This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Lights out, punching your lights out, punching your, hello, they call me, I am on the prowl (he's on the prowl) hello, they call me, I am hailing a cab (he puts his hand to the air) what kind of verman are creeping on the streets tonight.
I'll save my life for something good, oh yeah, for something good, oh yeah, for something good, and when you're punching her skull on the bathroom floor, oh yeah, does it get you, oh yeah, does it get you off to know that sometimes we all blackout.
Lights out, poor thing that I am, all along (he's standing cold in the rain) hello, they call me, I am raging lightning (he puts his hand to the air) what kind of verman are swimming on the street tonight. It's 4 am and I am coming after you tonight.
She'll save her life for something good, oh yeah, for something good, oh yeah, for something good. and when he's punching her skull on the bathroom floor does it get him off, oh yeah, does it get him off, oh yeah does it get him off to know that sometimes we all blackout.
Suck it up, dry your tears, I'll lift you up, says the angel here, little girl, feel the rage, turn your head, walk down that hall and put yourself to bed.
I'll save my life for something good, oh yeah, for something good, oh yeah, for something good, and when you're punching her skull on the bathroom floor, oh yeah, does it get you, oh yeah, does it get you off to know that sometimes we all blackout.
Lights out, poor thing that I am, all along (he's standing cold in the rain) hello, they call me, I am raging lightning (he puts his hand to the air) what kind of verman are swimming on the street tonight. It's 4 am and I am coming after you tonight.
She'll save her life for something good, oh yeah, for something good, oh yeah, for something good. and when he's punching her skull on the bathroom floor does it get him off, oh yeah, does it get him off, oh yeah does it get him off to know that sometimes we all blackout.
Suck it up, dry your tears, I'll lift you up, says the angel here, little girl, feel the rage, turn your head, walk down that hall and put yourself to bed.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
I've read all the comments here and I have to disagree. I'm not saying I'm correct, but if you look at the lyrics as they are written, I can only draw one conclusion: He is indeed referring to the God of the Bible in this song (I Am) and He (God, I Am) is the one going around tormenting people.
The lyrics start out with "punching your lights out" and then directly to "hello they call me, I am on the prowl" At the end of the first chorus "does it get you off to know that sometimes we all blackout" and then directly to "Lights out, poor thing that i am, all alone" implying that he's done what he's done to that person, they've blacked out, and he's moving on to his next "victim" "it's 4 am and I am is coming after you tonight"
My take on the song is that it's about the supremacy and sovereignty of God. If He is the cause of ALL things, then by logic, He is the direct cause of all evil and suffering in the world. Just to make it known, I'm a Christian and I don't believe this (free will and sovereignty intertwine throughout scripture), but I do believe this is what the song is about. Shepard seems to have a really negative view of God in this song "what kinds of vermin are creeping on the streets tonight, It's 4am and I am, is creeping on the streets tonight"
The angel part at the end confuses me a little. Although I think the "blackout" is referring to sleep. In other words, we're all creatures who get tired and have to sleep. God even commanded us to do it (sabbath day of rest). So I think Shepard is implying that this somehow gets God off to know that we have to rest and he doesn't (after all He's 'prowling' around during the wee hours of the morning when most are sleeping) and maybe the angel is commanding the girl to do what God has already commanded, conforting her, while almost apologizing for his (God's) wrathful ways.
Thoughts?
Shepard has said in interviews that the lyrics on this record were brutal and that "Spiders" was about Voyeurism, so this song meaning wouldn't surprise me, but curious what everyone else thinks..