Reconciliation
Pain of Salvation Lyrics
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Thought I knew it all
Now I know too well
Hell is to wake up
But it makes all the difference
Tasting the tears in my mouth
Taking the weight on my shoulders
The hours and days of your life
Don't necessarily make you older
I'm sick of running away
Along these bloody streets
I'm sick of predators and prey
Of being everybody's end!
I've washed my hands of your blood
Thought it would leave me clean
But with time on my hands
It turned to mud forming this crust of sin
Now, to be truly free
I'll let it come to me
So, break me if you must
When you break this crust
Freedom is to see
Hear this voice, see this man
Standing before you I'm just a child
Just a man learning to yield
I hate these hands soaked in blood
I hate what these eyes have seen
Up to my knees in filth and mud
How it hurts to become clean
I was always on my mind
But never on my side
Run, but if you run away
You'll always have to hide
So if you need to run
Run for help!
The lyrics of Pain of Salvation's song "Reconciliation" describe a personal journey of self-discovery and realization. The singer of the song starts by saying that they thought they knew what hell was, but woke up to a reality that was far worse. The journey towards reconciliation begins with taking responsibility for one's actions, acknowledging the weight of the consequences and accepting that time and age aren't necessarily the same thing.
The next part of the story sees the singer becoming tired of running away from their sins and the world in general. They refuse to play the part of predator or prey and want to stop being the end of people. However, they also carry with them the guilt of their past, hoping to erase it by washing their hands clean of it. But as time passes, this guilt turns into a weight that adds to the existing burden.
But the singer finds hope in accepting their role in the events of their past and letting go of the fear of being judged. They decide to face the consequences and break free from the guilt, even if that means being broken themselves. The song ends on a message of hope, urging the listener to run towards help if they need it.
Overall, "Reconciliation" speaks to the human desire for forgiveness, redemption, and self-acceptance. The song encourages the listener to take responsibility for their actions and seek redemption in the face of the consequences of their past deeds.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I'd seen hell
I had believed that I had gone through the worst things in life
Thought I knew it all
I was confident about my understanding of what it means to suffer
Now I know too well
But now I have learned that I was wrong
Hell is to wake up
Because waking up every day to face the same struggles over and over again is true suffering
But it makes all the difference
But going through these struggles and enduring them is what makes us truly strong and resilient
Tasting the tears in my mouth
I am feeling the pain and anguish of my struggles
Taking the weight on my shoulders
I am shouldering the burden of my own problems and responsibilities
The hours and days of your life
The amount of time you spend on this earth
Don't necessarily make you older
Does not necessarily mean that you have gained wisdom or learned anything significant
I'm sick of running away
I am tired of constantly trying to escape my problems
Along these bloody streets
In this harsh and cruel world
I'm sick of predators and prey
I am tired of the constant struggle for survival and the vicious cycle of victim and aggressor
Of being everybody's end!
Of being the cause of everyone's problems and suffering
I've washed my hands of your blood
I have distanced myself from the harm that I once caused you
Thought it would leave me clean
I had hoped that this distancing would purify me of my guilt
But with time on my hands
But as time passed by
It turned to mud forming this crust of sin
The guilt and shame I feel has hardened into a shell that I cannot escape
Now, to be truly free
In order to truly be liberated
I'll let it come to me
I will accept my guilt and face it head on
So, break me if you must
So, if facing my guilt requires me to be broken, then so be it
When you break this crust
Breaking through the shell of guilt and shame that has festered inside me
Freedom is to see
True freedom comes from seeing the truth about oneself and accepting it
Hear this voice, see this man
Listen to my words and see that I am no different from you
Standing before you I'm just a child
Despite my struggles and suffering, I am still vulnerable and innocent at heart
Just a man learning to yield
I am still trying to find my way in this world and learning to be humble
I hate these hands soaked in blood
I detest the pain and harm that I have caused to others
I hate what these eyes have seen
I am repulsed by the harsh realities of life that I have witnessed
Up to my knees in filth and mud
I have waded through the muck and grime of life
How it hurts to become clean
It is painful to face and accept the truth about oneself and strive to become a better person
I was always on my mind
I was always preoccupied with my own thoughts and worries
But never on my side
I was never able to find peace or comfort in my own thoughts
Run, but if you run away
Try to escape your problems, but if you do so
You'll always have to hide
You will always be haunted by your past and the problems you have failed to confront
So if you need to run
So, if you must escape
Run for help!
Run to seek help and support from others
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DANIEL GILDENLOEW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind