The cannibal violently attacks the singer, treating them like an animal

And right when I'm feeling like my blood is drained
The artist recognizes that they are losing a great deal of blood and becoming weaker

She calls it a game
The cannibal treats the killing and devouring of the artist like a game or sport

But the wound that she leaves is unmistakable
The artist has been left with severe physical, emotional and psychological trauma

I am not the only one that she has come to see
Other victims have been attacked and killed by the cannibal before

Dig up the skeletons of men who thought that they would be the
Past victims who believed they could escape the cannibal were proved wrong

One like me
The singer thought they were special, but they are not any different from the other victims

Like they could be the ones to make her believe
The past victims thought they could make the cannibal change, but they were wrong

But for now
The cannibal is focused on the singer as their next victim

Hiding in corners disguised
The cannibal hides and disguises themselves to find the perfect opportunity to attack the artist

She's a phantom, a glimmer inside
The artist sees the cannibal as a ghostly, shining figure who glimmers in the darkness

She keeps on feeding while I am conceding
The singer is giving up hope while the cannibal continues to attack them

So please won't you tear me open wide
The singer is asking the cannibal to end their suffering and kill them quickly

Contributed by Caroline T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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