Cold Showers, a band formed in Los Angeles, CA in 2010, fuses the brash pow… Read Full Bio ↴Cold Showers, a band formed in Los Angeles, CA in 2010, fuses the brash power of the shoegazers with the smoky compulsions of the no-wavers—Cold Showers would fit comfortably within the dusty catalog of Factory Records, if only for an industrial subtlety in terms of electronics and acoustics. A piston-precision rhythm section drives all these loud, crafty pop songs. This is the pervasive pop mode against which Cold Showers cast themselves, but they aren’t fired in steel to the darkside. Founding members Jonathan Weinberg, Jessie Clavin, Brian Davila, Renee Adams and Chris King, added since, have a lumbering, sometimes terrifying beast of a band—we’d be remiss not to follow its caustic, addictive trek.

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The Fire
Cold Showers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Step away from the fire
Take your last breath with ease
Is this the edge of desire
Or the verge of disease
When I…

I close my eyes
and I found desire

When the rope hangs high
Higher and higher, desire
I am the love that craves you
I am the beast that bleeds you dry
I am the rope that will break
Desire, living desire

I found the afflictions of disgust
Locked in the disguise that you wear
Your passion is my perversion
And my true regret
When I…

I close my eyes
and I found desire
When the rope hangs high
Higher and higher, desire
I am the love that craves you
I am the beast that bleeds you dry

I am the rope that will break
Desire, living desire

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cold Showers's song The Fire discuss the danger and allure of desire. The singer urges the listener to step away from the fire of desire, to take a breath before succumbing to its pull. The lyrics question whether desire is the edge of a potentially life-changing experience or the verge of a destructive disease. The refrain "I close my eyes and I found desire" captures the idea that desire can sneak up on you when you least expect it, and can take hold of you with intensity.

The second half of the song explores the darker aspects of desire. The singer describes the "afflictions of disgust" that are often hidden under the surface of desire. They suggest that the passion of desire can easily turn into perversion, leading to regret and heartbreak. The lines "I am the love that craves you/ I am the beast that bleeds you dry/ I am the rope that will break/ Desire, living desire" encapsulate the contrasting forces of attraction and danger that come with desire.

Line by Line Meaning

Step away from the fire
Take caution and move away from the dangerous situation that is represented by the fire.

Take your last breath with ease
Prepare for the worst outcome and accept your fate calmly and peacefully.

Is this the edge of desire
Question whether an intense passion is worth pursuing, or if it will lead to destruction and harm.

Or the verge of disease
Consider whether this passion is consuming and detrimental to one's well-being, leading to a state of sickness or disorder.

When I…
The beginning of a contemplation or reflection on one's own experiences or feelings.

I close my eyes
Shutting out the world and seeking inner contemplation or escapism.

and I found desire
Discovering a strong feeling of wanting or longing for something that may be dangerous or forbidden.

When the rope hangs high
A metaphor for a dangerous or precarious situation that could lead to injury or death.

Higher and higher, desire
Despite the potential danger, the passion and longing for something intensifies.

I am the love that craves you
The artist personifies their feelings of love and desire as a force that actively seeks out and pursues the object of their affection.

I am the beast that bleeds you dry
The singer acknowledges that their passion may be overwhelming and all-consuming, potentially leading to causing harm or draining the object of their affection.

I am the rope that will break
The artist recognizes that their actions or feelings could lead to harm or destruction, and that they may be the cause of their own downfall.

Desire, living desire
A repetition of the earlier sentiment that the passion and longing for something intense and potentially dangerous is alive and persistent.

I found the afflictions of disgust
The singer reveals that they have discovered something that is repugnant or sickening, a perverse and undesirable aspect of the object of their affection.

Locked in the disguise that you wear
The object of affection has hidden or concealed their repugnant side behind a facade or mask.

Your passion is my perversion
The artist admits that their own intense passion for the object of their affection may be considered twisted or deviant by others.

And my true regret
The artist expresses remorse or sadness over their own feelings or actions.

Contributed by Jason O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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