Howl
Emily Wolfe Lyrics


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Say you're hearing things
in that head of yours
Could you be anymore
unsatisfied

Say your seeing things
with those eyes inside your head
No, nothing's ever been
just an illusion my friend

Say I'm feeling things
at the bottom of my spine
oh baby, don't you know
the whole thing was a lie

Say you hear a voice
and it tells you what to do,
oh it tells you what to do
and all the things you never wanted to
Oh it tells you what to do
And all the things you never wanted to

Say you hear a voice
and it tells you what to do,
oh it tells you what to do
and all the things you never wanted to




Oh it tells you what to do
And all the things you never wanted to

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Emily Wolfe's song "Howl" express the feeling of being trapped in one's own mind, hearing and seeing things that may not be real, feeling a deep sense of dissatisfaction, and being led by an inner voice that guides one to do things they never wanted to do. The first verse presents the idea of being unsatisfied with one's thoughts and questioning the reality of what is being perceived. The second verse builds on this idea, stating that the whole thing was a lie, possibly referring to the illusions that the mind created.


The chorus repeats the idea of an inner voice driving one to do things they never wanted to do, conveying a sense of loss of control and volition. The use of repetition in the chorus reflects the incessant nature of this inner voice, as if it cannot be silenced or ignored. The overall message of the song seems to be about feeling lost and trapped in one's own mind, struggling to distinguish reality from illusion and the internal voice from external influences.


Line by Line Meaning

Say you're hearing things
Admitting to experiencing auditory hallucinations


in that head of yours
Referring to one's own mind


Could you be anymore
Indicating a high level of dissatisfaction


unsatisfied
Expressing discontent or lack of fulfillment


Say your seeing things
Acknowledging the presence of visual hallucinations


with those eyes inside your head
Referencing the subjective nature of perception


No, nothing's ever been
Asserting the reality of what is being experienced


just an illusion my friend
Rejecting the notion that what is experienced is only a figment of one's imagination


Say I'm feeling things
Describing the sensation of physical touch or movement


at the bottom of my spine
Locating the source of the physical sensation


oh baby, don't you know
Expressing familiarity and implying a lack of surprise


the whole thing was a lie
Noting the falsity or deception of a particular experience or belief


Say you hear a voice
Admitting the experience of auditory hallucinations


and it tells you what to do,
Describing the content of the auditory hallucination


oh it tells you what to do
Repeating the content of the auditory hallucination for emphasis


and all the things you never wanted to
Noting the undesirability or unwanted nature of the instructions given by the auditory hallucination


Oh it tells you what to do
Repeating the content of the auditory hallucination for emphasis


And all the things you never wanted to
Noting the undesirability or unwanted nature of the instructions given by the auditory hallucination




Contributed by Ian J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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