AFI has released eleven studio albums, ten EPs, one live album and one DVD. The band first reached substantial commercial success with their fifth album, The Art of Drowning (2000), which peaked at number 174 on the Billboard 200. They then broke into the mainstream with their sixth, Sing the Sorrow (2003), which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 51 weeks. The album was supported by popular singles "Girl's Not Grey" and "Silver and Cold", both of which peaked at number seven on America's Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2003. "The Leaving Song Pt. II" was also released as a single, reaching number 16 on the chart. Sing the Sorrow was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2006 and is AFI's best-selling release, having sold over 1.26 million copies as of September 2009.
AFI's seventh album, Decemberunderground (2006), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and featured the hit single "Miss Murder", which topped the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, "Love Like Winter", reached number four on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 2013.[6] Decemberunderground was followed three years later by Crash Love (2009), and then four years later by Burials (2013); both albums were also successful, peaking at number twelve and number nine, respectively, on the Billboard 200. The band's tenth and latest album, AFI (The Blood Album), was released in 2017, and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, making it their second-highest chart position.
The Mother In Me
AFI Lyrics
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A paradigm of illness is the beast I have become
The sights that I have seen could nearly bring me to my knees
I've seen exactly what it is, I never wanna be, but
I keep it deep inside myself
It's within me
Keep it deep within yourself
Last night I had the misfortune to see it all first hand
"Evacuate the premises", was the innate first command
What drives the need for all of this, will I ever understand?
Has someone failed to tell me of this master plan? But
I keep it deep inside myself
It's within me
Keep it deep within yourself
And sink with me
I keep it deep inside myself
It's within me
Keep it deep within yourself
And sink with me
With me, with me, with me, with me, wait
The lyrics of AFI's song The Mother In Me describe the singer's struggle with his understanding of love and how it has turned into an illness that he cannot escape from. The world he lives in is plagued by love, which he sees as a paradigm of illness that has turned him into a beast. The sights he has seen have nearly brought him to his knees, as he has witnessed firsthand what love can do to people. Despite this, he keeps his pain deep inside of himself and invites others to sink with him.
The second verse recounts a misfortune that occurred the previous night, which the singer witnessed firsthand. There was a command to evacuate the premises, and the singer questions what drives the need for such actions. He wonders if there is a master plan that he has not been told of. Despite these uncertainties, he still harbors the pain deep within himself and invites others to share in it.
The lyrics present a bleak outlook on love and its consequences, as the singer is unable to find any solace or comfort in its effects. The repetition of the phrase "keep it deep within yourself and sink with me" reinforces this dark sentiment, as if to say that one should simply accept the pain of love and let it consume them entirely.
Line by Line Meaning
Caught in a world that's plagued by something they call love
The world is caught up in something they refer to as love, but it is actually causing problems and illnesses.
A paradigm of illness is the beast I have become
The constant exposure to this idea of love has created a sick and negative mentality within myself.
The sights that I have seen could nearly bring me to my knees
The things I have witnessed in relation to love have been so painful and overwhelming that they almost break me.
I've seen exactly what it is, I never wanna be, but
I have witnessed the destructive nature of love and want nothing to do with it, yet it still haunts me.
I keep it deep inside myself
I hide my true feelings and thoughts about love within myself.
It's within me
My feelings about love are a part of me.
Keep it deep within yourself
Keep your feelings about love hidden within yourself as well.
And sink with me
Join me in my misery and negative thinking towards love.
Last night I had the misfortune to see it all first hand
Recently, I witnessed the destructive nature of love and it was unfortunate and unpleasant.
"Evacuate the premises", was the innate first command
When things went wrong with love, the first instinct was to flee and leave the situation.
What drives the need for all of this, will I ever understand?
I cannot comprehend why love can cause so much harm and why people continue to crave it despite the consequences.
Has someone failed to tell me of this master plan? But
It seems as if there is some hidden agenda behind love that I am not aware of.
With me, with me, with me, with me, wait
Come with me and experience the pain and negativity of love.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: ADAM A CARSON, DAVID PADEN MARCHAND, HUNTER LAWRENCE BURGAN, JADE ERROL PUGET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind