Strain
Cage Lyrics


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Same movie, different actress, quite the theatrics
Yell out "cut!" when I'm tired of flingin' matches
When no explosion happens, passion passes your gut fast
And you wake with a girl and a Robitussen mustache
I start to feel like a stalker, the curves of her drive by
And my nerves is too shot to talk to her
I don't know how to convey it, or make you see art
With no control of when our souls are depart

I wanna lay in your stain like a dog
And wear your scent like a shitty gold chain
I wanna lay in your vein like blood
And play you out like a shitty gold chain
I wanna stay in your brain, because you're sane
And that's enough for me to complain
I wanna cave into pain, but it's too late
Just tryin' to feel good is a strain

I won't be mean to you, I won't be seen with you
I have to talk to you, I wanna walk wth you
I have no right to you, I wanna fight with you
I wanna be wth you

I won't let you go if you hate me, just don't amputate me
I won't try to kill myself today as long as you save me
These drugs are for babies, I'll manipulate you crazy
Just to get you to crave me
Oxygen navigates though the blood slice to coagulate it
When a young girl in a tub opened her wrist and traded her life
Her make-up was nice, her letter bold and lead
Folded up under a candle, when opened read:

I wanna lay in your stain like a dog
And wear your scent like a shitty gold chain
I wanna lay in your vein like blood
And play you out like a shitty gold chain
I wanna stay in your brain, because you're sane
And that's enough for me to complain
I wanna cave into pain, but it's too late
Just tryin' to feel good is a strain

I won't be mean to you, I won't be seen with you
I have to talk to you, already stalkin' you
I have no right to you, I wanna fight with you
I wanna be wth you

DNA make up the break up, make up with take out
Doggy bags from the steakhouse
It's true a bloody nose will ruin a make-out session
She's breaks out, walkin' on me, can pull the left-over steaks out
My whole life is a blur
Why is it no matter how many faces switch places it's still hers?
I wish I wasn't attracted, but the mind attaches
Snuck in her parents house, stole her old mattress

So I can lay in your stain like a dog
And wear your scent like a shitty gold chain
I wanna lay in your vein like blood
And play you out like a shitty gold chain
I wanna stay in your brain, because you're sane
And that's enough for me to complain
I wanna cave into pain, but it's too late
Just tryin' to feel good is a strain

I won't be mean to you, I won't be seen with you
I have to talk to you, I wanna walk wth you




I have no right to you, I wanna fight with you
I have to be in you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Cage's song "Strain" describe the extreme and irrational obsession of the singer toward a woman. They paint the picture of a man who is infatuated to the point of being consumed by his desire for her. He is aware of the unhealthy nature of his feelings, but he cannot help but want to be near her constantly. The singer is aware that his passion is unreciprocated, and he feels pain and strain in trying to cope with this knowledge.


The lyrics communicate a sense of desperation and a longing for connection. The singer's attempts at communication and interaction are fraught with difficulty and awkwardness. He is consumed by his own thoughts and desires, and he cannot communicate them clearly to the woman. The lyrics reveal the dark side of unrequited love and the pain and suffering that it can cause.


Overall, the lyrics of "Strain" capture the intensity of human emotion and the struggle to find connection in a world that is often harsh and unforgiving.


Line by Line Meaning

Same movie, different actress, quite the theatrics
The singer is tired of repeating the same scenario with different women, each trying to outdo the previous in a dramatic way.


Yell out "cut!" when I'm tired of flingin' matches
The singer wants to end a relationship when it becomes too tiresome, like calling for a cut in a movie scene.


When no explosion happens, passion passes your gut fast
When the initial excitement fades, the relationship loses its appeal quickly.


And you wake with a girl and a Robitussen mustache
After a night of partying, the artist wakes up with a girl and a hangover.


I start to feel like a stalker, the curves of her drive by
The artist becomes obsessed with a woman and stalks her by driving past her house repeatedly.


And my nerves is too shot to talk to her
The singer is too anxious to approach the woman he is obsessed with.


I don't know how to convey it, or make you see art
The singer struggles to express his feelings and make the woman see what he finds compelling about her.


With no control of when our souls are depart
The artist fears that he cannot control when the relationship will end, like the eventual separation of souls in death.


I wanna lay in your stain like a dog
The artist wants to possess and be owned by the woman like a dog is owned by its owner.


And wear your scent like a shitty gold chain
The artist wants to be constantly reminded of the woman and her scent, like a tacky piece of jewelry that holds sentimental value.


I wanna lay in your vein like blood
The singer wants to be so connected with the woman that he becomes a part of her body and bloodstream.


And play you out like a shitty gold chain
The artist wants to use the woman for his own purposes, like wearing a piece of cheap jewelry until it loses its value.


I wanna stay in your brain, because you're sane
The singer wants to stay in the woman's mind because she is the only stable thing he can cling to.


And that's enough for me to complain
Even though the woman is stable, the singer is still miserable and unhappy.


I wanna cave into pain, but it's too late
The singer wants to give into the pain of his obsession, but he knows it is too late to turn back now.


Just tryin' to feel good is a strain
The act of trying to feel good by being with the woman causes too much stress and strain for the artist.


I won't let you go if you hate me, just don't amputate me
The artist is so afraid of losing the woman that he begs her not to cut him out of her life completely.


I won't try to kill myself today as long as you save me
The singer's mental state is unstable, and he is willing to do anything to stay alive as long as the woman is in his life.


These drugs are for babies, I'll manipulate you crazy
The singer is willing to use manipulation tactics to keep the woman close, even if it means playing mind games with her.


Oxygen navigates though the blood slice to coagulate it
This line is unclear and lacks context or meaning.


When a young girl in a tub opened her wrist and traded her life
The artist references a possible suicide or self-harm attempt by a young woman in a bathtub as an example of the artist's own emotional instability.


Her make-up was nice, her letter bold and lead
The artist describes the girl's suicide note as being striking due to its bold handwriting and the girl's attractive appearance.


Folded up under a candle, when opened read:
The suicide note was discovered folded up and left under a burning candle.


DNA make up the break up, make up with take out
This line is unclear and lacks context or meaning.


Doggy bags from the steakhouse
The singer is carrying leftover food from a fancy dinner date.


It's true a bloody nose will ruin a make-out session
The singer reflects on a past experience where a physical altercation ended a romantic moment.


She's breaks out, walkin' on me, can pull the left-over steaks out
The woman from the earlier romantic encounter leaves the singer without warning, leaving him to carry their dinner leftovers.


My whole life is a blur
The artist is suffering from a general feeling of disorientation and a lack of clarity in his life.


Why is it no matter how many faces switch places it's still hers?
The artist compares the similarities between different women he has dated with the woman he is currently obsessed with, wondering why he cannot escape his obsession with her.


I wish I wasn't attracted, but the mind attaches
The singer acknowledges that his feelings for the woman are irrational and unwanted, but his emotions are beyond his control.


Snuck in her parents house, stole her old mattress
The singer takes drastic measures to hold onto a physical object connected to the woman he is obsessed with, in this case, her old mattress.


I have to be in you
The artist's obsession with the woman leads him to desire complete control over her body and mind, at any cost.




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