This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
To be forced under I look unto your home because
We gave our eyes but no one will yes I know because
To heed the cause I will be barred but you won't
He get, he gets real high he's up inside we start to cry
Just because I'm really poor, living in me is so poor
Deliver me there to be judged by one or licked by three
And your holes enclose
We gave our eyes no one will yes I know because
To heed the cause I will be barred but you won't
He get, he gets real high he's up inside we start to cry
Just because I'm really poor, living in me is so poor
Deliver me up
Cannot fuck to be me and you won't find me
And you won't find me and you will don't know me, psycho
I don't believe you will find me
And you won't find me and you will so come from, a psycho
I don't believe you will find me
And you won't find me and you will don't quit, psycho
I don't believe you will find me
I'm in trouble, because playing God
I and me we go with Jesus in a bowl of dirt
Yeah, yeah, so poor, I will fly
We gave our eyes but no one will yes I know because
To heed the cause I will be barred but you won't
He get, he gets real high he's up inside we start to cry
Just because I'm really poor, living in me is so poor
Deliver me there to be judged by one or licked by three
And your holes enclose
We gave our eyes no one will yes I know because
To heed the cause I will be barred but you won't
He get, he gets real high he's up inside we start to cry
Just because I'm really poor, living in me is so poor
Deliver me up
Cannot fuck to be me and you won't find me
And you won't find me and you will don't know me, psycho
I don't believe you will find me
And you won't find me and you will so come from, a psycho
I don't believe you will find me
And you won't find me and you will don't quit, psycho
I don't believe you will find me
I'm in trouble, because playing God
I and me we go with Jesus in a bowl of dirt
Yeah, yeah, so poor, I will fly
Lyrics submitted by sean, edited by wolvessurveys, birthmark
Root Lyrics as written by Abran Cunningham Abe Cunningham
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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Drshock nailed it on the head. It's not about sex, it's a song on faith. "To be judged by one or licked by three And your holes enclose" This is refering to the holy trinity(God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) which are all considered one under the Catholic faith. "Wounds Enclosed" is refering to Jesus' wounds from being placed upon the cross. Also the constant reference to being poor inside. Christ was known to sympothise and live amongst the poor. I'll admit it's a cryptic song, but it's obviously a song based on faith. The holy trinity itself is a mystery, which may be why they decided to make this song so difficult to understand.
This is probably the most complicated Deftones song I've tried to decipher. Some of the lyrics are wrong here, and I've submitted corrections. "Just because I'm really poor" should be "Just because I will afford", and "He get, He get's real high" should be "We are here to love heart". But to the meaning... I think this song is about a person that has had to live a false life to go from being a poor person to someone famous. Now he views himself as two different people: the person he really is (nothing), and the person he is not (famous). I think I'm gonna have to go lyric for lyric here.
"To be forced under I look unto your home" He has to stop and analyze himself (he's the famous person talking to the poor) He's trying to see his real self.
"We gave our eyes but no one will yes I know" Hypothetically, the famous person cannot view himself as he really is, so he cannot "see" (he has no eyes). The poor person doesn't exist, so he "has no eyes". But in reality, they both can see if they choose to.
"To heed the cause I will be barred but you won't" In his life, the famous side of him has limitations because he isn't who the person really is, and he can go only so far, but if he was himself, he could do whatever he wanted.
"We are here to love heart" We live pretty much for ourselves, and we should love ourselves, not become different.
"He's up inside, we start to cry." He becomes confused, since he transformed, is this who he really is now? Can he become the original version of himself, or is the real "him" completely different? The confusion causes frustration that brings tears...
"Just because I will afford, living in me is so poor." Because now that he's famous, he's living the false life so his life is meaningless.
"Deliver me there" Basically, I think "there" is meaning that he doesn't have.
"To be judged by one or licked by three" Either he can find help from one other person to help him discover himself, or he can do it himself, and he will be conquered by the parts of himself (Rich, poor, and the real him)
"And your holes enclose" His flaws surround him, become him. He is, completely, a flaw. His whole life.
"Cannot fuck to be me and you won't find me" I believe he's talking to the "judged by one" person, someone giving him advice to help him. Maybe like a therapist? He's saying you can't screw around and make things simple to help him find out who he is.
And that's basically what the next few lines are about.
"I'm in trouble because playing god" He's figuring himself out..."making" himself over again. Afraid he'll screw up and be even worse, maybe.
"I and me we go with Jesus in a bowl of dirt" I think he's comparing himself to Jesus in a way that Jesus was poor, but famous. So it's all right for him to be poor and famous, both sides can be the real him.
"Yeah, so poor, I will fly" He's decided that he will bring both parts together, be high and low at the same time. Maybe delusional here, but that's the conclusion that he has come to.
So, the short version: The guy became something he didn't think he was and reflected on himself, and came to the conclusion that he can be himself and what everyone who loves him (fans) will still love him for who he is.
Phew, well, argue all you like. Maybe you'll inspire more or something. :P
@Sage865711916 great explanation
“Root” is my favorite track from Adrenaline and is probably the most difficult songs to interpret from Deftones. I think the song is talking about infidelity because of his girlfriend’s abstinence on sex. I also believe that the tempo and his screams have to do a lot with the meaning. Here’s my interpretation:
“To be forced under I look on to your home – because” -At first he stating how the problem starts by his girl mandating him with her rules against herself
“We gave our eyes but no one will yes I know – because” -Although they both observe one another, she is oblivious about his secret, his infidelity
“To heed the cause I will be barred but you won't” -She’s putting grounds (synonym for ROOT) and not noticing it’s banning him from their relationship because she’s not having sex with him
“We are here to love, he's up inside - we start to cry”
“Just because I will afford, living in me is so poor” -He manages to get sex from someone else because his girlfriend is depriving him of sex.
“Deliver me...there...” -He wants her to deliver him with the sexual satisfaction he receives from other women.
“To be judged by one or lick by three” -He has to decide from being critic by his partner about sex or being satisfied by others.
“And your holes, been close” -Again he realizes that she’s not giving it up to him
(Chorus)
The next few lines are basically the same with a few changes “Cannot fuck to be, And you won't find me And you won't find me, And you will, don't know me Psycho” -Basically she won’t come across his cheating, she still is oblivious and she crazy not to notice the problem. He wants her to approach him, but she does not have the motivation and wants to give up. “don’t quit”
“I'm in trouble - because!!!” -He’s gotten himself in a mess, she finds out about his infidelity.
“I and me... we go, with Jesus in a bowl of dirt” -His conscience and him will try to find Jesus because he feels ashamed and dirty for his actions.
“So poor, I will…fly…” -Feeling very unfortunate he is forced to leave.
I know everyone on has different interpretations, but this is what I think “Root” means to me. Chino’s awesome!!
I named my dog Chino because he's cool too.
..I read that this song is actually about when your lover isn't allowing you to have sex with her.
? I'm confused...it still says zero comments on this song. What's up with that?
this song has bad ass gutair. Fuck linkin park New cd blows
haha yeah
Dude... this song is fucking awesome.
Sage865711916 your theory is ingenious. But I'm doubtful, that is it. Okey, I don't have anyy ideas (at all!) about the meaning, but it yours seems rather complex for a deftones songs. Normally they have various meanings to everyone but nobody seems to have a clue on this one.