PROUD
Common Linnets The Lyrics

Common Linnets' song "Proud" paints a picture of heartache and the search for a place to heal, a place to mend mistakes, and a place to cope with the madness of reality. The song begins with a search for a place of healing but suggests a sense of hopelessness as the singer struggles to find a place to soothe the sadness. The lyrics, "Where can I go to heal the heartache, Where can I go to mend my mistakes, O my god, what are we fighting for," highlights the singer's feeling of being lost and unsure about what the future holds. The next stanza describes a house made of stone on a floor of sand, which symbolizes something that appears stable but is precarious and can fall apart easily. This sentiment reflects the singer's inner turmoil and feelings of instability.

The song goes on to describe a place where bitterness doesn't waste time, where love and good intentions never fail, and where forgiveness falls from the sky. The lines, "Reality turns into a fairytale, Where forgiveness falls right from the sky, And bitterness won't waste our time," describe an idealized world where everything is perfect and painless. However, the song reminds us that this world does not exist in reality.

The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the idea that someone sets fires in the hearts of all of us just because they need to be proud. The lyrics, "You set fires in the hearts of all of us, Fires you started just because you needed to be proud, Proud," illustrate how someone's pride can negatively affect all of those around them. The song suggests that pride can lead to a desire to prove oneself and to start fires in the hearts of others, potentially damaging relationships.