Holy diver
Addressing the protagonist of the song, calling them a diver who is holy

You've been down too long in the midnight sea
Telling the diver they have been in a difficult situation for far too long

Oh, what's becoming of me?
The diver is questioning themselves about what their situation has brought them to

Ride the tiger
The diver is advised to face their situation bravely, like riding a tiger's back

You can see his stripes but you know he's clean
Although intimidating, the situation is not as bad as it seems.

Oh, don't you see what I mean?
The speaker is asking the diver to understand that the situation is manageable.

Gotta get away
The diver feels the need to escape their current circumstances

Got shiny diamonds
The diver's strengths, represented by diamonds shining in darkness, are mentioned.

Like the eyes of a cat in the black and blue
The diver's strengths are fierce as the eyes of a cat in the dark.

Something is coming for you, look out
Despite the diver's strengths, trouble is coming and they should prepare.

Race for the morning
The diver should make an effort to escape their predicament as soon as possible.

You can hide in the sun 'til you see the light
The speaker counsels the diver to hope for a solution to present itself but not to procrastinate action.

Oh, we will pray it's alright
The speaker expresses hope that everything will work out fine

Between the velvet lies
The speaker speaks of the conflicting forces at play like a velvet covering over hard truth.

There's a truth that's hard as steel, yeah
The truth of the situation is harsh and inflexible.

The vision never dies
Despite the difficulties, there is still hope for change.

Life's a never ending wheel, say
Life is a cycle, with its ups and downs.

You're the star of the masquerade
The diver is the central figure in a masquerade ball, where everyone is hiding their true identities.

No need to look so afraid, jump, jump
The diver is encouraged to be brave and bold.

Jump on the tiger
The diver is again encouraged to face their challenge bravely.

You can feel his heart but you know he's mean
Despite the seemingly insurmountable challenge, it can be overcome.

Some light can never be seen, yeah
Some things are not within our perception.

You're the one who's clean
The diver is the one with a clear conscious.

There's a cat in the blue, Coming after you, holy diver
A tricky and sinister entity is pursuing the diver.

Get away, get away, get away
Again, the diver feels the need to escape the situation.

Holy diver, holy diver, oh holy diver
The diver is the center of attention, and the situation is specific to them.

Holy diver, sole survivor
The diver is the only one who can solve the problem.

Oh, holy diver, yeah, alright
Celebrating the strength and heroism of the diver.