Vilify

I would compare this song to Linkin Park's ''Papercut''.It is about a conflict inside a person.A person who cant deactivate that voice inside them that criticizes everything they do and laughs at every single mistake they make.During the chours ''When you Velify you being to Nulify everything that we've ever done'' Draiman is refering to a situation were the person wants to analyze his life from a mutual perspective and that voice is saying ''Why did you do that,what was the point in that.Was that really worth it?'' and all this endless question which drain the meaning out of a feat or an achievement one has achieved.

This song is about being married to someone with Borderline Personality Disorder. Here's my reasoning:

"When you vilify, you begin to nullify" - BPD affects a person's view of who you are. Things that were once not an issue become targeted as issues and they try to make you seem less of a person. You start to lose everything that you've done together as things now fall apart.

"Your need to clarify Every single word that I say Has left me wrestling with our disparity Leave me alone Take another wretched soul on the hell-ride Go find a more susceptible sucker"

BPDs rejoice in finding any fault in 3rd stage and they will often twist words and meaning to reinforce their perception. Living with one is really a hell-ride and you are the sucker for staying on it.

"When you vilify, I start to ponder every battle ever fought Every thought, imploding in my head If you vilify, it's a bitter pill that I will force you to devour Enough, why don't we end it right now?"

BPD's are constantly fighting when they reach 3rd stage. There are arguments / fights you cannot win as the more you try to make your case, the higher s/he will escalate to maintain control. Upon divorce / breakup, the control the BPD had over you is lost and they then start to realize what they have just lost. Here he is saying we just need to end this relationship as I can see it is only getting worse.

"And when you're broken, and bitter inside And reality sucks, because you know I'm right All over nothing, unforgiving inside Well doesn't it suck, just to know I'm right"

Again, divorce / breakup - BPD has lost control as all the imaginary and irrelevant issues s/he has brought up to fight over finally drive you to the brink and you say goodbye.

"I've had my fill, and I think I've had enough When you open your mouth, every word incenses me Don't want to know, why you every waking moment Revolves around, criticizing every part of me"

This is classic BPD. All they can do in their despise phase is find every single reason to put you down, make you feel inferior, prove to themselves that they are right in feeling disgusted with you.

"I can't believe this is happening I don't want to start over again A stone I keep falling over again, and again, and again"

BDPs go through cycles of clinging and despising. Everything is fine, then everything is not, over and over again. You are constantly having to make up to re-win his/her affection. "I don't want to start over again" could also refer to the fact that you are headed to divorce and you have to start your life over."

This song is my mantra as I have lived through this for 14 years and only now, post divorce, am I finally free and happy again.

The song was basically written as a giant "Take That" at music critics. Iirc David Draiman was quoted as saying it in an interview.

I think it's pretty obvious, basically it's about someone criticizing and making fun of you, for very trivial reasons. The whole part when it goes "you begin to nullify everything we've ever done", it makes me think of a relationship the person was in, and now that friend is just relentlessly vilifying him. Been through it and seen it with people a lot.

Really awesome song.