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Parallels Lyrics

We are all comatose. We are overfed and under...undernourished, yearning for something more.
Never starving yet never quite satisfied. Carnal but without useful flesh or mind.

I am a walking contradiction that’s found consistency
consuming everything, all without producing sustenance.

In the parallels we struggle... struggle to upkeep, there is a better way for us to be set free.
From all it is we crave, there must be more to life than to simply stay alive... to simply stay alive.

We are not the same as I hope to show. There is a better way if we just let go.
We are not... we are not the same. We are not... we are not the same. Let go...

In the tension between devouring want or simple need
it’s clear the only lines between the ones we preserve.

We are not the same as I hope to show. There is a better way if we just let go.
We are not... we are not the same. We are not... we are not the same.
Let go.... We are not the same.

And in the parallels we struggle to upkeep,
there’s a better way for us to be... for us to be set free.
And in the parallels we struggle to upkeep,
there’s a better way for us to be... for us to be set free.
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9 Meanings

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Cover art for Parallels lyrics by As I Lay Dying

This is the song that caught my attention on the first spin. The album is simply great and definitely a step in the right direction from their previous effort AOBU which was to me a pretty bland and monotonous listen except for a couple of tracks like "nothing left" and "reflections". Compared to that this ones got a better bag of songs like "parallels","anodyne sea","condemned","upside down kingdom","vacancy".

As for this song highlights the greed and relentless hunger for power of mankind to live for himself and rather being oblivious to others around him.He ekes out a collateral life spewing collateral damage to all around him. The above description maybe summed up in the best two lines of the songs "In the tension between devouring want or simple need it�s clear the only lines between the ones we preserve." But the lyrics seem to stress the fact that all that can be made rid off by finding a purpose in life which benefits mankind.

I love that album! it has my favorite by them, in all respect, id say your wrong, but everyone is entitled to their opinions, other wise, your right.

Not Valid
Cover art for Parallels lyrics by As I Lay Dying

Incredible song, no other way to really describe it.

Im not religious myself so flame me all you want but im not changing, i like the way i am.

To me, alongside looking at the video, its saying about how were all born, raised, taught, and sent out into the world to be just like others. To follow the chain and lead a life like the guy infront of you inline. No matter what you do, you can change a person physically to look just like the others, or to be set apart to be looked up at (As shown in the video with the birds head on the body), but you cant change that persons thoughts about what they want.

"We are not the same as I hope to show. There is a better way if we just let go. We are not... we are not the same. We are not... we are not the same. Let go..."

We like our lifes in Parallels to each other, we do things the same, but we will not always be the same as anyone else. The better way, is if we let go of our selfish greed old ways and help out each other more.

But when reading through and listening to the lyrics, it seems to tell 2 different storys. That which i just explained, but also greed, like nagstar89 pointed out.

It seems that no matter how much we get (Information, wealth, fame) we always want more and never seem to appreciate how much we already have.

Anyway thats my mind

Reevo

Thats actually we "live" our lifes instead of We "like" our lifes in Parallels to each other

Not Valid

HAHA im such a douche for making a simple typo like that, shot for pointing it our man :)

Not Valid
Cover art for Parallels lyrics by As I Lay Dying

I think as represented by the video, it's about how everyone is born different but all learn to become the same, they become greedy and struggle to be the same as everyone else. But they say there is a better way to live if we allow a little diversity. In the video cartoon people are taken to a factory where they all start out looking different but then are given chicken heads and all have to work on a treadmill and go to the same church, etc. Parallels is one of the melodic masterpieces of the album, and it seems like all the songs are musically based off of An ocean between us. So I would say this is like the Forsaken of The powerless rise. I think josh's vocals in this are the best of the entire album. Tim has some nice growls but I think his shining moment is in Upside down Kingdom. Also at 2:48 Josh sounds a lot like chester from linkin park. Probably not intentional, and it's a great.

Indeed. When it says that we are not the same, it means that he's not conforming to the society in which he lives. He's not going to do the same thing as everybody else around him. Everybody else is so unsatisfied, but we are not the same as everybody else. We have found our identity in Christ.

As somebody who loves psychology and sociology, the video is awesome. It has so much sociological meaning (even from a secular perspective). Sociology teaches that people are a product of their environment (though I don't fully accept that belief, I study it). It's...

