Lyric discussion by OctaneTwisted 

Cover art for Pariah lyrics by Steven Wilson

The thing about depression is that it is like a black liquid paint that keeps pouring down in an in stoppable force on the canvas that is your mind. It consumes the best of your memories and turn them dark. This story is one of such episodes.

"I'm tired of weakness Tired of my feet of clay I'm tired of days to come I'm tired of yesterday

And all the worn-out Things that I ever said Now it's much too late The words stay in my head"

Protagonist seems to be a victim to some psychological disorder and doesn't realize that he is suffering from chronic depression. He feels lonely but does npt seem to understand this sadness.

"So the day will begin again Take comfort from me It's up to you now You're still here and You'll dig in again That's comfort to you

It's up to you now So Pariah, you'll begin again Take comfort from me And I will take comfort from you"

And most often than not, depression makes you self-absorbed and disconnected from your surrounding. In this uncaring world we live in today, people may be able to see you struggling, but won"t give a rat's ass about it. Instead brand you as an unstable freak - Pariah. On the other hand, someone who truly loves you will do everything possible to fix things. But if you are in denial of your situation, they can do nothing but try and comfort you in all possible ways. Denial has its own schemes and usually comes with million hangups.

"I'm tired of Facebook Tired of my failing health I'm tired of everyone And that includes myself

Well being alone now It doesn't bother me But not knowing if you are Well that's been Hell, you see"

When someone suffers from depression, their unwillingness to accept it can develop a false sense of self evaluation which leads on to a much confused state of mind while amplifying overall negativity. Seems like the case with our Protagonist who is struggling to distract himself from that very thought. They see his suffering and want to help him out but he ends up shutting himself out. Is it possible that denial can be a 'call for help' in disguise? He starts hating himself, but what he hates more is that he has pushed his loved one so far away that now he can't even know of their well-being.

"So the day will begin again Take comfort from me It's up to you now You're still here and You'll dig in again That's comfort to you It's up to you now So Pariah, you'll begin again Take comfort from me It will take time"

Our Protagonist is really loved by this person. They believe things will be fine for him. Despite having no choice but to go away, they keep hoping for his well-being, but now it's up to him to begin again. It may take a long time and it will be difficult but whenever he feels weak, they want him to know that they will be there to comfort him.

"Don't you worry Don't worry about a thing 'cause nothing really dies Nothing really ends."

Our protagonist is all alone and probably free now to work on himself. He is slowly becoming aware of what really happened. This line comes up as the Protagonist's assurance to his loved one, in quite silence. Unsure of how things will turn out for him further ahead, he wants them to know that his love for them will never die.

My Interpretation