Deadwing
Porcupine Tree Lyrics

Something warm and soft just passed through here
A feeling of comfort and ease was recently present but has now disappeared

It took the precious things that I hold dearer
Whatever brought that sense of comfort has taken away the most valuable things in the singer's life

It rifles through the cling and disappears
The source of comfort came and went quickly, leaving behind only chaos

The creeping darkness makes the small hours clearer
In the midst of this chaos, the night seems even darker and more forbidding

Like a cancer scare
A sudden shock or threat to one's health and sense of security

In a dentist chair
A place of vulnerability, where one is forced to confront one's mortality and pain

Sucking in the air
Struggling to breathe, feeling trapped by circumstances

Wire across the stair
A physical barrier preventing movement or progress

Kicking down the door
An aggressive and violent act, representing the artist's desperation for change

At your local store
Even mundane and everyday things can become sources of chaos and anxiety

When your world of bore
The mundanity of daily life, which can be both comforting and suffocating

Forces through the floor
The sudden, overwhelming impact of events that shake the artist's sense of stability

Unexpected news
Something shocking and surprising, which disrupts the singer's sense of order and control

Wearing high-heeled shoes
The appearance of sophistication and glamour, which may mask underlying pain or distress

Blowing out the fuse
Something has triggered a loss of control or stability, resulting in chaos and darkness

Paying all your dues
The price one must pay for the mistakes and misjudgments of the past

Tempering lullaby
A soothing but ultimately false sense of comfort, which lulls the artist into complacency

Like a fractured tie
A symbol of broken connections and disintegrating relationships

It's a worthless lie
Whatever comfort previously existed was just a temporary illusion, a lie that cannot sustain itself

To the public eye
This deception may go unnoticed by those around the artist, who assume everything is fine

I don't take waifs and strays back home with me
The artist doesn't allow others to share in their pain or vulnerability

My bleeding heart does not extend to charity
The artist is unwilling to sacrifice their own well-being to help others

Yes I'd have to say I like my premise, see
The singer is confident in their worldview, even if it may be flawed or incomplete

Did you know you're on closed-circuit TV?
The artist is surveilling someone else, perhaps seeking to assert control or gather information

To smile at me
The object of the singer's surveillance may be unaware or dismissive of their presence

And a dream you had
The singer shifts to a dream-like state, suggesting a break from reality

Of your mom and dad
The dream centers on the singer's family, perhaps revealing unresolved emotional conflicts

On a beach somewhere
A place of freedom and relaxation, embodying the opposite of the artist's current reality

And the boys aren't there
The artist is isolated, without the support or connection of others

With the cancer threat
The specter of death is ever-present and looming, a reminder of mortality

In a cigarette
The reckless behavior and addiction that often accompany feelings of despair and desperation

Find a place to hide
An attempt to escape the overwhelming and oppressive feelings of the present

And from the yellow windows of the last train
The artist observes the world from a distance, as if removed from it

A specter from the next life breathes his bargain of pain
The artist is haunted by the inevitability of the end, and the pain and suffering that must be endured along the way

I look with you into the speeding black rain
The singer now shares this sense of dread and pain with another, a symbol of connection and empathy

Afraid to touch someone, afraid to ask her for a name
Despite this connection, the artist is still trapped by their own insecurities and fears of intimacy

And in the morning when I find I've lost you
The feeling of connection and empathy may be fleeting or illusory, leaving the singer alone once again

I throw a window open wide and step through
The singer seeks a new start or escape from their despair, even if it means disrupting their own sense of stability