Smoke Lyrics

Lyric discussion by Sarielle 

Cover art for Smoke lyrics by Daughter

I get a really strong PTSD vibe from these lyrics. The whole song seems to be about the narrator reimagining some negative event (possibly where her friend was killed by some assailant she didn't see but it's a stretch I know) and she blames herself for it and consequently is describing both the event and her reaction to it in therapy. The smoke filled room choking her is her mind with the PTSD and the dreams she is having. "Your father watching me" refers to the father of the friend whirs death she feels responsible for

There's a man with no face Just a blurred out portrait In a photo frame I'm losing again, I'm losing My friend is face down on the pavement

Then a woman, she screams 'It's terrible night' As the mood changes to dark from light Tell the doctor what's become of me So they can analyse, analyse my dreams

The last mention of the doctor seems very disparaging like she doesn't trust them or doesn't think the revisiting the event is helping. Or maybe it's because she knows what the smoke filled room signifies but doesn't want to acknowledge it.

Then we kiss and his lips turn into sand And the whole of him cascades through my hands Making a castle on the floor Then I'm alone again No keys and three doors In a smoke filled room

Now we're both in the room And we're breathing the fumes No doors this time, just a gap in the roof Light floods in, heaven we're blind Then slowly suffocating, we're dying

Then her friend is gone and she us left reeling from the after effects and the trauma which is manifesting in these dreams of this smoke-filled room where he is dying all over again, there are three doors and no keys (not sure what these mean ) but she is adamant she will die inside her own smoke-filled mind locked up unable to save her friend, believing that they are dying together.