Lydia
Alice Donut Lyrics


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I'm laid out
Like a martyr on a redwood plaque.
She's burning
The ticks right off my back.

I'm indulgent
I like to cater to peculiar whims
She's fascinated
By my artificial limbs

Asphyxiation
Love's monstrous charm
Asphyxiation
A slow suicide

My life's expended
For my last cigarette
Extreme unction
And pulmo-cardiac arrest.

Asphyxiation
Love's monstrous charm
Asphyxiation
A slow suicide
And I smother myself.

In Lydia's Black Lung
Lydia's Iron Lung.
Lydia's Black Lung.
Lydia's Iron Lung.

In Lydia's Black Lung
Lydia's Iron Lung.




Lydia's Black Lung.
Lydia's Iron Lung.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Alice Donut's song Lydia's Black Lung depict a strange and disturbing relationship between two characters. The first verse paints a picture of the singer being martyred on a redwood plaque while his lover burns the ticks off his back. The following lines reveal that the singer is indulgent and enjoys catering to peculiar whims while his lover is fascinated by his artificial limbs. There is a sense of a power dynamic between the two, with the lover having control over the singer who seems to be willingly surrendering to her monstrous charm of asphyxiation.


The chorus of the song emphasizes the concept of asphyxiation as a form of slow suicide that is intertwined with love's monstrous charm. This seems to suggest that the singer is willingly putting himself in harm's way to please his lover, even to the point of sacrificing his life for his last cigarette. The lyrics "extreme unction" and "pulmo-cardiac arrest" further emphasize the danger and ultimate damage caused by the singer's actions.


The closing lines of the chorus repeat the title phrase, "Lydia's Black Lung" and "Lydia's Iron Lung," indicating that the character of Lydia plays a significant role in the singer's self-destructive tendencies. The song as a whole paints a picture of a deeply disturbed and toxic relationship that thrives off of danger, control, and ultimately, self-destruction.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm laid out Like a martyr on a redwood plaque.
I am feeble and helpless like a martyr whose story is depicted on a memorial made of redwood.


She's burning The ticks right off my back.
She is removing burdens and stress from me, taking care of me.


I'm indulgent I like to cater to peculiar whims
I have a tendency to fulfill strange wishes and desires, catering to unusual needs.


She's fascinated By my artificial limbs
She is intrigued by my prosthetic limbs, finding them interesting and peculiar.


Asphyxiation Love's monstrous charm Asphyxiation A slow suicide
The suffocation of love is an overpowering and dangerous emotion that feels like a slow suicide.


My life's expended For my last cigarette Extreme unction And pulmo-cardiac arrest.
I am at the end of my life, smoking my last cigarette, receiving extreme unction (final anointing of the dying) and experiencing pulmonary and cardiac arrest.


And I smother myself.
I purposefully suffocate myself, feeling consumed by my emotions and desires.


In Lydia's Black Lung Lydia's Iron Lung.
I am trapped in the suffocating grip of Lydia's love.


Lydia's Black Lung. Lydia's Iron Lung.
Lydia's love is as inescapable and constricting as a black and iron lung.




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