The Theft
Atreyu Lyrics
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If he gives they will take away
His passion, his pain, his grace
He exhales
A thousand black flowers explode
Into butterflies as they're away
Burn to coals as they crush and leave nothing
That resembles a soul of a man
See him numb, see him crushed
See him numb, see him crushed
Rip them out, take them
Burn to coals as they crush and leave nothing
That resembles a soul of a man
Leave them numb, leave them crushed
Leave them numb, leave them crushed
Took the fire inside
One too many times
He's burning over and out
Now he flails
Up against the raging tides
No more fights
Everything you ever wanted to see
See it in his eyes
One more time, one more time
Climb down to test the waters
My hands feel like they're rusting away, yeah, yeah, yeah
So I'll pace around like a lamb before the slaughter
I'll stay here as long as you let me
Decision's been made obvious
So I will return Where I started
I'll stay here
When I'm finished I'll whither away
Rip them out, take them
Burn to coals as they crush and leave nothing
That resembles a soul of a man
See him numb, see him crushed
See him numb, see him crushed
Rip them out, take them
Burn to coals as they crush and leave nothing
That resembles a soul of a man
Leave them numb, leave them crushed
Leave them numb, leave them crushed
The lyrics of Atreyu's "The Theft" describe a person who is struggling with intense emotions and has been hurt too many times. The first few lines depict a man who is fragile and easily broken; he knows that he can't give too much of himself away or risk being taken advantage of. However, at the same time, he recognizes that this guardedness is costing him his passion, his pain, and ultimately, his grace. The next part of the song is more symbolic. The man exhales, and a thousand black flowers explode into butterflies and fly away. This can be seen as a metaphor for his emotions being released into the world, but also suggests that they are fleeting and won't last long. The following lines describe someone who has been hurt so many times that they've become numb and crushed, leaving nothing that resembles a soul of a man.
The chorus is repeated several times, and suggests that the only way to deal with these negative emotions is to rip them out, burn them, and crush them until they leave nothing but ash behind. This sounds violent and destructive, but it's also a way of purging oneself of negativity and starting anew. The final verse is more introspective, with the singer acknowledging that they need to "test the waters" and make decisions about what to do next. They pace around like a lamb before the slaughter, unsure of what the future will hold. However, they've also made a decision to return to where they started, and will stay there until they wither away.
Line by Line Meaning
He bends and he breaks
He is pushed beyond his limits
If he gives they will take away
He is taken advantage of
His passion, his pain, his grace
His innermost feelings are taken from him
He exhales
He releases his emotions
A thousand black flowers explode
His emotions are intense and dark
Into butterflies as they're away
His emotions transform into something beautiful
Rip them out, take them
Remove his emotions from him
Burn to coals as they crush and leave nothing
His emotions are destroyed and he is left feeling empty
That resembles a soul of a man
He feels like he no longer has a soul
See him numb, see him crushed
He is emotionally numb and devastated
Leave them numb, leave them crushed
He wishes for others to feel the pain he is feeling
Took the fire inside
Someone has extinguished the passion within him
One too many times
It has happened repeatedly
He's burning over and out
He is consumed by his emotions to the point of exhaustion
Now he flails
He is struggling to stay afloat
Up against the raging tides
He is facing overwhelming obstacles
No more fights
He is too tired to keep fighting
Everything you ever wanted to see
He is putting everything on display
See it in his eyes
His pain is evident in his eyes
Climb down to test the waters
He is taking cautious steps forward
My hands feel like they're rusting away, yeah, yeah, yeah
He is losing his strength
So I'll pace around like a lamb before the slaughter
He is resigned to his fate
I'll stay here as long as you let me
He is waiting for something to happen
Decision's been made obvious
He has come to a conclusion
So I will return where I started
He will go back to where he began
When I'm finished I'll wither away
He knows that he will not survive this emotional turmoil
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Brandon Saller, Daniel Jacobs, Ektor Varkatzas, Marc McKnight, Travis Miguel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ijalriadi2329
"The Theft"
He bends and he breaks
If he gives they will take away
His passion, his pain, his grace
He exhales,
A thousand black flowers explode
Into butterflies as they're away
[Chorus:]
Rip them out, take them,
Burn to coals as they crush and leave nothing
That resembles a soul of a man
See him numb, see him crushed (see him numb, see him crushed)
Rip them out, take them
Burn to coals as they crush and leave nothing
That resembles a soul of a man
Leave them numb, leave them crushed (leave them numb, leave them crushed)
Took the fire inside
One too many times
He's burning over and out now,
He flails
Up against the raging tides,
No more fights
Everything you ever wanted to see,
See it in his eyes
One more time, one more time
Climb down to test the waters,
My hands feel like they're rusting away, yeah, yeah, yeah,
So I'll pace around like a lamb before the slaughter
I'll stay here as long as you let me,
Decision's been made obvious so I will return
Where I started I'll stay here
When I'm finished I'll whither away
[Chorus]
@Leosklein193
30 years old and here I am... back where it started. This song continues to get better the older I get. Y'all really did something special man.
@Mahatheyew
Loved this song when I was 16.
Love it as much now I'm 26.
@tre-moon-dous6122
+Mahatheyew dude, were at the same age and we both love this song when we was 16 haha
@916beth
oh me too ^^
@BLACKzj52
same, man. was 16 in 2006 when I first heard this song. 26 now in 2016. still love it
@Kuutamo13
Holy shit I feel old. I feel like it was yesterday when this came out.
@omgitsrobsandy
pretty much the same thing for me dude, found this when I was 12 and now I'm 22 still loving Atreyu
@cannibalcris6875
My favorite Atreyu song of all time.
@chrisriggz9424
if you love this song like I do check out the cover I did featuring Angola Brown of Angola
go like Angola or my band in danger of falling
Listen to Colab.mp3 by Christoph Riggs #np on #SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.com/christoph-riggs/colab-mp3-1
@gilbertvasquez7150
+Chris Riggz it sucks