Not Valid

that's not true. People are not created in a factory and i think you should know that. Is a illustration of life and how people go through life no noticing what happens around them and how Christians are different i think i may be wrong but who cares

M3T4LH34D

My Opinion
Cover art for Parallels lyrics by As I Lay Dying

This song is definitely a powerfully and deeply poetic song but seems to be yet fairly simple. The parellels never cross. we are all facing in the same direction headed the same way but on two different paths as parallel lines rarely if ever touch. When we attempt to gratify oursevelves we practice an unsustainable model. We do not practice any level of restraint but give in and in the end we find ourselves wanting. Wanting more of all that we consume but because we simply live in a place that tells us to consume cause there is nothing beyond this point we do. But it's evident that these guys find that this is ludicrous and that there is an ache for something beyond just consuming and the difference is that they aren't headed but they intersect and in the places where they are parellel its hard but they are subject to something that lives beyond just today, tomorrow, next month, or next year, but they have to think about years down the road, and perhaps eternity because they are essentially different and they want others to see that.

Cover art for Parallels lyrics by As I Lay Dying

"We are all comatose. We are overfed and under...undernourished, yearning for something more Never starving yet never quite satisfied. Carnal but without useful flesh or mind."

this part seems to be talking about how there are some preachers out there that water down the gospel so much that we are not being spiritually fed... the bible compared the Word of God to spiritual food and there are some preachers out there that dont want to "offend" anyone so they leave out certain key points and this is NOT what God wants......

"I am a walking contradiction that�s found consistency consuming everything, all without producing sustenance."

this is coming from that preacher that waters down the gospel and its saying how he is "without produce sustenance"

"We are not the same as I hope to show. There is a better way if we just let go. We are not... we are not the same. We are not... we are not the same. Let go..."

this is saying how not all Christians are the same as that "preacher" (sry... kinda weak translation)

"In the tension between devouring want or simple need it�s clear the only lines between the ones we preserve."

as the the bible says... this is not a war against flesh and bone..... we have to choose our own paths for ourselves and hopefully we will choose the one that God wants us to... we can know the one that He would want from us by being properly spiritually fed.... and as Christians we are given liberty "to the pure, all things are pure" as paul reminds us and so we must listen to the Holy Spirit to guide our lives....

Cover art for Parallels lyrics by As I Lay Dying

For me this song is about how without jesus, we fill our selves with the world... as if we have a jesus shaped hole that only jesus can fill and complete... without him to complete us we attempt to fill our selves with everything possible...

"We are all comatose. We are overfed and under...undernourished, yearning for something more. Never starving yet never quite satisfied. Carnal but without useful flesh or mind."

we arnt awake, living life with no reason or no meaning, we feed our selves with everything, yet its not enough, we are still undernourished and want more.

"I am a walking contradiction that�s found consistency consuming everything, all without producing sustenance."

for me this is about how he is living, yet has no life within him... he consumes all he can, but doesnt recieve any of the nutrition to keep him alive

"In the parallels we struggle... struggle to upkeep, there is a better way for us to be set free. From all it is we crave, there must be more to life than to simply stay alive... to simply stay alive."

in my opinion this is really self explanotary in the parrelels, is where we are without jesus in our lives, we struggle to live but go on living. He then goes onto explain that there is a better way, you can be set free from the want to fill the void with useless items by filling it with the light of christ.

To me when he says let go, it means let go of your life and the way it is, and accept christ

so for me the song is about without christ you attempt to fill the void within with everything, but its never enough, but with jesus, you dont need to fill the void, as he has filled it for you and completed you

sorry that i havnt backed up what i said with scripture... kinda busy atm and dont have the time to back it up sorry... but to me it just makes sense.

Cover art for Parallels lyrics by As I Lay Dying

My interpretation of this song that I have become infatuated with,is that of a strive for individuality and freedom. We have become parallels of one another in the sense of what we are acostomed to. We all want our kids to go to collage,find a high paying job,ect. We forgot about the simple things in which can make our lives profound. And in this song,it is exposing just that. beautiful song.

My Interpretation
Cover art for Parallels lyrics by As I Lay Dying

i love the clean vocalists lyrics. this song is the song that made me a devoted fan to these guys, this song and ''This Is Who We Are''

Cover art for Parallels lyrics by As I Lay Dying

AWESOME!!

The M3T4LH34D has spoken

My Opinion