Intentional Injury
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Lyrics


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In time you find your way to release
And then it goes away, again
What had been the strongest force against you
Becomes your only friend

You can′t help but laugh
And I own your soul
A shadow unwanted by any on earth
Most of us rejoice at your awful crying
We live to force you to regret your own birth

Sky falls, ground is gone
Our lord is uplifting
Your work has dissolved
The balance of life is shifting

No way to lose, there is no way to lose
Can't lose your way when there is no way
We, we fight what had been your home
And all of your power becomes ours today

Sky falls, ground is gone
Our lord is uplifting




Your work has dissolved
The balance of life is shifting

Overall Meaning

The song "Intentional Injury" by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy is a haunting and cryptic piece that speaks of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The opening lines "In time you find your way to release" seem to suggest that the singer has reached a point in their life where they have achieved some sort of freedom or release from their troubles. However, this momentary respite is short-lived as "it goes away, again". The line "What had been the strongest force against you/Becomes your only friend" implies that the very thing that was once a source of struggle for the singer has now become a source of comfort and companionship.


The next lines "You can't help but laugh/And I own your soul" are somewhat ominous and suggest a malevolent presence or force that is in control. This theme is further developed in the lines "A shadow unwanted by any on earth/Most of us rejoice at your awful crying/We live to force you to regret your own birth". These lines paint a picture of a cruel and uncaring world where people take pleasure in the suffering of others.


The chorus "Sky falls, ground is gone/Our lord is uplifting/Your work has dissolved/The balance of life is shifting" echoes the themes of chaos and instability that permeate the song. It suggests that something fundamental has shifted or been disrupted, and that the delicate balance of life has been upset.


Line by Line Meaning

In time you find your way to release
As time passes, you eventually find a way to let go of your pain and hurt.


And then it goes away, again
But unfortunately, that feeling doesn't last forever.


What had been the strongest force against you
What was once the biggest obstacle in your life,


Becomes your only friend
now becomes the only thing you have left to hold on to.


You can't help but laugh
Despite everything, you find yourself laughing at the absurdity of it all.


And I own your soul
The singer takes pride in the fact that they have control over your emotions and actions.


A shadow unwanted by any on earth
The singer is someone who is shunned by society and shies away from the public eye.


Most of us rejoice at your awful crying
The people around the artist take pleasure in causing pain and suffering.


We live to force you to regret your own birth
Their main goal is to make you hate your very existence and everything that comes with it.


Sky falls, ground is gone
This could be a metaphor for a catastrophic event that shakes your very foundations.


Our lord is uplifting
But even in the midst of tragedy, the singer finds comfort in their religion or beliefs.


Your work has dissolved
The efforts you put into your life or career have all been for nothing.


The balance of life is shifting
The world has lost its sense of stability and everything is out of order.


No way to lose, there is no way to lose
You cannot fail because there was never a possibility for success in the first place.


Can't lose your way when there is no way
There is no possible direction to take or path to follow, so getting lost is not an option.


We, we fight what had been your home
The environment or situation that you were once familiar with has now turned into a battle ground.


And all of your power becomes ours today
The people around you have taken over and have stolen all of your power and influence.




Writer(s): Will Oldham

Contributed by Nathaniel W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

LT

in time you find
your way to release,
and then it goes away, again
what had been the strongest force against you
becomes your only friend.

you can't help but laugh
and i own your soul
a shadow unwanted by any on earth
most of us rejoice in your awful crying
we live to force you to regret your own birth

sky falls, ground is gone.
our lord is uplifting
your work has dissolved
the balance of life is shifting.

no way to lose, there is no way to lose
can't lose your way when there is no way
we, we fight what had been your home
and all of your power becomes ours today.

sky falls, ground is gone.
our lord is uplifting
your work has dissolved
the balance of life is shifting.



All comments from YouTube:

Fallen World

A lot of people shit on season 2, but I think it was quite good. Great casting, great performances, and a space all its own. Sure, it was very different from season 1 (a masterpiece), but it was impactful nonetheless.

Jason G

I rewatched it after all this time and realized so many of the criticisms were just flatly unfair it was so good.

ghost on the shore

Yeah
I loved Two
Three was the crappy one
It was a real snoozer

Katrin Van De Wauwer

So beautiful. A great singer !

uigpyihvhihbhipkm

songs from this new season are soo damn great

Ivan K.

***** i can'T wait till the soundtrack is out on iTunes...

VanDarNessa

How can anyone dislike this beautiful song?

Maido Hollo

Does it matter?

ghost on the shore

❤❤

indieg000

Season 2 has had such amazing music. Really can't wait till it's all out.

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