| The National – I'll Still Destroy You Lyrics | 6 years ago |
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Incredible song, definitely one of my favorites from this album. This song plays a key role in tying together the concept, and giving us a glimpse into "The Beast" that Matt refers to throughout. The song begins with the lure of drugs: "It's so easy to set off, the molecules and the caplets." Life's difficulties make escape and numbness to everything appealing. The next several lines in each verse describe the effects of each drug to him personally, "This one's like...". Throughout the album we see signs of a struggling relationship, and escalating means of drowning out the pain. In Walk it Back, the speaker realizes that he's gone too far, and "better cut this off," putting an end to the behavior that will end in collapse. However, here we see that being sober isn't any better for him, "the more level they have me, the more I cannot stand me." So there seems to be an internal struggle where the only means of escape from life's problems is also out to destroy him. It's a loss either way. This is where I believe we learn about "The Beast." Throughout the album, it represents an overarching evil in our world. He's losing grip on life, and everything he knows is falling apart. Losing love, losing parents, losing expectations and hope in society as a whole is leading to a realization that the world we live in is a sham. And ultimately, everything is working to his demise. However, even in the bleak circumstances described, the speaker still has a sense of hope. "It's just the lights coming on." Here we see a rare and explicit reference to change for the better. Here, "the light" doesn't reference a solution, but rather an understanding. He now sees through the lies, and knows what he's up against. He's conscious of the beast that's controlling and destroying him. While he doesn't have an answer yet to defeat the evil against him, he has a very real confidence that this can be accomplished. Even in his worst moments, "I can't find a lighter anywhere I'm going crazy," we see his ability to see through the lies, and ultimately gain confidence and hope, "But I'm not crazy...I'll still destroy you." The title of the album "Sleep well beast," is a reference to such confidence. He feels like he's got an upper hand, and, although an underdog, he's got the means to beat his enemy. An enemy who's resting easy and unsuspecting. |
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