"'It started from a simple riff that I had – you can hear it during the ver… Read Full Bio ↴"'It started from a simple riff that I had – you can hear it during the verse. This was one of the ‘struggle songs’ for us. We probably wrote four different choruses for this one; we just didn’t want to settle. We didn’t want to assume that the first thing was always the right thing. I never want to say that we took the easy way out on this record. If you’ve ever had that feeling where you had to convince yourself that something is the right thing, then you know it’s not the right thing. It’s hard to come to that realization, too. As an artist, you want to love everything that you do. But there’s a fine line between loving something and convincing yourself to love it.'"

Brad Schultz via MusicRadar (September 2013)

Spiderhead
Cage the Elephant Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I am the one you left for dead
(Say you wanted to)
You are the bullet in my head
(Ah)
And as you stand over my grave
(Tell me it's okay)
You'll pause the lips upon my face
(Ah)

Either I'm in heaven, or I'm in hell
Am I losing my mind, yeah
(Cause I can't tell)
I've been waiting for answers for way too long
Seems I'm always waiting around

Spiders in my head, spiders in my mind
You may take my eyes, but baby I'm not blind
It all works out all right
You know I'm gonna be all right
You may take my eyes, but baby I'm not blind

I think your mother wants me dead
(Say you wanted to)
I am a schizophrenic man
(Ah)
I wouldn't change you if I could
(Say you wanted to)
Treat me good I'll play it cool

Spiders in my head, spiders in my mind
You may take my eyes, but baby I'm not blind
It all works out all right
You know I'm gonna be all right
You may take my eyes, but baby I'm not blind

Spiders in my head, spiders in my mind
You may take my eyes, but baby I'm not blind
It all works out all right

You know I'm gonna be all right
You may take my eyes, but baby I'm not blind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cage the Elephant's song Spiderhead are somewhat cryptic and can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. The opening line, "I am the one you left for dead, you are the bullet in my head" is reminiscent of a toxic relationship. It appears that the singer is reminiscing about a past relationship which ended badly, with the person they were in a relationship with being the cause of their pain. The next line, "and as you stand over my grave, you'll pause the lips upon my face" can be interpreted as the person they were in a relationship with coming to terms with their actions and perhaps feeling guilt for their wrongdoings.

The chorus of the song, "Spiders in my head, spiders in my mind, you may take my eyes, but baby I'm not blind, it all works out all right, you know I'm gonna be all right" can be interpreted in different ways. Perhaps it means that the singer is dealing with mental demons that they can't shake off, but they are still able to overcome them and move on. Alternatively, it could refer to the idea that the person they were in a relationship with may have hurt them badly, but they are still standing strong and won't allow themselves to be blinded by love or the memory of the past.

Overall, Spiderhead may be about the struggle to move on from a toxic relationship, the pain and regret that come with it, and the hope of eventual healing and growth.

Line by Line Meaning

I am the one you left for dead
You abandoned me and left me for dead.

You are the bullet in my head
You are the cause of my pain, constantly haunting my thoughts.

And as you stand over my grave
Even though you've caused me pain and left me for dead, I still think about you in my final moments.

You'll pause the lips upon my face
Even in death, I want you to touch me and kiss me one last time.

Either I'm in heaven, or I'm in hell
I can't tell if I'm experiencing something positive or negative.

Am I losing my mind, yeah
I feel like I'm going insane because of the pain you've caused me.

I've been waiting for answers for way too long
I've been searching for meaning and understanding, but have yet to find it.

Seems I'm always waiting around
I am constantly in a state of waiting without any resolution.

Spiders in my head, spiders in my mind
I feel like I have spiders crawling around in my brain, representing the chaos and confusion I am experiencing.

You may take my eyes, but baby I'm not blind
You may try to deceive me and make me feel like I'm losing my mind, but I am still aware of the truth.

I think your mother wants me dead
I feel like your mother hates me and wishes harm upon me.

I am a schizophrenic man
I feel like I am losing touch with reality, experiencing delusions and hallucinations.

I wouldn't change you if I could
Despite the pain you've caused me, I still love you and would not change anything about you.

Treat me good I'll play it cool
If you treat me with kindness and love, I will respond in a calm and collected manner.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Matthew Ray Shultz, Donald Bradley Shultz, Jared Lloyd Champion, Daniel Andrew Tichenor, Lincoln Parish

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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