Motor Spirit

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's song 'Motor Spirit' is a vivid and intense exploration of humanity's destructive relationship with fossil fuels and the environment. The lyrics are rich with apocalyptic imagery and religious metaphors, portraying a world where the worship of motor spirit—essentially gasoline—leads to catastrophic consequences. The song opens with a sense of entrapment and reverence, likening the consumption of fuel to a holy ritual. The phrase 'drink the fuckin' gas and killeth' starkly illustrates the self-destructive nature of this worship.

The song continues to delve into the consequences of this blind devotion. The 'coal-black cloud horizon' and 'motorised apocalypse' paint a grim picture of environmental degradation and societal collapse. The lyrics 'light the fuel, propagate oxygen and heat, deify motor spirit, kiss goodbye to the weak' suggest a survival-of-the-fittest mentality, where only the strong survive in a world ravaged by pollution and climate change. The repeated invocation of 'motor spirit' serves as a chilling reminder of the central role that fossil fuels play in this dystopian vision.

As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the 'motor spirit' is not just a physical substance but a symbol of humanity's hubris and shortsightedness. The lines 'dire fate shall plague our land, hurricanes shall sweepeth sand' and 'the heat doth scorch the landeth, naught but ash in thy handeth' evoke a sense of inevitable doom. Despite the efforts of 'brave occultists' to save the world, the destructive power of the motor spirit proves too great to overcome. The song ends on a note of resignation, acknowledging that the path humanity has taken leads to its own undoing.

' Motor Spirit' is a powerful commentary on the environmental crisis and the dangers of unchecked industrialization. It serves as a stark warning about the consequences of our actions and the urgent need for change.