Placebo – Passive Aggressive

"Passive Aggressive" as written by Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal and Steven Hewitt....
It's in your reach
Concentrate
It's in your reach
Concentrate

If you deny this
Then it's your fault
That god's in crisis
He's over

It's in your reach
Concentrate
It's in your reach
Concentrate

If you deny this
Then it's your fault
That god's in crisis
He's over

Every time I rise I see you falling
Can you find me space inside your bleeding heart
Every time I rise I see you falling
Can you find me space
Find me space

It's in your reach
Concentrate
It's in your reach
Concentrate

If you deny this
Then it's your fault
That god's in crisis
He's over

Every time I rise I see you falling
Can you find me space inside your bleeding heart
Every time I rise I see you falling
Can you find me space inside your bleeding heart
It falls apart
It falls apart
It falls apart

Every time I rise I see you falling
Can you find me space inside your bleeding heart?
Every time I rise I see you falling
Can you find me space inside your bleeding heart?
It falls apart
It falls apart
It falls apart


Lyrics submitted by Ice

"Passive Aggressive" as written by Stefan Olsdal Brian Molko

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management

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Passive Aggressive song meanings
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36 Comments

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  • +4
    General Commentthis song talks about being in love with someone troubled("every time i rise i see you falling"), and brian is saying 'let me help you'("can you find me space inside your bleeding heart"), and the person refuses to let brian in... and he says that it's in her reach, the cure is in her reach... but the person keeps on denying that...
    patyschizoon May 11, 2003   Link
  • +4
    General CommentI think it's a song about a friend who is passive aggressive. The friend can't say anything positive and always makes snide comments and seems to hate it when you do well 'every time I rise I see you falling'. Ie. .I.e when ever things are going well for me you are unhappy.

    Find me space in your bleeding heart is saying 'can't you just be happy for me? '. The protagonist of the song recognises the damage the passive aggressive is doing to themselves. It's in your reach - they are asking them to learn to manage these destructive emotions. If they deny these feelings its their fault. They will never be happy.

    It's a call to put an end to the snidey passive aggressive behaviour.

    Thats how I hear the song and interpret it.
    b133dinghearton November 24, 2013   Link
  • +3
    Song MeaningI believe this song is about two people who are interested in each other, but can't ever get on the same page as each other. And every time he starts to love her, she ends up not feeling the same about it "Every time I rise I see you falling". I feel this line has a dual meaning of that they both are in different stages of life, at one moment he is doing well, and she isn't. Obviously they both have some problems of their own to deal with, especially with her ability to commit to someone "Can you find me space inside your bleeding heart".
    tolaekomson December 10, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Commentwow....thats all i can say. This song is sooo touching. I have no idea how to interpret the song, but i think its about some type of love. either unrequited or he loves someone and they dont think they are worthy of his love or vise versa....all in all this song is soft but awesome!
    nirvknot210on July 23, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Commentthe vocals are so beautiful. i love the guitar work in this song, its this lush sound and its more touching than anything else. it goes together so well.
    allelsefailedon September 27, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General CommentDidn't Brian grow up in a re-born Christian household that was very strict? I think I read that he had to go and see a priest every week and that when he was at college he received a letter from this priest telling him he'd lost the way but would find it again, or somthing similar. Maybe this is about the pressure he felt from his family as his views contradicted his religion - 'If you deny this
    Then it's your fault
    That God's in crisis'
    Scandion April 12, 2005   Link
  • +1
    My InterpretationThe songs about being in love with someone that doesn't love you back.
    'It's in your reach
    Concentrate
    If you deny this
    Then it's your fault
    That God's in crisis
    He's over'

    He's trying to tell them, "Get over it, I'm here for you now." This person was in love with someone that was their whole world or dedicated to one thing, their God.

    'Can you find me space inside your bleeding heart
    It falls apart
    It falls apart
    Falls apart'

    This part refers to him trying to find a spot in that person's heart and every time he gets close, it doesn't go as he expected, probably to do with the job or person.
    Thebestnameonthesiteon June 17, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General CommentMaybe because I'm in this weird situation (I'm in love with a potential closet-case boy) but when I first heard the song I thought about an out and proud gay guy who's in love with a guy that's still in the closet. It's like the song it's about me, what I feel for him, what I think about this situation like when he sees me he feels love deep inside but he refuses to let me see it or like he tries so hard not to feel something and being another person. I'm sure it's not the real meaning of the song but it fits and I know for an absolute fact that when you're in the closet you really could be passive agressive.
    Spaceman93on March 27, 2013   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Commentit's about loving someone who is in desperate need for help and wanting to be there to help and love this person
    yet this person is just pushing him away and blames everything for his/her problems
    or maybe he's just talking to himself, hence the passive/aggressive
    PLASon September 29, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI think this song is about someone who just got out of a relationship with someone and Brian and her just got into one but she isn't over the first guy and can't accept Brian's love because she isn't in love with him and Brian is discouraged because she won't accept him. ..somewhere on those lines.
    AFInsideon April 03, 2005   Link

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