I can almost hear the hounds... Don't forget to read the lyrics: lyrics.wikia.com/The_Protomen:... The Protomen - Act II: The Father of Death - The Hounds uploaded in HD quality for your viewing pleasure. If you like this, buy the album!
It doesn't hurt that the song is just straight fire either. Like, that horn section is exactly what I'd like to hear if the whole world is after me, y'know? If I absolutely have to be on-the-run and somebody else is painting me out to be the "bad guy", then they damn well better have a kickass song like this to go along with how they're demonizing me. Otherwise, I dunno, I might just win the rebellion/war just to spite them. All I'm sayin' here is Wily's definitely got his shit together, at least musically. I fucking love this song
I love how it could be either: You forget who turned this city on. You forget who plugged this city in. Or You forget who turned this city on you. Forget who plugged this city in.
@@dudeguy8686 That's awesome. To be clear, this comment isn't a dig at the band, it's a reference to a video about Metal Gear Solid that uses several Protomen songs, including this one.
"Can you question who to blame?!" "What was her name?!" "Doesn't matter." I lack the words to describe how much I love that exchange. How hollow and cheap Wiley comes across after ramping up sympathy for the victim only to express his utter disinterest in her (after he had her killed for rejecting him, no less!) the moment she doesn't fit his narrative.
Exactly! This song packs so much info every few lines, tbh. In literally two words, Wily lays bare his entire relationship with this situation. He doesn't care about her, he never did (at least, not after she rejected him). She was just a victim that he could drum up sympathy for. Sympathy he could turn to anger, which is what he really wanted. Her name and identity don't really matter, because it could have been ANYONE for this plan to work. All that mattered was that everyone see that "Light" killed someone. The victim isn't who's important here. It's the criminal. That's what everyone should be focusing on. So sayeth WIly.
"No he did not use his hands, like a smart man he used a tool BUT JUST THE SAME." I love how Wily couldn't help but pat himself on the back, even during his framing of Tom.
homo sapiens, "a smart man"... the tool user... but once we make smart tools, what is left for us? with hands of iron, there's not a task they couldn't do
"It does not matter where you hear it from. Whether truth or lies It gets said all the same." This in my opinion shows the pure genius in Wily's destruction of Light's reputation and name, he plays the politics to perfect levels, knowing that once something is said, regardless if it's true or not, that damage will always be done. Beautiful.
I could never get over the exchange between songs "If you destroy the working parts, what you get is a different machine." A truly sinister and insane prospect. Which is rebutted by Light saying, no "if you destroy the working parts, what you get is a BROKEN machine."
Tonight the streets are red, the lights are blue and blinding No sign of the good doctor, but the siren's wail and whining Tells us he'll be found! I can almost hear the hounds What kind of man builds a machine to kill a girl? No, he did not use his hands; like a smart man, he used a tool- -But just the same! Can you question who's to blame? (What was her name?) Doesn't matter. Now listen- The "good doctor" has to pay! When I say he was a monster, when I set fire to his name It does not matter where you hear it from: whether truth or lies, it gets said all the same! Whatever's on the table plays! There is a flame that I've been fanning; there is a fire waiting to catch There is a hell that has been building from the moment we first met If there ever was a time, if there ever was a chance To undo the things I've done and wash these bloodstains from my hands It has passed and been forgotten These are the paths that we must take Cause you and I, Tom, we are men And we can bend and we can break If you think that you can run, if you think that you can stand Well, you forget who turned this city on! You forget who plugged this city in! They'll not switch it off again! One by one, they're tuning in!
I love how you have the shift between the western-style songs and this, something more rock/jazz to show not only the change in events but the differences in opinion between Light and Wily. Brilliant stuff.
Am I the only one who envisions Dr. Wily strutting down the street, head a-bobbing in a pinstripe zoot suit, gesturing wildly at the press and grinning like a devil? But not classic old Wily we're accustomed to with the silly hair and face, this Wily is young, handsome, and thoroughly stylish in his evilness.
I always pictured him in a prestine labcoat, red silk tie adorning a black suit underneath, hair pushed back out of his face standing at a press junket, podium with a dozen news microphones infront of him, cameras snapping and flashing as he incriminates his old friend, purposely tarnishing everything Light stood for, and smiling to himself, knowing exactly what the masses would do with this "news", using media to control the populace.
