Burn the Rez is a Rhode-Island based indie Alternative/Metal band, whose 20… Read Full Bio ↴Burn the Rez is a Rhode-Island based indie Alternative/Metal band, whose 2014 self-titled debut features dark, brooding vocal melody & harmony, towering walls of guitar & orchestral strings, and intimate arrangements of cello, piano, & acoustic guitar. Influences include Red, Coldplay, Alice in Chains, Cold, and Deftones.

About us: We’re a 2-man band/studio project, 100% self-produced – we write, compose, perform, record, mix, and master all elements of our music. Control freaks? Yes. Our story began 15 years earlier in the high-school metal band we formed together. We tirelessly practiced and gigged and had visions of rock stardom. Soon after high school ended, careers and families slowly took over, and by our early 20’s we had let our musical aspirations fade into the background. But we never lost touch, never stopped writing, and after 10 years we finally decided to stop reminiscing and start recording an album, “Burn the Rez”, released in 2014.

Polluted Youth
Burn the Rez Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Along last I lost my mind,
on the bittersweet taste of what I find,
forever share the motions of an everlasting
Long nights that I endured,
what the fuck was I looking for,
was it wrong what I adored,
have I always been wrong
Or be true to the me I've known,

a normal boy just flesh and bone,
take a chance to look beyond those years I felt alone

Polluted youth is un-whole and unknown,
and feeling unwanted by this world
Always guided this way, violated,
identity bled beside the broken child

Run way again tonight to a place so deep inside, somewhere that I can hide from everybody
Never found a better way, another day is lost again, and all the things I need to say are reaching no one

Polluted youth is un-whole and unknown,
and feeling unwanted by this world
Always guided this way, violated,
identity bled beside the broken child

And I carry on, but I'm not strong,
I'm barely breathing,
it's pulling me under
And I keep sinking even deeper,
and I'm reaching for anything

Polluted youth is un-whole and unknown,
and feeling unwanted by this world
Always guided this way, violated,
identity bled beside the broken child
Polluted child is unheard and unseen, casts only shadows on a world he needs

Always guided this way, violated,
identity bled beside the broken child

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Burn the Rez's song Polluted Youth express the struggles of a young person who is lost and searching for their identity. The opening lines, "Along last I lost my mind, on the bittersweet taste of what I find, forever share the motions of an everlasting" reflect the turmoil of the singer's mind. The phrase "bittersweet taste" suggests that the singer is drawn to things that are harmful but also tempting. They also feel like they are going through never-ending motions.

As the song progresses, the singer questions their choices and whether they have always been wrong. They wonder if they should be true to their authentic self, even if it means going against societal norms. The phrase "polluted youth is un-whole and unknown" personifies the singer's sense of being lost and uncertain of their place in the world.

The chorus repeats the idea of the polluted youth and how they feel unwanted and violated. The phrase "identity bled beside the broken child" suggests that the singer's sense of self is being damaged because of the way they are being treated.

The closing lines contain a sense of resignation and hopelessness. The image of the "polluted child" casting shadows on the world they need suggests that they are unable to find a way out of their struggles.

In summary, Burn the Rez's song Polluted Youth is a powerful expression of the struggles and pain that young people face. It captures the sense of being lost and unsure of one's identity, and the damaging effects of societal pressure and rejection.

Line by Line Meaning

Along last I lost my mind,
I wandered aimlessly and lost my sanity

on the bittersweet taste of what I find,
I indulged in experiences that had both positive and negative consequences

forever share the motions of an everlasting
My emotions will continue indefinitely

Long nights that I endured,
I suffered through many sleepless nights

what the fuck was I looking for,
I didn't even know what I wanted

was it wrong what I adored,
I questioned if what I loved was morally right

have I always been wrong
I wondered if I had always made the wrong choices

Or be true to the me I've known,
I considered being honest with myself about who I am

a normal boy just flesh and bone,
I am a regular human being made up of physical matter

take a chance to look beyond those years I felt alone
I should try to see past the times when I was lonely

Polluted youth is un-whole and unknown,
People who have had a rough upbringing are incomplete and it's hard to understand them

and feeling unwanted by this world
They may feel rejected or neglected by society

Always guided this way, violated,
They were led down a certain path and abused or mistreated along the way

identity bled beside the broken child
Their sense of self was damaged as a result of their tough childhood

Run way again tonight to a place so deep inside, somewhere that I can hide from everybody
I want to escape from the outside world and retreat to my own thoughts

Never found a better way, another day is lost again, and all the things I need to say are reaching no one
I can't find a way to express myself and every day feels wasted as a result

And I carry on, but I'm not strong,
I persevere, but I don't feel resilient

I'm barely breathing,
It feels like I am close to suffocation

it's pulling me under
I'm being dragged down by my emotions

And I keep sinking even deeper,
My situation continues to worsen

and I'm reaching for anything
I am desperate for a way out

Polluted child is unheard and unseen, casts only shadows on a world he needs
Someone who had a difficult childhood is often ignored by the world they require support from

Always guided this way, violated,
They were compelled to follow a particular path, while enduring mistreatment along the way

identity bled beside the broken child
They are damaged and suffer from a damaged sense of self as a result of their tough upbringing

Contributed by Adalyn B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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