The American Nightmare
Ice Nine Kills Lyrics

Getting ready for bed at a regular time
Establishing a routine in sleeping is crucial to developing good habits

Is one of the most important habits you can learn
It is a significant factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle

David has probably never stopped to think what a wonderful thing sleep is
David has not appreciated the importance and beauty of sleep

Dreams are normal too
Dreaming is a natural occurrence in the sleep cycle

Going to bed at a regular time each night
Having a consistent sleeping schedule makes the process of falling asleep easier

Makes it easier to go right off to sleep
Having regular bedtime routines helps the body prepare for sleep, improving overall sleep quality

Rest your head, here's a lullaby
An invitation to lie down and relax, with a soothing song to aid sleep

A melody for heavy eyes
A musical tune to calm down and loosen up the weight of the eyes

Early to bed, early to die
Negative commentary on the notion of prioritizing an early bedtime over living life to the fullest

Welcome to your worst nightmare
An ominous message indicating the introduction of traumatic and fearful situations

Fast asleep, it's all in your head now
This lyric suggests that the situations present in dreams are subjective to the individual's psychology

Past the street where they cursed my name
Referring to an unpleasant experience that ultimately led to vindictive emotions

But I won't be forsaken
The singer of the song has resolved to not be abandoned or betrayed

Craven my revenge from the shallow grave
Seeking revenge from a relative weakness

Where I went down in flames
A metaphorical description of being figuratively destroyed or defeated

The beast has been awakened
A transformation has occurred, unleashing the artist's inner-most (demonic) self

When night comes creeping
When the hours of darkness approach

My cruel hand will rock you to sleep
Acting as a malevolent force, it will coerce one to sleep

I'm the American nightmare
The singer is a reflection of what is wrong with America, a symbol of the dark side

With American dreams
A sarcastic reference to society's superficial and destructive desires

Of countin' the bodies while you count sheep
Contrasting how insensitive and violent actions pervade through culture

Yeah, I'm livin' the dream
Emphasizes how destructive goal-setting can be

I'm slashing my way through the golden age of the silver scream
Referencing Hollywood horror film icons, the singer cuts through reality like these slashers cut through film scenes

Fell in love with hate 'cause evil fit like a glove
The addictive nature of negative emotions when they seem to fit so easily

It's fate that I'm still here
It's destiny that the singer is not only alive, but damaging those around them

Wicked when I was just a man
Emphasizing the transformation of the singer into something inhumane

But sickening now and fed by fear
The more they indulge in their wickedness, the more it arouses fear in them and thereby increases their desire for evil

The beast has been awakened now
The transformation to a monstrous state has occurred fully

They all think it's just pretend
Others can't comprehend the darkness within this individual and have doubts over the reality of the situation

You'll never ever sleep again
An eerie and foreboding warning

All your friends are fucking dead
An indication that past connections have been eliminated, likely victims of the singer's wrath

You can't turn down your own deathbed
The irreversibility of actions taken that led to destruction and ultimately a harsh end

I'm the man of your dreams
A jarring and frightening realization that the artist has control over the listener's sleeping state

Now the cloth is cut
A metaphorical metaphor which refers to how the veil of reality has been thinned, and the listener is exposed to the horrifying truth

So I'm sinking my claws in the silver scream
A metaphorical reference to how the singer is continuing to perpetuate the horror and violence that reside in film genres