This dosent actually fly in the face in the Games either really, after all this is supposed to he decades before Act 1 Wich showed there version of Megaman and the like
After listening to this, I really can't help but admire Wily. Yeah, he's evil but also an absolute genius. This man has orchestrated everything, took control of the city by using every tool at his disposal and in the end more or less managed to achieve his dreams and came out victorious. You've gotta respect him for his endless ambition/greed at least. I hope at the end of Act 3 (if it ever comes out) he won't be just easily defeated and things will work out just fine.
I mean, we don't see him acquire all the power necessary to have all this control, so we can't really say if he's a genius or not, all we can say is once he got the tools, he used them effectively. How did he get the city businesses and politicians and owners to allow all those screens to be built in their propriety? How did he have the funds to do all that without investors that would have partial control of the broadcasting and usage rights? Any News company would spend the months it took to build making editorials against it, calling it a danger in the exact way it became, and laws would need to be changed for their function, so he'd need to have politicians on his side, which he could do by saying "I'll do propaganda on your side", but then he's beholden to them, until he's gotten enough political capital the law could be changed again if he didn't do things for them. Maybe he played all the cards right, and yeah was a genius, but we don't know, all we know is that once he got the most overt and loud platform ever, he used for his political gain, meanwhile settimg up the events that would gain him even more, like a private secret police (of one killer robot man I guess x3) and control over literally all means of production (which again would require more political maneuvering than we saw). Sooo basically, once he owned all means, and all media, and enough arms to have one killer robot, and enough of the judicial system to control the result of Light's trial, he used *those* tools well, in order to control more of the judicial system, and eventually by the end of the album, the sole monopoly on legitimate violence. He did start with a giant headstart in the album, is what I mean, yknow? x3 Light reeeeeeeeally shouldn't have pulled the *super important all powerful with literally no guarantees seriously I'm giving this guy a murderbot* lever XD
This was in my music library, i don't remember adding it. No idea the backstory (or anything about MegaMan) but DAMN this song is great. I love the horns *so, so, so* much. I think I will love this album
Also, don't worry, because even with the loose connection to the overarching story, those horns will always be straight fire anyway. This song kicks so much ass.
@@patheticplague9359 Yeah, the person singing in this song (canonically, I don't know the "actor's" name) is Albert Wily - the main villain of the Megaman games. Also, Megaman himself is actually in the act 1 album. Act 2 is a prequel to that. If you haven't already, and plan on listening through the albums, each song's official lyrics have notes in them that provide probably 50-70 percent of the plot, so make sure you find those if you're interested.
The following is a little bit of my idea of how a full film of this album would look, continued from the last track in this channel: *[The first notes of "The Hounds" play as we cut to a lower floor of a broadcast tower, slowly panning up to WILY, standing at the window and looking out with his hands behind his back, his feet tapping to the rhythm. He is dressed in a suit and tie. Behind him is a podium in a large room, which is filled with dozens of reporters, their pens tapping against their notepads to the same rhythm. Near WILY is a glass door leading to a studio with a camera and microphone. WILY turns around to face the podium and the reporters.]* WILY: Tonight the streets are red, the lights are blue and blinding. No sign of the good doctor, but the siren's wail and whining Tells us he'll be found! I can almost hear the hounds... *[cut to LIGHT somewhere in the city, hiding from pursuit. Cut back to WILY, speaking to the reporters. The reporters yelling "What was her name?" are THE PROTOMEN, in stage attire... then when it cuts back to WILY, they are simple reporters again.]* What kind of man builds a machine to kill a girl? No, he did not use his hands; like a smart man, he used a tool. But just the same! Can you question who's to blame? REPORTERS/PROTOMEN: What was her name? WILY: Doesn't matter. But listen: The good doctor has to pay! *[WILY turns away from the podium to look out the window again; this is not for the reporters to hear. We occasionally cut to LIGHT continuing evasion as he runs toward the graveyard before cutting back to WILY.]* WILY: When I say he was a monster, when I set fire to his name, It doesn't matter where they hear it from, whether truth or lies, It gets said all the same! Whatever's on the table plays! *[Cut to LIGHT standing quietly at EMILY's grave, an intense look on his face. Cut back to WILY walking into the recording studio, sitting down in front of the camera and staring at the red blinking light as the reporters cram against the soundproof glass door. We occasionally cut between him and LIGHT, seeing the police lights nearby and trying to escape before being cornered, hiding behind a parked car as police aim their weapons and shout at him. Eventually, LIGHT surrenders and is handcuffed as he stares intently at the broadcast tower in the center of the city.]