The Malkin Jewel

The Mars Volta's song 'The Malkin Jewel' is a haunting exploration of obsession, jealousy, and the darker sides of human emotion. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a narrator who is consumed by jealousy, crawling through a lover's bedroom in a fit of rage. The imagery of 'blossom rags' and 'jackal croon' suggests a sense of decay and desperation, while the 'shrapnel' given to 'sprinkle in her soil' hints at a desire for revenge or destruction.

The recurring motif of traps and rats in the cellar adds to the song's eerie atmosphere. The traps, set by the narrator, symbolize the lengths to which they are willing to go to ensnare their object of obsession. The rats, forming a 'vermin of steps,' represent the relentless pursuit and the inevitable path leading back to the source of their torment. This imagery creates a sense of entrapment and inevitability, as if the narrator is caught in a cycle of their own making.

The song also delves into themes of entrapment and helplessness, as seen in the verse about the girl 'woven in spindle and thread.' This character, wrapped in a 'bivouac of taffeta scaffolding web,' symbolizes someone trapped in a situation beyond their control, crying out for help. The 'mountains of avarice' and the transformation of 'ether turns flesh to gravel' further emphasize the crushing weight of greed and the dehumanizing effects of obsession. The Mars Volta's intricate and metaphor-laden lyrics invite listeners to delve deep into the psychological and emotional turmoil depicted in 'The Malkin Jewel.'