Mirror
Dustbowl Revival Lyrics

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Lately I've been thinking
About that night and
what happened to you
I was older than you and I
shoulda known better
The full moon
was like drunken-eye blinking

The forest came out of nowhere
Like a fist out from grandpa's farmland
We thought it would be pretty funny
To drive all night out to California

But we never made it past the river
And now you're gonna be
out there forever
I'm looking at you,
looking at me in the mirror
I don't think I'm ready
for your forgiveness

Ooh

I know you don't want to talk about it
You had to learn how to walk again
And I bolted
I wish I could drive you now on highway one along the sea
Yeah you should have been
in California with me

But we never made it past the river
And now you're gonna be
out there forever
I'm looking at you,
looking at me in the mirror
I don't think I'm ready
for your forgiveness

Ooh

You seem happy where you are
I'm not sure I can say the same
I keep seeing the trees
coming through the windshield
We were so young you said
there's no one to blame

But we never made it past the river
And now you're gonna be
out there forever
I'm looking at you,
looking at me in the mirror
And I don't think I'm ready
for your forgiveness

Far away from home
Far away and all alone

Overall Meaning

The Dustbowl Revival's "Mirror" is a song about regret and the weight of responsibility. The lyrics narrate a character who is haunted by the memory of a tragic accident that resulted in a friend's death. The singer recounts the events leading up to the accident, which took place during a late-night car trip to California, that never went beyond the river. The song is written in a reflective tone where the singer has the chance to confront that accident by revisiting their past and seeking forgiveness.

The first verse of the song illustrates the singer's reflections about the accident, how helpless they were in the face of it, and how they should have had better judgment as the older one between them. The second verse takes us back to the moment leading to the tragedy, highlighting the contrast of the beauty of the moon and the suddenness of the forest that came out of nowhere like a fist. The chorus references the mirror in which the singer is talking to their dead friend, looking at each other as if facing a reckoning. The song concludes with the singer acknowledging their guilt and regret in the line "I don't think I'm ready for your forgiveness," and admitting their current state of loneliness and self-reproach.

All in all, "Mirror" is a poignant song that highlights the theme of loss, grief, and self-destruction as a consequence of traumatic life events.

Line by Line Meaning

Lately I've been thinking
I'm reflecting on something that has been on my mind lately.

About that night and what happened to you
I'm thinking about the events of that night and how they affected you.

I was older than you and I shoulda known better
I feel guilty because I was older and should have made better decisions.

The full moon was like drunken-eye blinking
The full moon was so bright and intense that it felt like my eyes were drunk.

The forest came out of nowhere
The forest appeared suddenly without warning.

Like a fist out from grandpa's farmland
The forest looked like it was thrusting out of the farmland like a fist.

We thought it would be pretty funny
We found the situation amusing or entertaining.

To drive all night out to California
We had the plan to drive through the night and go to California.

But we never made it past the river
Our journey was cut short when we couldn't cross the river.

And now you're gonna be out there forever
You passed away and are now gone for eternity.

I'm looking at you, looking at me in the mirror
I am looking at myself in the mirror and imagining you looking back at me.

I don't think I'm ready for your forgiveness
I don't believe that I am emotionally prepared to receive your forgiveness.

You had to learn how to walk again
You had to undergo physical therapy to regain the ability to walk.

And I bolted
I ran away or left abruptly.

I wish I could drive you now on highway one along the sea
I wish I could go back in time and take you on a scenic drive along the ocean.

Yeah, you should have been in California with me
I regret that you weren't able to come with me to California.

You seem happy where you are
I perceive that you are content in your current state.

I'm not sure I can say the same
I can't confidently say that I'm happy with where I am in life.

I keep seeing the trees coming through the windshield
I keep having flashbacks to the moment when the car crashed into the trees.

We were so young you said there's no one to blame
You once told me that we were too young to be held responsible for our mistakes.

Far away from home
We were very far away from our homes.

Far away and all alone
We were isolated from others and only had each other for companionship.

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: VANCE CONNOR STYLE, RUBIN MATTHEAR AARON, MARK DANIEL JOSEPH, LUPETIN ZACHARY NATHANIEL, HEFFERNAN JOSHLYN PATRICK, BJORLIN ULF ALEXANDER, BEEBE LIZ

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