Help, I'm Alive

Metric

I tremble

They're gonna eat me alive

If I stumble

They're gonna eat me alive

Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer

Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Hard to be soft
Tough to be tender
Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train
Help I'm alive my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer

If you're still alive
My regrets are few
If my life is mine
What shouldn't I do?
I get wherever I'm going
I get whatever I need
While my blood's still flowing
And my heart's still beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer

Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Hard to be soft
Tough to be tender
Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train
Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer

If you're still alive
My regrets are few
If my life is mine
What shouldn't I do?
I get wherever I'm going
I get whatever I need
While my blood's still flowing
And my heart's still
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer

I tremble

They're gonna eat me alive

If I stumble

They're gonna eat me alive

Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer
Help I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer


Lyrics submitted by strykerchick, edited by AutyoFaygo

Help I'm Alive Lyrics as written by James Shaw Emily Haines

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Help, I'm Alive song meanings
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69 Comments

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  • +12
    General CommentI think this song has to do with performing. She's not jaded enough yet to be okay with showbiz criticism, she's alive and emotional, and she's afraid that if she stumbles or messes up, they'll "eat her alive". and i guess you could make it apply to other things, other than performing
    morij2on December 30, 2008   Link
  • +10
    General CommentHah, this song always makes me thing she's being chased by zombies.

    The first four lines is her running from zombies and heart beating like a hammer is them chasing after her cuz of her heartbeat.
    Figdblon December 24, 2008   Link
  • +7
    Song MeaningThis song, like many songs by Metric, by Emily Haines, is about fear. In fact, it's about the fear of fear. It could be drug induced (the lyrics share a close resemblance to typical panic attacks on drugs or hypochondriasis).

    When people are afraid of fear, they tend to watch their pulse, a lot... Every increase is interpreted as a sign of a health condition. Because they know their fear is a bit hypochondric, they ask others to feel their pulse.

    After a while the bravery comes in, which is the chorus. But because they keep thinking they get afraid again, and so on.
    Maccuraon July 04, 2012   Link
  • +4
    General CommentThe zombie interpretation is obviously the best interpretation.
    fishquawkon March 09, 2009   Link
  • +4
    Song MeaningDudes. This is obviously a song about zombies.
    montmorencyon June 02, 2012   Link
  • +3
    General CommentThis song is about Emily Haine's nerves about moving to a new place-where she wrote Fantasies-and even though it sounds like a song about a post apocalypse world with zombies, it's not. It's about how it feels to live in a new place with new people and new faces. Fantasies is wonderfully basic for Metric.

    "Take my pulse the pace is on a runaway train" means her heart is pounding because she's afraid. That's literal.

    "If you're still alive" If you haven't died because of my absence.
    "My regrets are few" then i don't regret doing this.
    "If my life is mine" If this truly is MY life,
    "What shouldn't I do?" Then why shouldn't i do what i want?
    "I get wherever I'm going" I get wherever i want to go on my own without anyone's help.
    "I get whatever I need" I get what i really need on my own.
    "While my blood's still flowing" while I'm still alive--moving hasn't killed me.
    "And My heart's still beating like a hammer" And my heart's still pounding because I'm nervous as hell.

    I tremble
    They're gonna eat me alive
    If I stumble
    They're gonna eat me alive

    -- If I mess up, the people in this strange, new place, are going to socially eat me alive. And i'll be nothing here.
    LoveIsAPlaceon May 04, 2009   Link
  • +3
    Song MeaningThis song reminds me of the struggle of being with a controlling person, and then realizing you have a right to your own life and being alive. When you break out of one of these relationships it feels so amazing, but you know if you let that person in at all or slow down (or stumble) your break from them they will consume you and pull you right back to being a voiceless zombie (being eaten alive). I remember my anger towards him and trying to break it off without hurting him. It was "Hard to be soft, Tough to be tender" It the end my anger won out.

    I remember waking up and listening to my ex-fiance and I was thinking " Hey I'm here! I have my own thoughts! There is someone in here" I felt so trapped and like I was in this prison, rattling the bars.

    I remember the judgment I received from both him and family when I started to live my own life. Leaving him, I was a little reckless with my heart and health. None of it seemed to matter, because I was free and I was alive.

    I remember my anger towards him and trying to break it off without hurting him. It was "Hard to be soft, Tough to be tender" It the end my anger won out.

    I wish I had, had this song then. Because at the time I went from such a low caged feeling to such a high free feeling that it would have been nice to relate to someone.

    pixidelighton September 28, 2009   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretationi think this song could about preforming sober for the first time in a long time. i think the first verse is her saying how scared she is to preform sober.
    i think the title is referring to her really feeling and being "alive" without drugs.

    and perhaps the lines.

    "If my life is mine
    What shouldn't I do?
    I get wherever I'm going
    I get whatever I need
    While my blood's still flowing
    And my heart still beats.. "

    are about drug use and how she's asking why does it matter if she does drugs because she's still living and breathing.

    *shrugs*
    mumblecoreeeeon April 03, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General CommentOh I'm mad for her gentle voice...
    shockdelicaon April 20, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Commenti think this song is about a panic attack, at least thats how i interpret it.. in the chorus the lines say how she can get wherever shes going and whatever she needs, but she still feels like her heart wont stop beating
    pinacoladaon June 04, 2009   Link

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