| Highly Suspect – Lydia Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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“Black ocean, cold and dark” The line sets the tone of all that follows and could be interpreted to be referring to the singers emotional state but it clearly paints setting for the shark metaphor used throughout the song. As a man he has become a predator in the cold world. “I am the hungry shark, fast and merciless But the only girl that could talk to him just couldn’t swim Tell me what’s worse than this” He, in referring to himself as “the hungry shark, fast and merciless”, is saying he is a predator but in saying “the only girl that could talk to him just couldn’t swim” he is saying this one person that finally communicates with him can’t even swim, the most basic element of dealing with anything in the water- let alone a shark. It was never a safe situation for her even if she could swim but the line shows she lacks the basic components to deal with this creature…In basic terms, this girl is inept at dealing with a guy/situation like him and is in over her head. She is innocent prey in the waters. What’s worse than this? In the lines that follow he reminisces on the downward spiral and ended relationship. He says he loves her but will never lover her the most, implying there is something, probably drugs, that he loves more than the relationship. “I’ve seen better days So unafraid in my youth I can’t breathe, much less believe” The chorus refers to the glory days of youth when he lived unafraid and was a better form of himself. The singers angst, fear, desperation, drug use, depression, mania and pressures of life have rendered him a mess of a person and a predator(the shark) in the cold and dark ocean that is the world. He has seen better days. In the other chorus he continues “..can’t believe.. the truth” which could be referring to insecurity, possibly in the relationship, but mostly with life in general(see the fear, angst, desperation, drugs, depression, mania comment above, from here on referred to as “erratic life”). It could be interpreted that in this state of erratic life and emotion, he has become hardened and lives in disbelief and distrust of others in general; ie. insecurity in general(see above). It could also be said in this context, that he “can’t breath” because he is being smothered by her and/or his erratic life and the forces at work inside of him. He is f*cked up in his head and heart and he definitely would not want to have a serious talk, hear any kind of “truths”, or worse yet, opinions from anyone. When in these moods, the narrator doesn’t want to hear anything from anyone(let alone anything positive, especially if it involves changing one’s self.) Hell, he said he cant breath, much less believe the truth. What’s “truth” when you’re out there going through erratic life and drug use “You gave me everything you had Every little thing you had A pure love unrehearsed I’ve seen your best and worst And at your worst, you’re still the best But at my best, I am the worst It’s a curse..” In verse two he reminisces of her honest attempt at loving him. He has seen her best and worst and she is a good person. He doubts he is a good person. “Your eyes are lined in pain Black tears don’t hide in rain” He has brought her to tears and her mascara is running. He metaphorically frames the black tears running down her face as being so evident rainfall could not conceal them. “And I tied you to the tracks When I turned around, I heard the sound I hit the ground, I know there’s no turning back” Despite knowing he would cause her harm if they were involved, he still engaged in the relationship, setting her up for failure. He is tying her to a train tracks. He turns around, not facing what he has done, but he hears it and falls down in disgust at himself and knows “there’s no turning back”, the damage is done.. This part actually could be interpreted a second way if you stretch it and consider he talks about coke and ice, which are Cocaine and Meth, respectively. With “tied you to the tracks” could be referring to him getting her on needle-drugs as well, as tracks could be a double entendre referring to needle “tracks” on someone’s arm/legs/etc. He would be basically be saying he has made track marks a part of her life as well while using a train track metaphor. It would still be the same point though, that he has destroyed her life. “Black ocean, cold and dark I am the hungry shark, fast and merciless But the only girl that could talk to him, she couldn’t swim Tell me what’s worse than this What’s worse is all the coke The ice, it numbs my throat if only for the night My muscles will contract, your bones will crack It’s just a fact cause I am here to win this fight” In the third verse, he again starts by illustrating her dangerous situation and follows what’s actually worsening the situation. He is doing coke and possibly meth(ice). It sounds as if she is doing it with him. Numb throat, involuntary muscles contractions and bones/skeletal issues are coke/meth/speed/most-uppers-I-know-of problems(just crossreference side effect to drug and repeat, one or the other covers the effects he list). He is saying he is handling the battle with the drug better than her and he knows it. -“My muscles will contract, your bones will crack IT’S JUST A FACT cause I am here to win this fight” also inferres with “it’s a fact” he/they will keep doing the drug and feel the consequences. He will not give up/will continue to engage in his “fight” with the drug because he “came to win”.(I mean fight in that bad “I have control of my drug use” kind of way, not the good “I’m trying to quit” battle) On a completely surface level it could be simply going back to the shark metaphor and using ‘muscles contracting’ to signify him, the shark, going in for the kill, ie putting the final nail in her coffin and ‘bones cracking’ as her being mortally hurt. In that context, “here to win this fight” becomes more of a tell to the narrator’s personality, which has been heard throughout the narrative of the song. He is cold. Merciless. He simply aims to come out on top.This fight, that fight, the next fight, relationship problems, whatever. His life is fight and strife. “I can’t fucking breathe, much less believe the truth I pick up a gun, aim for the sun, and shoot Better days, so unafraid in my youth I can’t breathe or believe the truth” He is done. Disgusted at the world.. and himself.. and her and is having a fuck the world/“paint it black” moment. Shooting at the sun, wanting to turn the lights out on the world. Also illustrates both his mood and the futility of his destructive efforts to remedy/satisfy them. |
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