Work
Cans Lyrics

Nine years old
This was the age at which Cans experienced his first loss, which impacted him deeply.

A headstone
This refers to the finality of death and how it can be a shock to a young child experiencing it for the first time.

Didn't ever think that she would leave
Cans believed that the person he lost would always be around, and never imagined that they could be taken away from him.

Me behind
The death of the loved one left Cans feeling alone and abandoned.

On my own
Cans had to learn to cope with his loss by himself and become self-reliant.

I hope that you were fucking proud of me
Despite losing someone close to him, Cans still had a desire to please this person and make them proud.

I'd been blind
Cans felt naive in thinking that everything in his life would remain the same despite such a significant loss.

You're unkind to me
Cans is addressing a higher power or entity that he feels has been cruel to him.

Guess that's just the Lord's Work
Cans attributes his suffering to a higher power, which he believes has inflicted it upon him as part of a greater plan.

Never giving me the things I asked for
Cans feels like his prayers have gone unanswered, which has left him feeling frustrated and disillusioned with religion.

Harboring the dreams that I would break for
Cans had high hopes and aspirations, but he feels like they were unrealistic and set him up for disappointment.

Keeping all my hopes just out of reach
The feeling of constantly being denied what he wants has left Cans feeling like his hopes and goals are always just out of reach.

Set me up to fail so you can take more
Cans believes that the higher power has intentionally set him up for failure so that he can use his suffering as a way to gain more power or control over him.

Hoping that I'll fall just for your fake wars
Cans feels like he is being used as a pawn in a larger game or conflict, which he sees as pointless and inauthentic.

When all's said and done you'll say I'm clean
Cans feels like he is being judged unfairly, but at the end of it all, he will be considered blameless.

You want me to love you, I don't
Cans is addressing the higher power directly and stating that he does not feel any affection or loyalty towards it.

You want me to trust you, I won't
Cans feels like the higher power has betrayed his trust and left him feeling alone and vulnerable.

Countless suffered at your hands
Cans sees himself as one of many who have been hurt or mistreated by the higher power.

Say it's all part of your plan
Despite the pain and suffering, Cans believes that everything is happening for a reason as part of a larger plan or design.

No one heard
Cans feels like his cries for help or understanding have gone unnoticed by those around him.

Me alone
Cans feels isolated and cut off from others, even when surrounded by people.

Never in those years I'd ever seen the lord's work
Cans did not recognize the higher power's hand in his life until he experienced significant loss and pain.

If you were real it all would be a dream
Cans struggles with the concept of religion and the higher power, and feels that this entity cannot be real if the world is full of so much pain and suffering.

I think you're just a man
Cans comes to the realization that the higher power may be a construct created by humans, and not a supernatural entity at all.