Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek
Blue October Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I try to stay on top of you
To hold your body down
Your shaking seems to hinder every grasp that I had found

Moving every inch around me
To defuse your private bomb
I stretch myself surrounding and protecting you from harm
I use a wallet for your mouth so when you bite you will not bleed
I drilled a wire through my cheek and let it down and out my sleeve

And now you're pulling out the best of me
Yeah, which never ever comes
This wire's all that's left of me and it's hooked within my gums within my gums

So drill it, so drill it, so hard, I feel it
(So drain it) so drill it, so drill it, so hard, I feel it
(You've got to drain it)

As proof to show I'd bleed for this I'd cut myself to shame
To get to know this masochist who's stolen my first name

Pretending he's a teacher holding all my weight at ease
But the teacher seems to split in two destroying both his knees

Now crawling I position myself below your broken wings
I lift your feathered left arm where you hide your heart from me

I never noticed it was swollen with the touch of brutal pain
I never knew a heart could live inside the rust from all your rain
All your rain

So drill it, so drill it, so hard, I feel it
(So drain it) so drill it, so drill it, so hard, I feel it
(You've got to drain it)

I didn't think to bring a wash cloth or to rub away the dirt
Myself and I, we share this barely-beating heart of hurt

And when the hurt comes there's an argument
A fight to save a smile
A small attack on human tears to dry them for a while

A dream we all should count on, yeah, a vision I believe
In where confidence is found attached to wires on our sleeve

In where loneliness is history
Told to pack his shit and leave
And where guidance is a fortune told to help in time of need

And where crying isn't secret, it's the art of how we grieve
And lessons are the key to every goal I will achieve, I will achieve

So drill it, so drill it, so hard, I feel it
(So drain it) so drill it, so drill it, so hard, I feel it
(You've got to drain it)

So drill it, so drill it, so hard




(So drain it) so drill it, so drill it, so hard
(You've got to drain it)

Overall Meaning

Blue October's song "Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek" is a haunting and evocative exploration of the complicated emotions that can arise in a fraught and abusive relationship. The singer seems to be struggling to connect with his partner, who is depicted as a volatile and unstable presence. He tries to reach out and hold her close, but her shaking seems to repel him. Despite this, he continues to try to protect her, using a wallet to keep her from biting herself and even drilling a wire through his cheek to show his devotion.


As the song progresses, the lyrics become more and more bleak, portraying a relationship that is destructive and difficult to escape. The singer cuts himself to show his commitment, and imagines his partner as a masochistic teacher who is destroying herself as well as him. As the song concludes, he imagines a future where he has achieved his goals and found confidence and happiness, but even this hopeful vision is tinged with pain and loneliness.


Overall, "Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek" is a complex and emotionally charged song that offers a powerful glimpse into the darker aspects of intimate relationships.


Line by Line Meaning

I try to stay on top of you
I try to keep a close eye on you and be in control.


To hold your body down
To keep you under control and prevent you from acting out.


Your shaking seems to hinder every grasp that I had found
Your shaking makes it difficult for me to control you, despite my efforts.


Moving every inch around me
You are constantly moving and making it difficult for me to control you.


To defuse your private bomb
To calm you down and prevent you from exploding in anger or other negative emotions.


I stretch myself surrounding and protecting you from harm
I do everything I can to protect you from harm and keep you safe.


I use a wallet for your mouth so when you bite you will not bleed
I use something to prevent you from injuring yourself or others when you bite down in frustration or anger.


I drilled a wire through my cheek and let it down and out my sleeve
I have gone to extreme lengths to prove my loyalty to you and show that I would do anything for you, even if it causes me great physical pain.


And now you're pulling out the best of me
Despite my efforts, you continue to test me and bring out the worst in me.


This wire's all that's left of me and it's hooked within my gums within my gums
The wire I put through my cheek is a physical reminder of how much pain and suffering I am willing to endure for you.


As proof to show I'd bleed for this I'd cut myself to shame
I would harm myself just to prove my dedication and loyalty to you.


To get to know this masochist who's stolen my first name
I have become so devoted to you that I have lost my sense of self and identity.


Pretending he's a teacher holding all my weight at ease
I try to convince myself that you are helping me and that I need your guidance to get through life.


But the teacher seems to split in two destroying both his knees
Even though I convince myself that you are helping me, the truth is that you are damaging both of us in the process.


Now crawling I position myself below your broken wings
I am willing to humble myself and serve you, despite your own struggles and weaknesses.


I lift your feathered left arm where you hide your heart from me
I try to get closer to you by reaching out to comfort you and see what is in your heart.


I never noticed it was swollen with the touch of brutal pain
I realize that you have been hiding your pain from me and that you are suffering more than I realized.


I never knew a heart could live inside the rust from all your rain
Despite your struggles and pain, you still have a heart that beats and loves.


A small attack on human tears to dry them for a while
I try to push away my own emotions and tears in order to be strong for you.


A dream we all should count on, yeah, a vision I believe
I have a vision of a better future where we can all be happy and fulfilled.


In where confidence is found attached to wires on our sleeve
There is hope and confidence to be found in supporting each other and being there for one another.


And where loneliness is history
In this vision of the future, loneliness will be a thing of the past.


Told to pack his shit and leave
Loneliness will be banished and gone for good.


And where guidance is a fortune told to help in time of need
In this better future, we will support and guide each other through difficult times.


And where crying isn't secret, it's the art of how we grieve
We will be free to express our emotions openly and truly grieve when we need to.


And lessons are the key to every goal I will achieve, I will achieve
The key to achieving our goals will be to learn from our experiences and move forward with determination.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, MOONKISS MUSIC
Written by: Justin S Furstenfeld, Patrick Edward Sugg

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@kindaodd210

This will always be my favorite Blue October song

@jadeykingdom

Mine too

@MlleAlpineBlack

I’m tied between this one and x amount of words

@RajaRojas

Same, it doesn't matter what chapter of life, this will always be the absolute favorite, that ending verse.
Before this part, but this as well,
"And where crying isn't secret, it's the art of how we grieve
And lessons are the key to every goal I will achieve, I will achieve"

Idk if I'm learning or just crying but I still get it, if not more more

@spellboundwiccan87

Right there with you. This song has been my favorite song for as long as I can remember. And that lyrical content... ❤️ Justin Furstenfeld thank you for so many great songs tied to so many memories. You're amazing!

@mandyscisco

yes! Mine too

@BBB-ny9rf

I've met Justin 4 times the last time I said to him "you don't remember me do you" and he said "yea I do your name is Ben isn't it" he remembered me because I was born with a cleft pallet and his nephew was to apparently so he knew what it was and my mom told him about how I was born with that and all this other stuff about my life at this record place where they were all signing posters. I still have the album picture where they all signed it! Love this band till Im dead.

@kazuhiramiller7945

BBB He really is a cool guy my brother goes to the concerts all the time and he remembers my brothers name every time they talk

@simplyhuman3982

I unfortunately, (just recently) found them. Well, within a couple years.

@hunterhudgins4473

I hate missing blue October this year playing with the good goo dolls

More Comments

More Versions