Red Lyrics

Lyric discussion by archagon 

Cover art for Red lyrics by Elbow

I don't think this is necessarily about drugs, but about a woman who tries to be accepted in others' eyes and fails. A man (the singer) finds her and tries to comfort her by saying that she's perfect the way she is ("Come as you are", "Just as you are perfect"). Perhaps by "dust" settling nerves, threats of death and suicide are implied.