This is how I perceive the song through the lens of my experiences. When I heard this song again today it so clearly resembled my experience with a past abusive ex. There was a lot of lies, manipulation, and gaslighting - to the point of me feeling crazy. It's been years trying to put it all to rest, and have some closure.
When he says "were my laces out?" - to me that feels how I've felt - like, was it my fault? Were my laces undone so I tripped? That's the self-doubt and self blame. I'm not saying I'm a perfect person, but I didn't ask to be treated the way I was, and I didn't deserve it - and I can finally say that now.
"Direct your eyes to the obvious proof" - It's really hard to find obvious proof with mental and emotional abuse. But the abuser will tell you how obvious the "truth" is, and how you're crazy or ridiculous or too sensitive or delusional. "Puppy dog lies won't sweeten the truth" - they try to sugar coat the ugly truth, but it's still ugly and destructive at its core. "I whisper and scream but I can't refute" - How many times I was internally screaming, how I would have to keep my mouth shut or watch what I say so as to not be painted as the villain - the Abuser speaks in absolutes - their version of things is "absolute".
"I bite my lip as you sharpen your tongue" - this whole section feels like denying the reality and maybe even a trauma bond, staying when you should leave. Your anxieties, their verbal abuse.
"I'm breaking through, through, through to you.
I'm breaking..." - This part, you really want to believe you can fix a person or situation or relationship, you don't want to believe the truth, so you try to break through and connect, but you end up breaking yourself. It is a mind fuck to heal from the conditioning and destruction of psychological and emotional abuse - it worms its way into your mind and to unlearn that stuff is pretty difficult.
Just one possible meaning for this song and how it struck me, it's probably not the original intended meaning, but who knows, and that's the beauty in the mystery of lyrics! They can resonate on so many levels for so many people.
This is how I perceive the song through the lens of my experiences. When I heard this song again today it so clearly resembled my experience with a past abusive ex. There was a lot of lies, manipulation, and gaslighting - to the point of me feeling crazy. It's been years trying to put it all to rest, and have some closure.
When he says "were my laces out?" - to me that feels how I've felt - like, was it my fault? Were my laces undone so I tripped? That's the self-doubt and self blame. I'm not saying I'm a perfect person, but I didn't ask to be treated the way I was, and I didn't deserve it - and I can finally say that now.
"Direct your eyes to the obvious proof" - It's really hard to find obvious proof with mental and emotional abuse. But the abuser will tell you how obvious the "truth" is, and how you're crazy or ridiculous or too sensitive or delusional. "Puppy dog lies won't sweeten the truth" - they try to sugar coat the ugly truth, but it's still ugly and destructive at its core. "I whisper and scream but I can't refute" - How many times I was internally screaming, how I would have to keep my mouth shut or watch what I say so as to not be painted as the villain - the Abuser speaks in absolutes - their version of things is "absolute".
"I bite my lip as you sharpen your tongue" - this whole section feels like denying the reality and maybe even a trauma bond, staying when you should leave. Your anxieties, their verbal abuse.
"I'm breaking through, through, through to you. I'm breaking..." - This part, you really want to believe you can fix a person or situation or relationship, you don't want to believe the truth, so you try to break through and connect, but you end up breaking yourself. It is a mind fuck to heal from the conditioning and destruction of psychological and emotional abuse - it worms its way into your mind and to unlearn that stuff is pretty difficult.
Just one possible meaning for this song and how it struck me, it's probably not the original intended meaning, but who knows, and that's the beauty in the mystery of lyrics! They can resonate on so many levels for so many people.