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Dam Would Break Lyrics
Is it this place
That makes me fall from you
Forget the words that once rang so true
Did we expect
That life was ever fair, my God
I sowed a field of rose and reaped a whipping rod
And everything I've held too tight inside
Could make a part of me die
And if my lips could only speak the name
The dam would break
What is this ice
That gathers 'round my heart
To stop the flood of warmth before it even starts
It would make me blind
To what I thought would always be
The only constant in the world for me
And every hour of every day to me
Is a fight from pulling away
And if my mind could only loose the chain
The dam would break
For all the things I hid away
And all the words I could not say
The dam would break
That makes me fall from you
Forget the words that once rang so true
Did we expect
That life was ever fair, my God
I sowed a field of rose and reaped a whipping rod
Could make a part of me die
And if my lips could only speak the name
The dam would break
That gathers 'round my heart
To stop the flood of warmth before it even starts
It would make me blind
To what I thought would always be
The only constant in the world for me
Is a fight from pulling away
And if my mind could only loose the chain
The dam would break
And all the words I could not say
The dam would break
Song Info
Submitted by
toadtws On Jan 14, 2002
More Toad the Wet Sprocket
Walk On The Ocean
All I Want
Windmills
Something's Always Wrong
Fly From Heaven
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very cool song w/ an evident religious tone--if we could commit to Christ "the dam would break"--Toad was an awesome band!!!
I don't necessarily hold this as being a religious note.... I think it's more of anything that you try to hold your feelings inside about, maybe something that is bothering you that you can't necessarily pinpoint exactly. Like if you could give an actual name to what it is, then everything would just spill out.
Great bass line in this song. Anyways, the lyrics would seem to indicate that the "storyteller" is gradually growing farther away from God.
"And if my lips could only speak the name // the dam would break"
and
"If my mind could only loose the chain // the dam would break"
say to me that once he falls into a Godless life he would "flood" into a world of sin.
This song has very strong religious tones for me. I think it speaks to the fact that decisions we make in our lives can drive us away from God. Sometimes you don't make the decision to stop walking closely with God, but one day you realize that you have fallen away. I think the chorus is referring to the worldly things we cling so tightly too or "dam up" and keep us from having a strong relationship with him. And how hard it is to let them go. "And if my lips could only speak the name, the dam would break" -----if I could only speak his name and let go or "loose the chains" that are holding all of these things that are keeping me from God, then the dam would break and it would all flood out.
well, Glen Phillips, Toad's lead singer/songwriter is a jewish born atheist, so, it's not a christian song
he's said before tat it's about when so much shit builds up on you that you just collapse underneath the weight of it all. he was very depressed and suicidal prior to writing and recording the bands final album "Coil", which this song appears on. so it's one of his dark struggle songs.
"Phillips was born in Santa Barbara, California, United States, and began making music at age 14. Glen grew up in a household where Reform Judaism was practiced and Eastern Religion was studied, and his spiritual curiosity has been one of the major themes of his writing."
No doubt, TTWS has alot of religious themes in many of their songs. However, I don't think this is one of them. This lyrics remind me of the feelings I have about the breakup of my marriage and my lack of ability to communicate with my ex. "my god" is not a reference to a diety, but rather an idiom for "how stupid were we." Could very well be speaking of addiction that is tearing the two apart.
I do see some religious interpretation - but Glenn has stated he's more partial to eastern religions, as I am - but for me, it's about an unrequited love that's been held onto for a long time, tucked away until you have to turn away from the person entirely ("what is this ice that gathers round my heart, to stop the flood of warmth before it even starts").