Something in the way the incense
Mingled with the smell of fear
Made me wonder if you even
Hear the same song that I hear

Chorus
And whilst clumsily I fumbled o'er your body
I tried to make you feel it
And I tried to make you see it through my eyes
Thinking to myself, "She's so amazing"
When I couldn't help remembering
The last time I thought someone was amazing
And I'm searching for a higher power
And never even knowing that by searching I was losing half my mind
But now I know you
Now I know your war
You don't even answer
You don't even try
You don't even see that it's tearing up your mind
You don't even answer
But you don't need an army
You divide and conquer

Something in the way your body
Rose and fell with distant sighs
Made me wonder if you even
Sense the blindness in my eyes

Chorus

Could it be I'm wrong
Can I be the man I need to be without your silent stare
And that sin in your smile
Oh, could it be I'm right
Should I swallow up the night and let the floodgates open wide
To reveal all I want
And reveal all I fear I am

La-da-da....
Chorus

You divide and conquer
And I am such a sucker
And look out now it's over

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to the song Divide and Conquer by Matt Caplan convey feelings of confusion, uncertainty, and frustration in a relationship. The song speaks to the idea of feeling disconnected from one's partner, wondering whether they are truly listening and understanding the same emotions and perspective. The presence of incense and fear evoke a sense of mysticism and danger, further highlighting the unclarity of the relationship.

The chorus reveals the character's desperate attempts to feel and understand what their partner is feeling, but they are left feeling isolated and disconnected. They reminisce on past relationships where they felt similarly enamored but ultimately let down. As they search for a higher power, they realize that their search is driving them insane, but they continue trying to find a way to connect with their partner. However, it seems futile because their partner is adept at "dividing and conquering" – a strategy to separate and control them – and they are left feeling like a "sucker" in the end.

These lyrics showcase Caplan's lyrical prowess in capturing the tumultuous emotions of a relationship, and the frustration that can come with feeling misunderstood by a partner. It's a relatable theme that many listeners can empathize with.

Line by Line Meaning

Something in the way the incense
The combination of incense and fear made me curious about your perception of things.

Mingled with the smell of fear
Fear was overpowering and added to my confusion.

Made me wonder if you even
I felt unsure about whether or not you felt the same way that I did.

Hear the same song that I hear
I felt unsure if we were on the same wavelength.

And whilst clumsily I fumbled o'er your body
I tried to explore and understand your mind and heart.

I tried to make you feel it
I attempted to make you feel what I was feeling.

And I tried to make you see it through my eyes
I attempted to make you see things from my perspective.

Thinking to myself, "She's so amazing"
I couldn't help admiring you.

When I couldn't help remembering
I couldn't forget about the past.

The last time I thought someone was amazing
I was reminded of someone I had thought was amazing before.

And I'm searching for a higher power
I'm looking for something greater than myself.

And never even knowing that by searching I was losing half my mind
I didn't realize that my search was causing me to lose my sanity.

But now I know you
I understand you now.

Now I know your war
I know what you're struggling with.

You don't even answer
You refuse to respond.

You don't even try
You're not making an effort.

You don't even see that it's tearing up your mind
You're not aware of how it's affecting your mental health.

You don't even need an army
You don't need anyone else to support you.

But you divide and conquer
You separate and defeat.

Something in the way your body
The way you carried yourself gave me clues about your inner turmoil.

Rose and fell with distant sighs
You were in a world of your own with a lot of sadness to keep you company.

Made me wonder if you even
I was unsure whether or not you could sense my desperation.

Sense the blindness in my eyes
I felt lost and confused.

Could it be I'm wrong
Is it possible that I'm mistaken?

Can I be the man I need to be without your silent stare
Do I have what it takes to be myself despite your indifference?

And that sin in your smile
Is there a hidden evil behind your smile?

Oh, could it be I'm right
Maybe I'm correct about my suspicions.

Should I swallow up the night
Should I embrace the darkness around me?

And let the floodgates open wide
Should I allow myself to be vulnerable?

To reveal all I want
To show you all that I desire.

And reveal all I fear I am
To expose all the negative aspects of myself.

You divide and conquer
You use separation strategies to come out victorious.

And I am such a sucker
And I fall for it every time.

And look out now it's over
And now it's all done with.

Contributed by Tyler O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Joyce Zaleski

17y

I love this song -good job filming not shakey good quality

Rebecca Montalbano

45w

I’ve been searching high and low for all of my recordings from your gigs at the Wreck Room etc….this is making me so happy right now!!! Do you happen to have any more?