Placebo
Census Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just fall asleep
Exhale, release
Am I alone?
Is this a dream?
(I can't wake up, I can't wake up)
Slip into oblivion and cling to relief
Take me back to when I was young
Retracing the steps that led me here as I fade into the dark
Dreaming
Falling further
Lost in the cracks between living and dying
Helplessly watching myself fade to grey
Frozen in time as the color is stripped away
Retrace the steps leading back to here
Take me back to when I was young
Sword fights and paper guns
Retrace the steps leading back to here
One set of footprints that disappear
Take it away
The stars align and my conscious breaks
I am not alone
Give me another chance to be alive
A burst of light, and my vision blurs
It took too many years to learn
The sickness never ends if you’re fighting the cure
I’m killing myself
Identify the disorder because sickness never ends if you’re fighting the cure
The lyrics of Census's song "Placebo" speak about feeling alone and lost in life, trying to escape reality by slipping into oblivion and clinging to a temporary relief. The singer longs to go back to a time when they had faith in themselves and everything seemed possible. They are struggling with a disorder that they cannot identify, and as they fade into the dark, they retrace the steps that led them to this point in their life. The song talks about the feeling of being frozen in time, and the color being stripped away from life as they helplessly watch themselves fade to grey.
The line "identify the disorder because sickness never ends if you're fighting the cure" emphasizes that the singer is aware of their problem and is fighting to overcome it. However, they end up killing themselves in the process, and it takes too many years to learn that the sickness never ends if you keep fighting the cure. The song talks about the struggle of trying to find oneself and get back on track in life, just like retracing the steps that led us to where we are in life. The catchy tune and relatable lyrics speak to anyone who has felt lost and helpless at some point in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
You're alone
The person in question is without companionship
Just fall asleep
The person wishes to succumb to slumber
Exhale, release
They aspire to exhale to the point of absolute relief
Am I alone?
The individual wonders if they are isolated
Is this a dream?
They question whether their current reality is a mere fantasy
(I can't wake up, I can't wake up)
Their distress at being unable to emerge from their mental state is expressed with repetition
Slip into oblivion and cling to relief
The person aims to escape the consequences by finding solace in the unknown
Take me back to when I was young
They wish to revisit more pleasant past experiences
When was it that I began to lose faith in myself?
The person questions when exactly their confidence began to dissipate
Retracing the steps that led me here as I fade into the dark
They strive to discern the causes of their present state while losing visibility
Dreaming
The person is indulging in subconscious musings
Falling further
They are spiralling down a dismal path
Lost in the cracks between living and dying
They are stuck in between existence and fatality
Helplessly watching myself fade to grey
The person pitifully observes their own descent into despair
Frozen in time as the color is stripped away
Everything around them disintegrates while they are unable to move or stop it
Retrace the steps leading back to here
They repeatedly strive to identify the factors that led to their current state
Take me back to when I was young
They wish to recapture the joys of youth
Sword fights and paper guns
Childhood activities that they reminisce about
Retrace the steps leading back to here
The person relentlessly struggles to identify the causes that brought them to where they are today
One set of footprints that disappear
They cannot identify the origin of a crucial time in their life where someone appears to have left their story
Take it away
They wish to be rid of their pain or negative emotions
The stars align and my conscious breaks
A moment of epiphany or realization is referred to
I am not alone
They realize that they do have support
Give me another chance to be alive
They plead for an opportunity to start over
A burst of light, and my vision blurs
An unexpected event leaves them momentarily blinded
It took too many years to learn
They regret not having made certain realizations sooner
The sickness never ends if you’re fighting the cure
They acknowledge that attempting to fix the root cause through unhealthy means is unlikely to lead to improvement
I’m killing myself
The person expresses culpability for their current situation
Identify the disorder because sickness never ends if you’re fighting the cure
If a problem is left unidentified or improperly treated, then it will persist
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Ben Carey, Bo Sawyer, Hayden Valentine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dwėsk
On the surface it could be another slightly progressive metalcore/post-hardcore song, but man this whole thing flows so well and I just kept replaying it, good stuff.
Tyler Merriott
Dwėsk and they're only going up from here. Their upcoming material is seriously amazing.
Dwėsk
They fucking better :D
The Band Census
Thank you so much! Please feel free to share us with your friends
Wizard Wanderer
Damn, the song just carries you along.
The Band Census
So glad you enjoy it! Feel free to share with your friends
Path To A Gorgon
This deserves so much more attention
Guillaume Thibeault
I love the intro, this song is amazing!
Soul_Retiever
This is seriously incredible. 🤘🤘
The Band Census
Thank you so much! Feel free to share us with your friends if you want. We just put out a playthrough video for this song as well!