Moth
Audioslave Lyrics

The lyrics to Audioslave’s song “Moth” are about the self-destructive nature of a person who repeatedly makes the same mistake and suffers the consequences, yet continues to repeat the same pattern. The first two lines are about the singer thinking that he was different from others, that the same mistakes wouldn’t happen to him. But as he burned himself once again, he realized that he was just like everyone else. He then talks about flying too close to the sun, which is a reference to the Greek myth of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun, melted his wings, and fell to his death. Although the singer thought he was smarter and would be able to avoid this fate, it turned out that he was wrong, and he suffered the same consequences as others would.

The chorus talks about the singer choosing not to repeat his mistakes anymore. He doesn’t want to fly around the fire, knowing that he will only get burned and fallen down again. He acknowledges that he has fallen down many times before, and he is tired of experiencing the same pain repeatedly. Finally, the last verse talks about the singer’s love for the things that are bad for him, such as the heat and the things that tie him down and cut him off. He compares himself to a king and a moth with painted wings made of cloth, implying that his power and beauty are superficial and that he is ultimately fragile and easily broken. The last line, “When did the flame burn so high and get so hot?” is a rhetorical question, suggesting that the singer is wondering when his self-destruction got out of control.