Life in the Asylum
Dimestore Hoods Lyrics
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Tell me that I'll soon be dead,
Schizophrenic paranoid,
All of this I can't avoid,
Down the halls I hear the screams,
Homicidal tendencies,
Bring me closer to my soul,
[chorus]
My creation... Manipulation...
Life's a constant daydream...
My creation... Manipulation...
Life in the Asylum...
These four walls I call my home,
Proof I can't live on my own,
Threatened by society,
Oh! When I remember sanity,
See my mind play tricks on me,
Why don't these doctors let me be,
(where they gonna take you?)
In a matter of disgust,
(i'll be desensitized)
Human nature I don't fuckin' trust!
[chorus]
My mental heath...(mental heath)
It isn't well...(isn't well)
As I lie in a padded cell...(padded cell)
Plastic smile...(plastic smile)
From Doctor Death...(doctor death)
Assuring me...
It's all in my head...(it's all in my head)
(all these fuckin' lies)(x4)
Is this real?
All that I fell?
Christen death...
As I break the seal...
Now I live...
In my denial...
All my passes I reconciled...
Voices calling in my head,
Tell me that I should be da-da-dead,
Schizophrenic paranoid,
All of this I can't avoid,
Down the halls I hear the screams,
Homicidal tendencies,
(where we wanna take you...)
Bring me closer to my soul,
(i'll be desensitized)
Once again I loose control,
[chorus]
[chorus]
The song "Life in the Asylum" by Dimestore Hoods speaks of the internal struggles of a person with mental illness. The lyrics talk about the voices that they hear in their head, constantly reminding them that death is imminent. The singer of the song is paranoid and suffers from schizophrenia, which is beyond their control. The four walls of the asylum have now become their home, and they cannot live a normal life. They feel threatened by society, and they reminisce about their past when they were sane. But now, their mind plays tricks on them, and they cannot distinguish reality from their delusions.
The chorus of the song highlights the idea that the singer's life is a constant daydream, and they feel like their creation is being manipulated, which is a metaphor for their mental illness. The second verse of the song speaks about the singer's experiences in the asylum. They are lying in a padded cell with a plastic smile from Doctor Death, who assures them that it's all in their head. It makes them question their reality and the lies they've been told. The song culminates with the singer hearing voices, which are leading them towards homicidal tendencies, and they lose control.
- The song is a part of their album "Dimestore Hoods," which was released in 1996.
- The lyrics of the song were written by Dimestore Hoods' lead singer, Jim Cherry.
- Jim Cherry was known for his activism and involvement in various socio-political causes.
- The song was featured in the 2000 movie "The Boondock Saints."
- The Dimestore Hoods were a punk rock band from California formed in 1991, and they disbanded in 2002.
- The band's name came from a bowling league name that Jim Cherry was a part of.
- Their sound was influenced by the punk revival of the 1990s, and they were often compared to bands like Rancid and Green Day.
- Jim Cherry was also a member of the punk band, Strung Out.
- The band toured extensively and opened for bands like Bad Religion and The Offspring.
- Their lyrics addressed societal issues like police brutality, the prison system, and political corruption.
Chords: The chords for the song are not available as the band disbanded and there are no official chords published.
Line by Line Meaning
Voices calling in my head,
I have delusions and hear voices in my head
Tell me that I'll soon be dead,
The voices tell me that my death is imminent
Schizophrenic paranoid,
I suffer from both schizophrenia and paranoia
All of this I can't avoid,
I can't control my delusions and paranoia
Down the halls I hear the screams,
I hear screams from other patients in the asylum
Homicidal tendencies,
I have violent inclinations and thoughts of murder
Bring me closer to my soul,
My violent tendencies make me feel closer to myself
Once again I lose control,
I can't control my violent urges
My creation... Manipulation...
My thoughts and actions are manipulated by my mental illness
Life's a constant daydream...
My life is like a dream, detached from reality
These four walls I call my home,
The asylum is where I live and feel safe
Proof I can't live on my own,
I'm incapable of living independently outside of the asylum
Threatened by society,
I feel scared and threatened by the outside world
Oh! When I remember sanity,
I long for a time when I was sane and not mentally ill
See my mind play tricks on me,
My mind tricks me into believing delusions
Why don't these doctors let me be,
I feel like doctors are trying to control me and my thoughts
In a matter of disgust,
I'm disgusted with the human condition and nature
Human nature I don't fuckin' trust!
I can't trust human nature, as it causes me distress
My mental heath...(mental heath)
I have poor mental health and suffer from mental illnesses
It isn't well...(isn't well)
My mental health is in a poor state
As I lie in a padded cell...(padded cell)
I'm in an asylum and in a padded cell to protect myself and others
Plastic smile...(plastic smile)
The asylum staff put on a fake smile to make me feel better
From Doctor Death...(doctor death)
The doctor is nicknamed 'Doctor Death' due to their association with death
Assuring me...
The doctor assures me that everything is fine
It's all in my head...(it's all in my head)
The doctor tells me that my delusions are all in my head
(all these fuckin' lies)(x4)
I believe that the doctors are lying to me and not helping me
Is this real?
I question my own reality and what is real
All that I fell?
I question my own feelings and emotions
Christen death...
I feel like I'm being led towards death
As I break the seal...
As I lose touch with reality and become more mentally ill
Now I live...
I exist in the asylum and the mental state that I'm in
In my denial...
Despite my mental illness, I'm in denial about how bad it truly is
All my passes I reconciled...
I've accepted my fate and that I'm not getting better
Tell me that I should be da-da-dead,
The voices tell me that I should be dead
My creation... Manipulation...
My thoughts and actions are shaped by my mental illness
Life in the Asylum...
I exist in the asylum and my life is consumed by my mental illness
Contributed by Alyssa S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.