Bitter Rivals
Sleigh Bells Lyrics
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It was the best of times
It was the worst of times
I had to kill the new sheriff in town
She was gonna try to keep me
You go-go down
You go-go down
In a dream you will never be down
Some how
Some how
Another way to make the picture clearer
Point a gun
At the mirror
Heart's so dark, make dirt look clean
So clean
So clean
Don't kick
Don't scream
But at the end
I can only be
No rhyme
No reason
Be not afraid
Be not afraid
Be not
You are my bitter rival
But I need you for survival
You are my bitter rival
But I need you for survival
You are my bitter rival
But I need you for survival
You are my bitter rival
But I need you for survival
It was the best of times
It was the worst of times
I had to kill the new sheriff in town
She was gonna try to keep me
You go-go down
You go-go down
In a dream you will never be down
Some how
Some how
Lay a hand on me
Lay a hand on you
Lay a hand on me
Lay a hand
Heart's so dark, make dirt look clean
So clean
So clean
Convicts
Convicts
East to West
The answer is yes
No rhyme
No reason
Be not afraid
Be not afraid
Be not
You are my bitter rival
But I need you for survival
You are my bitter rival
But I need you for survival
You are my bitter rival
But I need you for survival
You are my bitter rival
But I need you for survival
The lyrics to Sleigh Bells' song Bitter Rivals suggest a story of a conflict between two adversaries, presumably frenemies. The chorus establishes that the person being addressed is a "bitter rival," but one that the singer "need[s] for survival." The first verse states that the singer "had to kill the new sheriff in town" because "she was gonna try to keep me," resulting in the rival's downfall. However, in the second verse, there seems to be a grudging respect building between them. The lines "lay a hand on me/ lay a hand on you" implies a physical altercation, but their connection is made clear in the lines "Heart's so dark, make dirt look clean/ So clean/ So clean." The idea that the rival's heart is "so dark" that it makes dirt look clean suggests that the singer also has a dark past, therefore making them connected in some way.
It's important to note that the lyrics to Bitter Rivals are open to interpretation, and that is part of what makes them so effective. The line "convicts, convicts, east to west, the answer is yes" is a prime example – it's unclear what this means, but it adds to the song's overall sense of unease and tension. The repeated line "be not afraid" is another ambiguous statement; is the singer telling their rival not to be afraid, or are they reassuring themselves?
In summary, Bitter Rivals tells the story of two people who are enemies, but who have a connection that is difficult to define. The lyrics are fraught with tension and ambiguity, suggesting that the conflict between the characters is far from over.
Line by Line Meaning
It was the best of times
Things were going well
It was the worst of times
Things were going badly
I had to kill the new sheriff in town
I had to get rid of someone who was trying to control me
She was gonna try to keep me
She was going to hold me back
You go-go down
You will fail
In a dream you will never be down
In my mind, you will never win
Some how
In some way
Another way to make the picture clearer
Another perspective that helps me understand
Point a gun
Be aggressive
At the mirror
Towards myself
Heart's so dark, make dirt look clean
My intentions are so bad that even something dirty looks good in comparison
Don't kick
Don't resist
Don't scream
Don't make a fuss
But at the end
Ultimately
I can only be
I can only do so much
No rhyme
No explanation
No reason
Without a logical explanation
Be not afraid
Don't be scared
You are my bitter rival
You are someone I'm competing against
But I need you for survival
But I need you to keep pushing me forward
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DEREK MILLER, SYDNEY ALEXIS KRAUSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Educated Bowlers
Everything about this song and the movement in the video is pure joy.
chan5586
I honestly don't understand fans of the band who dislike this. This is classic Bells. And it slays.
ElectroWench
u either like sleighbells or u hate sleighbells its just how life goes
Corrosive Altars
Actually, nothing in life is an "either/or". I don't like this, nor hate it, nor love it. I acknowledge its existence, and this easily disprovable statement. Past that? It is, and I am.
DogeOS
Just found them and lile them alot makes somehow vaguely reminds me of Shiny Toy Guns and one other band I can't remember atm.
Edit: the other one was Metric.
Rick Rocks
LOVE Sleigh Bells you mean
Wood Gecko
I like one song by sleighbells so far, I can definitely get into them but not a fan of this
Andrew Lindner
I know you're referring to the band, but what you said makes me think about the people that hate Christmas.
GryndStone
Honestly? This is like 2 of the most catchiest melodies i've heard from them in one song and it's bothering me how much i like it
Feliks Nodelman
This song is so weird, I love it !! It's so loud and kind of distorted and I ove how in-your-face it is. I feel like I should hate it because my music taste is so different but I love this. Also the video is ridiculous in a way that I appreciate.