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Change
Deftones Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I watched you change
Into a fly
I looked away
You're on fire

Yeah, I watched a change in you
It's like you never had wings
And you feel so alive
I have watched you change

I took you home
Set you on the glass
I pulled off your wings
Then I laughed

Yeah, I watched a change in you
It's like you never had wings
Now you feel so alive
I've watched you change

It's like you never had wings
Ah, ah
Ah, ah
Ah, ah
Ah, ah
Ah, ah

I look at the cross
Then I look away
Give you the gun
Blow me away

I watched a change in you
It's like you never had wings
Now you feel so alive
I have watched you change

How you feel alive
You feel alive
You feel alive
I've watched you change
It's like you never had wings

Ah, ah
Ah, ah
Ah, ah
Ah, ah
Ah, ah

You've changed
You've changed
You've changed
Into a fly

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Deftones's song Change may seem confusing and dark at first. However, The song was written after Deftones frontman Chino Moreno's friend committed suicide. The song is about watching someone change so drastically and lose themselves to the point they no longer resemble the person they once were. In the opening verse, Chino describes watching the person transform into a fly, representing a significant change that takes away who they used to be. He watched the transformation, but when he looked away, the person was in trouble, representing how others often miss the signs of mental illness or suicidal tendencies until it's too late.


In the second verse, Chino talks about the aftermath of the change, where he took the person home and removed their wings before laughing. This reflects a sense of powerlessness and the inability to help someone in such an extreme situation. In the final verse, he looks at the cross, a Christian symbol of redemption and salvation, before giving the person a gun and being blown away. This represents his feeling of guilt and regret for not being able to help the person despite trying.


In summary, Change is a poignant song about the impact of suicide on loved ones and the guilt and powerlessness that comes with it. The transformation into a fly, removal of wings, and use of symbols such as the cross and the gun highlight the desperation and sense of lostness that lead to suicide.


Line by Line Meaning

I watched you change
I observed you go through a transformation


Into a fly
Metaphorically, you became trivial and insignificant


I looked away
I disengaged from the transformation I observed


You're on fire
You're consumed by emotion


Yeah, I watched a change in you
Indeed, I saw a noticeable transformation within you


It's like you never had wings
Metaphorically, you were never truly free before


And you feel so alive
You now experience a new level of freedom or vitality


I have watched you change
I have been paying attention to how you've grown or transformed


I took you home
Metaphorically, I brought you into my life


Set you on the glass
I put you on display for all to see


I pulled off your wings
I hindered your growth or progress


Then I laughed
I took pleasure in your pain or suffering


It's like you never had wings
Metaphorically, you're held back in life


I look at the cross
I contemplate the significance of faith or spirituality in life


Then I look away
I'm distracted or disinterested in spirituality


Give you the gun
I give up control or my life to you


Blow me away
Take me out of my misery, kill me


How you feel alive
I can sense your new-found vitality


You've changed
You're different than before


Into a fly
Metaphorically, you're insignificant or unimportant




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Abe Cunningham, Chi Cheng, Chino Camilo Moreno, Stephen Carpenter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@user-wk6qj3gs8g

I watched you change
Into a fly
I looked away
You were on fire

I watched a change in you
It's like you never had wings
Now, you feel so alive
I've watched you change

I took you home
Set you on the glass
I pulled off your wings
Then I laughed

I watched a change in you
It's like you never had wings
Now, you feel so alive
I've watched you change

It's like you never had wings

Aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah

I look at the cross
Then I look away
Give you the gun
Blow me away

I watched a change in you
It's like you never had wings
Now, you feel so alive
I've watched you change

Now, you feel alive
You feel alive
You feel alive
I've watched you change

It's like you never had wings

Aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah

You've changed
You've changed
You've changed



@slowedaudiosvenus

Lyrics here:

I watched you change
Into a fly
I looked away
You're on fire
I watched a change in you
It's like you never had wings
And you feel so alive
I have watched you change
I took you home
Set you on the glass
I pulled off your wings
Then I laughed
I watched a change in you
It's like you never had wings
Now you feel so alive
I have watched you change
It's like you never had wings
Anh, ahah
Anh, ahah
Anh, ahah
Anh, ahah
Anh, ahah
I look at the cross
And I look away
Give you the gun
Blow me away
I watched a change in you
It's like you never had wings
Now you feel so alive
I have watched you change
And you feel alive
You feel alive
You feel alive
I have watched you change
It's like you never had wings
Anh, ahah
Anh, ahah
Anh, ahah
Anh, ahah
Anh, ahah
You change
You change
You change



All comments from YouTube:

@deadroses19

The song is simply about watching a loved one (whether it be a romantic partner, friend, or family member) change negatively and how it's one of the most heartbreaking things you'll ever see in your life.

@emohuman9898

You described it well

@warriorrob1

Could be about yourself and you changing, that’s how I think of it…

@-._.-KRiS-._.-

Or being a 28 year old predator taking the wings off of a 17 year old, as in my experience.

@nightowl6393

Yes, I agree. This song reminds me of her.

@yuritistic

yeah it’s about drugs

458 More Replies...

@KAI-fv4nm

Still one of the sexiest sounding songs out there.

@ryleighs9575

Without a doubt. I threw my panties at the computer screen in 2020.

@reznorettee

Yes hell yes

@samuelmercier3635

And yet the lyrics are so troublingly unsexy

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