Down Towards The Healing

Here's a thought:

One, Michael Shephard is a very poetic lyricist with a cinematic command of language. In achieving this, he uses many tools like metaphors and similes.

In the beginning of the second verse, he sings, "I want my life to be red with trees like autumn." He writes this in the accompanying lyrics book as well. However, I would argue he is consciously alluding to something greater.

In the recording, listen to the emphasis of the 'un' sound after he sings the word 'trees.' He could be saying 'and'. Or, consider the following:

"I want my life to be red with treason, like autumn." Throughout literature and psychology, red is illustrious of negative emotions, such as death, betrayal, and tumult. As the song creates a sense of transcendence from a past life/life surrounding by wrong. Red represents the death of this life, and the welcoming of a new start. Similarly, autumn marks the same type of change. As the leaves begin to shed their color and skin, it marks the passage of new life.

A step further. "I want my life to be read with treason, like autumn." If another were to 'read' Shephard's life, he wants them to see his change. If a narrator is one way through a story, then goes through a rebirth and essentially starts over, it is treason to the previous idea of the self.

Keep in mind this is just a though. Something to consider.

THIS is the best song

this song is so beautiful lyrically elegant

the album all together is wonderful

this song is so kick ass but its the only lovedrug song ive heard, are any of their other songs any good?

i love every song on this cd.

This wasnt the single off of pretend your alive cd, but it is definatly one of the high songs on the album

candy is also really neat

what was the single off 'pretend you're alive'?

this song is amazing- like the part where it just lets loose... amazing. well anyways i think the song has something to do with "wanting to make someone happy" but not really being able to please them because of somthing. to me, this song is like "i really would make you happy if i knew what i could do and if i was able to do it." and about how it's because you fallen or failed. ahhh i really wish i could do a better job with the words to really say what i mean. oh well.. i tried

This is probably my favorite Lovedrug song... it's so great!! This is going to be a long interpretation. And if you're an atheist, you won't appreciate most of what I have to say. Just a warning.

I think this song has a deeper meaning than just being about a relationship. To me it's more about life in general, and how you choose to live it. That sounds broad so I'll try to explain better.

"I want my life to be red with trees and like autumn" sounds like he's saying he wants his life to have more color and depth to it. More meaning and substance. Or, he wants his life to be something special and beautiful. Not empty and shallow.

"So sad that we have become the children trapped in the mazes" could be referencing the fact that so many people just get lost in the business of what they think life is. They get trapped in and lost in the hustle-bustle of things and forget to take time to just slow down, think, and live.

"If I run, I'll just become like all the faking lights." If we run along with what everyone else says is cool or popular, where will our originality be? We'll just be trying to fit in with what everyone else is doing, even though fitting in is really all everyone else is trying to do too. So really, if you "run with the crowd" and deny who you are as a person and what makes you YOU, you're becoming like all the other faking lights.

You could also look at it in the way that what you're "running" from are the things that scare you and take you out of your comfort zone... not having enough confidence in yourself to try the things that you really want to try, just because you're scared that it will fail.

"So let the thunders take me under and break my legs tonight" To me this is kind of like a surrender and saying "Ok, here I am letting go and putting everything on the line." This could be talking about God in the sense of surrendering. Letting go, trusting in God's plan for once instead of your own... not knowing what will happen, but being ready for it anyway, and trusting God will work out everything for the best.

After all of the "let the thunders take me under..."'s, the lyrics go: "Hallelujah, I'm not breathing." over and over... which to me is referencing the beautiful realization that we're not in control of our own lives, God is. It's not us breathing, it's God breathing life INTO us. It's not by our own doing, but HE is the One giving us our breath. It's when we surrender to this truth that our life becomes more "red with trees and like autumn". That is, our lives finally have things like color, excitement, beauty, depth, substance, purpose, and meaning. And it's then that we no longer have to run with the crowd and become like all the faking lights. Instead we run hand in hand with God.

I think that the title is also very relevant. DOWN Towards the Healing... to me is saying that we have to be humbled and "hit a low point" and realize that we're nothing without God. Only then will the healing process start. And that's a happy, beautiful thing. Doesn't he sound relieved when he's singing "Hallelujah, I'm not breathing!!" over and over??!

beautiful... flawed, but beautiful love of someone who genuinely wants to be better for himself and the one he loves...that loves him unconditionally..."you don't know how cool you are to find the ways to love me without shame"