You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son
Astral Swans Lyrics
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I've got a number
Won't make it through a high noon sun
I am my Father's son
I am my Father's son
His bed is made
I was a hero
Early in the morning
In the night
And I am my Father's son
I'll build a house inside of you
I'll go through in through the mouth
I'll draw three figures on your heart
One of them will be me as a boy
One of them will be me
One of them will be me watching you run
Watching you run
Through the high noon sun
Watching you run
Farther than guns will go
You are a runner
With a stolen voice
You are a runner
And I am my Father's son
The lyrics to Astral Swans's song "You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son" suggest a complex relationship between the singer and their father. The repeated line "I am my Father's son" implies a connection and a sense of ownership between the two, but the rest of the lyrics reveal a fraught dynamic. The singer acknowledges their father's impact on them, but also distances themselves from him. "His bed is made" suggests a sense of finality and inevitability, as if the father has set in motion events that will play out regardless of anyone's wishes.
The chorus is where the most vivid imagery is found. The singer claims they will "build a house inside of you," which is a striking and slightly disturbing image. It may suggest a desire for control or possession, or a need for comfort and familiarity. The three figures drawn on the heart are even more metaphorical and open to interpretation. One is the singer as a boy, which could represent innocence and vulnerability. The other two may be different aspects of the singer themselves, or perhaps two different versions of the father - the hero and the unheroic. Watching someone run in the "high noon sun" suggests a challenge or a test, and the guns might represent the obstacles that the runner must overcome.
Overall, the lyrics to "You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son" suggest a complicated and perhaps fraught relationship between the singer and their father. There is a sense of intergenerational legacy, but also a distancing and a need for control or self-definition.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a number on me
I am burdened with a personal debt or obligation that I must carry with me wherever I go.
I've got a number
I am a prisoner, identified by a numbered tag or tattoo, that represents my loss of freedom and self-identity.
Won't make it through a high noon sun
I am incapable of overcoming the obstacles of life, indicated by the fact that I won't survive the harsh light of the day.
I am my Father's son
I am the product of my father and his beliefs, behavior and legacy, unable to break free from his influence.
His bed is made
The consequences of my father's actions have been set in stone and cannot be changed or avoided.
I was a hero
In my past, I was seen as a brave and admirable person, but not anymore.
Early in the morning
In the beginning of life / a new day of the human race / before facing the challenges and sacrifices of reality.
I ain't no hero
I don't possess the qualities that make a hero, such as courage, selflessness, or strength of character.
In the night
During the darkest or most difficult time in my life, when I feel most alone and vulnerable.
And I am my Father's son
Despite my efforts to become my own person and separate from my father, I am still connected to him and his shadow looms over me.
I'll build a house inside of you
I intend to create a permanent place for myself within your body, mind, or soul, and take over your identity and willpower.
I'll go through in through the mouth
I will enter your being by invading the most delicate and vulnerable part of it, as symbolized by the mouth, which represents communication, trust, and passion.
I'll draw three figures on your heart
I will make a lasting impression on your emotions and memory, represented by the heart, and create three distinct images or emotions that will shape your future.
One of them will be me as a boy
One of the three images that I will imprint on your heart will be the pure and innocent version of myself that I once was, or that I wish I could be.
One of them will be me
One of the three images that I will imprint on your heart will be the current or future version of myself, that is selfish, manipulative or undesirable.
One of them will be me watching you run
One of the three images that I will imprint on your heart will be me stalking or observing you, perhaps to gain knowledge, lust, or power over you.
Watching you run
Watching you flee from me or from something else, either in a physical sense or as a metaphorical act of avoiding me or your problems.
Through the high noon sun
Taking place in the harshest and brightest moment of the day, when the heat and the glare are most intense, potentially representing danger, sacrifice or persecution.
Watching you run
Envying or admiring your ability to escape or pursue your goals, while I am stuck in my own limitations and misery.
Farther than guns will go
You are capable of reaching a distance, a goal or a destination that cannot be achieved by physical force, guns being the ultimate symbol of power and coercion.
You are a runner
You are a person who has the courage, endurance and tenacity to face life's obstacles and keep moving forward, despite the pain and fatigue.
With a stolen voice
You are speaking or singing with a voice that doesn't truly belong to you, having borrowed or learned it from someone else, perhaps unwillingly or dishonestly.
You are a runner
Your identity and your purpose in life are intrinsically tied to your ability to run, to be active, to explore and to escape.
And I am my Father's son
Once again, I confirm that I am still bound to my father's legacy and his expectations from me, regardless of my own wishes or goals.
Contributed by Jack F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.