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Erised
Periphery Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a vessel and it's sinking at sea
An apparition that's beckoning me
As the cold, dark night brings on the sweat
I slowly drift away
Stuck down at the bottom of the orange cylindrical state of mind
What are we running from?
There's a distant sound of a melody
Release me from this plane
A life to live; a sedative under the skin
Bury it, carry the cure
Just let emotion set devotion within your heart to collect the debt we sow
Step out from the moonlight like it's a game we play
The checkerboard is tainted
Drops of red will lead the way
Black are their lies Gold are the tongues of the glorified
Command disease of the body and mind
Stuck down at the bottom of the orange cylindrical state of mind
What are we running from?
There's a distant sound of a melody
Release me from this plane
A life to live; a sedative under the skin
Bury it, carry the cure
Just let emotion set devotion within your heart to collect the debt we sow
A life to live; a sedative
A life to live; a sedative under the skin
Just let emotion set devotion within your heart to collect the debt we
sow
Collecting sanity
Simply ready for the life that awaits your lead
There's a distant sound of a melody, and I won't leave this place

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Periphery's song Erised explore themes of psychological conflict and anxiety, using vivid metaphors and evocative imagery. The song title itself is a reference to the Mirror of Erised from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, which shows a viewer their deepest desires. The opening lines paint a picture of a sinking ship, symbolizing the fragility of the singer's mental state. The apparition that beckons the singer could represent anything from delusions to a subconscious desire for escape. The subsequent lines reveal the singer's emotional turmoil as they struggle to escape their predicament. The orange cylindrical state of mind suggests a sense of confinement or restriction, while the distant sound of a melody represents a sense of hope and possibility. The lyrics also touch on themes of addiction and the search for solutions to psychological struggles, with the lines "a life to live; a sedative under the skin" suggesting that the singer seeks relief from their pain through medication or drugs. The repeated refrain to "just let emotion set devotion within your heart to collect the debt we sow" could refer to the need to confront and process one's emotions in order to establish a healthier mental state. The song ends with the singer acknowledging that they are not yet ready to move on from this state of mind, but that they are at least prepared to face the life that awaits them.


Line by Line Meaning

There's a vessel and it's sinking at sea
There is a ship that is sinking on the ocean


An apparition that's beckoning me
A ghost is calling me to join it


As the cold, dark night brings on the sweat
In the chilly and dark night, I'm becoming anxious


I slowly drift away
I'm slowly losing consciousness


Stuck down at the bottom of the orange cylindrical state of mind
Feeling trapped in a negative and repetitive headspace


What are we running from?
Why are we trying to escape?


There's a distant sound of a melody
A faint tune can be heard


Release me from this plane
Let me break free from this situation


A life to live; a sedative under the skin
We have a life to live, but we numb ourselves with substances


Bury it, carry the cure
Hide our problems and pretend to be cured


Just let emotion set devotion within your heart to collect the debt we sow
Allow your emotions to guide you towards correcting our past mistakes


Step out from the moonlight like it's a game we play
We act like our troubles are just for fun


The checkerboard is tainted
Our reality is flawed


Drops of red will lead the way
The consequences of our actions will guide us


Black are their lies
People's deceitful nature is dark and negative


Gold are the tongues of the glorified
Those praised by society are often manipulative and deceitful


Command disease of the body and mind
Take control of your health and well-being


Collecting sanity
Gaining clarity and peace of mind


Simply ready for the life that awaits your lead
Prepared for the life you want to live


There's a distant sound of a melody, and I won't leave this place
The melody is pulling me towards something I can't resist


A life to live; a sedative
We only have one life, don't waste it on distractions


A life to live; a sedative under the skin
We try to escape our problems with drugs or other numbing habits


Just let emotion set devotion within your heart to collect the debt we sow
Follow your heart to correct the mistakes of our past




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ADAM GETGOOD, JAKE BOWEN, MARK HULETT HOLCOMB, MATTHEW HALPERN, MISHA MANSOOR, SPENCER SOTELO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@guizimnatale

There's a vessel and it's sinking at sea
An apparition that's beckoning me
As the cold, dark night brings on the sweat, I slowly drift away

Stuck down at the bottom of the orange cylindrical state of mind
What are we running from?
There's a distant sound of a melody
Release me from this plane

A life to live; a sedative under the skin
Bury it, carry the cure
Just let emotion set devotion within your heart to collect the debt we sow

Step out from the moonlight like it's a game we play
The checkerboard is tainted
Drops of red will lead the way
Black are their lies. Gold are the tongues of the glorified
Command disease of the body and mind

Stuck down at the bottom of the orange cylindrical state of mind
What are we running from?
There's a distant sound of a melody
Release me from this plane

A life to live; a sedative under the skin
Bury it, carry the cure
Just let emotion set devotion within your heart to collect the debt we sow
A life to live; a sedative
A life to live; a sedative under the skin
Just let emotion set devotion within your heart to collect the debt we sow

Collecting sanity
Simply ready for the life that awaits your lead
There's a distant sound of a melody, and I won't leave this place



All comments from YouTube:

@jwcorcoran9838

The guitar solo is amazing (as you would expect from Petrucci) and the drum solo is killer (as you would expect from Halpern). Yet I think that the vocals are what make this song. The chorus in particular sent shivers down my spine. After all, Spencer was the one who took Misha's ideas and arranged this song to make it flow so beautifully.

@alicesachertorte2539

+Jeff Corcoran Spencer is fucking boss

@basedhumanofficial

wait, Petrucci??? holy fuck, didn't know it was him!!! and yes, Petrucci is the guitar God

@lvaroduarte

The base line is amazing too.

@Eeshwar666

@@lvaroduarte "Too" not " To".

@elioe.7

@@lvaroduarte right!

@TheSrishanbhattarai

I envy those who are just starting out on the Periphery adventure. Wish I could re-listen to all of this for the first time. Be patient newbies, you are in for a treat!

@bobaloohoo1777

I feel this <3

@cofiddle

Wish me luck bro. Have any suggestions? Directions I should go? This is literally the first periphery song ive ever heard

@thelastdaybreathinginetern1385

Idiot Listen to Periphery 1. Racecar, and Icarus Lives. But if you want a shock listen to this album, and Juggernaut: Omega. I don't even know where to start. I've been listening to Periphery since 2010.

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