I burn and melt and stick and fade
Your temporary arms invade
One of many last warnings
Cannot wipe the conscience clean

The strain wears in you whore me in again

Cannot connect the smirking world
The poison flower comes uncurled
If I believe I'm dreaming

And if they find you lost again
What will you tell them then

Collapsing in again you found what makes it sore
You triggered off the feelings that you felt before

I come crawling up again I need to eat I need a friend
Some one with me
No better feeling than escape avoid the feeling so you're

All the guilt pulls away if only forever

Replace the name replace the fear
I can't come out but I want you here
I'm laughing now and then it floods
But not out loud

I feel you up and feel you down
I need your space I need it now
Another circumstance has gone and shut you down
Another fear awakened in the fault you found


Lyrics submitted by jt

Temporary Arms Lyrics as written by James Ryan Black Arnold David Lanni

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing

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Temporary Arms song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment
    oh man, its like 3 songs in one! one of the best songs of all time! its the most complicated song by finger eleven
    androckwon December 15, 2001   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    deep...
    Poptarts047on February 06, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    this song is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE to say the least
    glassjaw_girlon August 31, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I do think it is pretty complicated, but Finger Eleven actually addressed that issue... they call "My Carousel" the most technically complicated song they've ever done... it's their band, so hey... Anyway... I
    youwantedaheroon October 17, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Forget what I said earlier. This is my favorite song by this band. This song is about two people who have a relationship in which they need each other but only to feed the negative parts of their personalities. One of them doesn't have friends and really *needs* a friend to validate him/herself as a person. The other person knows the weakness of the first, and exploits it because he/she has a need to demean and be abusive to validate his/her own superiority over the other. So they need each other in a bad way despite the fact that they breakup constantly and occasionally have a good time together. In the end, they realise the sick circle they have going, but don't know how to stop.
    rhavinon January 29, 2005   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation
    [I burn and melt and stick and fade] Your life has fallen apart, and the pieces of it have sat for a while. [Your temporary arms invade] Family/friends are coming to offer you financial support. They welcome you in with open arms... [One of many last warnings] This isn't the first time you've been in a situation where you've needed their help. They make you feel like this is the last time their assistance will be available, similar to how they made you feel last time. [Cannot wipe the conscience clean] You feel guilt and embarrassment. It won't go away. [The stain wears in The stain wears in] The things on your conscience remain, your situation does not improve. [You -hoard- me in again] The ones who are helping you are keeping you contained, through control or mind games. You cannot escape their assistance because there are circumstances attached to it that make it hard to improve your situation and get back on your feet. [Cannot connect the smirking world] Everyone appears to be smirking with confidence, a quality you could never find in yourself. [The poison flowers come uncurled] All the evil that they have stored up is being released. [If i believe If i believe If i believe i'm dreaming] Especially when you believe things are good. [And if they find you lost again What will you tell them then] Can we face them if our life falls apart again? How will we explain ourselves? [Collapsing in again you found What makes it sore You triggered off the feelings That you felt before] You're remembering all the negatives that come with accepting support from others. When things were good, you forgot how evil and controlling people could be. Now you're reminded. [I come crawling up again I need to eat I need a friend Someone with me Someone with me] We've failed to get our life together once again. We're giving into the lure of that support system because we have to fulfill our basic needs. [No better feeling than escape Avoid the feeling so you're...] We would like to escape, but we can't... so we'll stop thinking about it [All the guilt pulls away If only forever All the guilt pulls away If only forever] Sometimes things seem fine and we accept our situation. We don't feel so guilty relying on these people for support. This is only temporary as eventually they will make you feel guilty. [Replace the name Replace the fear] Doesn't matter who it is that is giving you support, there is always some sort of negativity attached to it. [And i can't come out But i want you here] You're secluded in the space you've been offered. [I'm laughing now] Sometimes things are fine -again- [And then it floods] But the negativity never fails to return. [But not out loud] And we never say anything to them about it. [I come crawling up again I need to eat I need a friend] We're way over stepping our welcome this time. [I feel you up And feel you down] You feel like you're violating them in every possible way by asking for help. [I need your space I need it now] You're so used to asking for help that this time around you're a little out of your mind. You're not happy about needing their help again and you're having an even harder time pretending that you actually appreciate it. [Another circumstance has gone And shut you down] Something out of your control has disabled your ability to support yourself again. [Another fear awakened in The fault you found] Endless loop. Another fear as the result of your life falling apart yet again. Whoever we go to for help, there will always be some negative issues. They will never fail to make you feel uncomfortable or worthless.
    noname1on November 04, 2009   Link

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