Revenge
Danger Mouse Lyrics

Pain
The song starts by acknowledging the presence of pain which can be subjective to different individuals.

I guess it's a matter of sensation
The level of pain one feels varies individually based on the sensation one perceives.

But somehow you have a way of avoiding it all
The person addressed in the song always seems to evade the pain and does not let it affect them.

In my mind
The next set of lyrics indicate a mental image of what the singer may want to do or feels impelled to do.

I have shot you and stabbed you through your heart
The singer has imagined killing the person they likely hate or dread.

I just didn't understand
The singer seemingly did not realize the consequences of their actions, or that it would only make matters worse.

The ricochet is the second part
The aftermath of the imagined killing or attempted killing will only lead to more negative sequels.

'Cause you can't hide what you intend
The singer believes that one's true intentions cannot be hidden, it will be reflected in their actions and possibly harm them later on.

It glows in the dark
One's intentions may be concealed, but it will eventually show or glimmer under certain circumstances.

Once you've sought
The next set of lyrics speak of seeking revenge which opens a whole new can of worms.

The path of revenge
To seek revenge is to engage in a specific route which is almost always problematic.

There's no way to stop
The more one treads the path of vengeance, the harder it becomes to turn back as it is a point of no return.

And the more I try to hurt you
The singer continues on with their plans to hurt the person they wish to seek revenge against.

The more it hurts me
However, it starts to become fruitless and only ends up hurting the singer or causing them more strife.

Strange
The next set of lyrics indicate a change of pace, a different perspective.

It seems like a character mutation
After wanting to retaliate, something changed in the singer's character, and the plan to hurt the other person does not seem to fit their character anymore.

Though I have all the means of bringing you fuckers down
The means of getting back at the other person are available, but the singer seems hesitant to act upon them.

I can't make myself
The singer lacks the ability or will to follow through with their plans for revenge.

To destroy upon command
There is a conscious choice to move away from seeking revenge, which involves essentially destroying the other person on command.

Somehow forgiveness lets the evil make the laws
The tone of the song seems to shift again, wherein the act of forgiving may be viewed as giving in to the other person which seems to bring out the 'evil' in them.

No you can't hide what you intend
Reiterating the fact that one's true intentions cannot be hidden, and it will eventually show.

It glows in the dark
The intent to hurt someone, even if concealed, will eventually show and have harmful consequences.

Once we've become the thing we dread
The idea is that when a person becomes the thing they despise or hate, they will inevitably end up on the same path as that person and it will be hard to come back from it.

There's no way to stop
Even if we become what we hate, there is no way to reverse it or once started must see it through to its conclusion.

And the more I try to hurt you
The idea of 'you' in this context might also include themselves as they were becoming the thing they dread, and the more they try to harm themselves, the more it backfires.

The more it backfires
It will almost always end up being detrimental to oneself, and the attempt to cause harm to others might result in hurting oneself instead.

The more that it backfires
Sums up the overall message of the song that seeking revenge only leads to a vicious cycle of retaliation where one becomes what they despise and spirals down into an abyss of self-harm and misery.