* WILY: There is a flame that I've been fanning, there is a fire waiting to catch, There is a hell that has been building from the moment we first met. If there ever was a time, if there ever was a chance To undo the things I've done and wash these bloodstains from my hands, It has passed and been forgotten, these are the paths that we must take, 'Cause you and I, Tom, we are men and we can bend and we can break. If you think that you can run, if you think that you can stand, You forget who turned this city on, you forget who plugged this city in! *[The blinking stops, indicating WILY is live as a giant TV screen on the tower turns on, revealing WILY in front of a giant letter W, a news ticker running at the bottom of the screen with various phrases running by; the phrases include "Famous roboticist Dr. Thomas Light wanted for murder of local woman," "Sources say Light likely ordered invention 'Model 01' to commit the deed", etc. Cut back to WILY in the studio, straightening his tie.]* They'll not switch it off again! *[Cut to various people on the streets watching the screen, people in bars and pubs watching WILY on the screens above the bar. Cut to daytime, with LIGHT being carried towards a courthouse in cuffs.]* One by one they're tuning in! *[Cut to WILY's show, as he soundlessly rants angrily and more sensational headlines concerning LIGHT run across the ticker. Cut to a family with small children happily sitting in front of the screen, the children watching with fascination as WILY continues ranting. As music fades, cut to a bailiff in a courtroom holding a bible as WILY places his hand on it.]* BAILIFF: "[spoken]* Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? WILY: *[spoken]* I do. *[The courtroom is absolutely packed with people. The jury features THE PROTOMEN out of costume in plain clothing; LIGHT is sitting in a suit and tie next to his attorney, watching WILY on the bench as the prosecutor questions him...]*
Personal Favorite line/verse: "When I say he was a monster, when I set fire to his name, It does not matter where you hear it from, whether truth or lies, It gets said all the same." I can just Imagine Wily smiling to the Press while telling them what they were working on.. and Spin Doctoring everything about it so it was all Light's Fault... Then standing alone when they've gone and Leering out across the city, Knowing he's buring the only person he could ever consider a "Friend" or an Equal.
"These are the paths that we must take, 'cause you and I, Tom, we are men, and we can bend and we can break. If you think that you can run, if you think that you can stand, well you forget who turned this city on, your forget who plugged this city in!" Best line.
I just picture "The Hounds" as group of searchers on old motorcycles. Wily saying "I can almost hear The Hounds" as if he hears the distant roar of their engines arriving on an all-out manhunt for Light. I just think that would be an awesome take on search hounds and I feel like it REALLY fits the world.
I've been driving all night my hands wet on the wheel there's a voice in my head that drives my heel 'ts my baby calling say I need you here it's a half past four and i'm shifting gears...
A long while ago a family member reccomended this band to me. I listened to a few songs and I thought these guys sucked. Like a month ago a song by them was on discover weekly for my Spotify so I gave it a listen. From then on I started to absolutely love this band.
This is such a well written song. It packs so much information and emotion into such few words. I feel like every couple of lines are conveying things that would take some people (like myself, probably. I'm very verbose) five or even ten times as many sentences to convey. While all of Act II is great, I think the lyricism of this song stands out among the album.
The moral of this song? Always Question your sources. I mean, if Wily was a well-known collaborator of Light's, and a Robot killed Emily, is it not worth to at least consider Wily a suspect? Especially since many crimes are committed by people with grudges with someone related to them, and Wily would know how to employ the robots to do such a thing, and since Light is so obviously in distress about her death, since he never actually resists when he's arrested, do you think that his words in an interrogation are at least worth listening to? Because he is telling the truth, so to the police he's either a phenomenal liar, or he's telling the truth, and a man in that much obvious distress would sort of been noticed surely?
When I listen to this song I imagine a young and dapper Wily strutting down the street while police cars zoom by, in a pinstriped zoot suit, bumping his shoulders to the beat and grinning like a madman. It takes a hell of a band to conjure an image that strong.
As others before me have stated, sent here from ponies. But HOLY SHIZ THIS IS A GREAT SONG!!!!!! Dang, I think I have something to geek out over again!
It's ironic that many years after the events of this song, Thomas would indeed attempt to build his monster machine. A super fighting robot to defeat Albert. Yet he kept accidentally creating men, by granting them the emotional capacity to feel.
![[HD] The Protomen - Act II - The Hounds](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
