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The Will To Death
John Frusciante Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

And they're thought to be lies
But we saw them, saw them
We looked right in their eyes
Right at them, at them
Pinning space to the world
We slaughtered, slaughtered
Not a sound to be heard
We're awful, awful
And have you seen
How they run
Out of gas
They beat the pain
They sing in the rain
Endless and formless
They fly to the end
And back to the
Beginning again
Have you put them aside
Your crazy thoughts and dreams
No they're a part of me
And they all mean one thing
The will to death is what keeps me alive
It's one step away, step away
Limitations are set
Only then can we go all the way, all the way
And have you seen how the cars when they pass
They come your way
Then they're speeding away
Coming to you and then going away
But for them nothings changed, for them nothings changed

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of John Frusciante's song The Will To Death are a reflection on the human condition and the inevitability of death. The opening lines refer to something that may be perceived as lies, but that the singer has actually witnessed firsthand. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the idea that death is often seen as something distant and abstract, but it is in fact an unavoidable part of life. The use of the first person plural (we) emphasizes the universality of this experience.


The next lines describe the act of killing, with the metaphorical imagery of "pinning space to the world". The lack of sound and the use of the word "awful" create a sense of unease and horror. This is followed by a shift in tone with the question "have you seen", which introduces the idea of something that is beyond the physical and earthly world. This is further emphasized by the image of running out of gas, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for running out of the physical energy needed to sustain life.


The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that the will to death is what keeps us alive, which can be interpreted as the idea that the awareness of our own mortality gives us the impetus to make the most of our lives. The final lines are a reflection on the idea that although things may seem to change for us, the universe goes on regardless.


Line by Line Meaning

And they're thought to be lies
People believe that what we saw was not true


But we saw them, saw them
We actually saw what people don't believe


We looked right in their eyes
We stared straight into the eyes of what we saw


Right at them, at them
We didn't look away


Pinning space to the world
We created a permanent memory of what we saw


We slaughtered, slaughtered
We killed our doubts and fear of what we saw


Not a sound to be heard
We were silent about what we saw


We're awful, awful
We feel guilty about what we saw


And have you seen
Do you observe and understand


How they run
How people aimlessly rush through life


Out of gas
Without energy and motivation


They beat the pain
They cope with the difficulties of life


They sing in the rain
They make the best of the worst situations


Endless and formless
Life is without boundaries and form


They fly to the end
They move fast towards reaching their goals


And back to the Beginning again
And start all over again


Have you put them aside
Have you dismissed your unrealistic and insane thoughts and dreams


Your crazy thoughts and dreams
Your wild and unrealistic aspirations


No they're a part of me
No, they are an integral part of who I am


And they all mean one thing
All my thoughts and dreams represent one idea


The will to death is what keeps me alive
My desire to live life to the fullest is what drives me to keep going


It's one step away, step away
It's within reach, just one step away


Limitations are set
Boundaries are established


Only then can we go all the way, all the way
But only when we push past our limitations, we can truly excel


And have you seen how the cars when they pass
Have you noticed how cars move past you


They come your way
They come towards you


Then they're speeding away
Then they move away quickly


Coming to you and then going away
Approaching you, and then leaving you


But for them nothings changed, for them nothings changed
But for the cars, nothing has changed after passing you




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOHN FRUSCIANTE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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