The Dirt
Erica Freas Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The clouds came 'cause you were cold
And leaned into the wind to let it sway your bones
And how your ribcage took the weight of all that ache
And your heart got so damn heavy
So dull and heavy

You could close the windows 'cause that looks strong
Or lean into the panes and let the rains fall on you
And you chose so fast
How did you move so fast with a heart so heavy?
So dull and heavy

Well remember how you told her you were sleeping below the dirt
'Cause somebody told you just how bad they'd make you hurt?
They never said that but you felt it, so that was what you heard
Kendra, can we come home now?
How we live with what we learn

The coast that caught you kept you moving along
And you grew calm and you let your hair grow long
And then you took up swimming
So now you're fuckin' swimming
Yeah baby, keep on swimming, oh whoa oh

Forever now
Find your tether now
Then write it down, write it down, write it down
Put your feet back above the ground

Well remember how you told her you were sleeping below the dirt
'Cause nobody told you just how badly this would hurt?
Yeah they said that you could hear it, for whatever that's worth
Kendra, can we come home now?
Can we hang up the phone now?




Girl, are you coming home now?
How we live with what we learn

Overall Meaning

The Dirt by Erica Freas is a touching ballad that explores feelings of pain, loss, and the struggle to cope with difficult emotions. The song's opening lines, "The clouds came 'cause you were cold and leaned into the wind to let it sway your bones," paint a vivid image of a person who is so weighed down by their emotions that they feel like they're being blown about by the wind. The metaphor of the clouds representing the person's emotional state is further developed in the next few lines, which describe how their heart has become heavy and dull.


The song's chorus is both haunting and beautifully written: "Well remember how you told her you were sleeping below the dirt, 'Cause somebody told you just how bad they'd make you hurt? They never said that but you felt it, so that was what you heard." These lines suggest that the person has become so consumed by feelings of pain and loss that they've started to withdraw from the world. The idea of sleeping below the dirt is a powerful one; it implies a desire to shut out the world completely and retreat into oneself. The chorus ends with the hopeful refrain, "How we live with what we learn," suggesting that the person is starting to come to terms with their emotions and find a way to move forward.


The verses that follow explore the person's journey to healing, from closing themselves off from the world to learning to swim and finding a sense of calm. The final lines of the song are a plea to come home, suggesting that the person is ready to reconnect with the world and the people they care about.


Overall, The Dirt is a beautiful and carefully crafted song that speaks to the universal experience of struggling with difficult emotions and the journey toward healing and acceptance.


Line by Line Meaning

The clouds came 'cause you were cold
The depression enveloped you because it was triggered by a negative emotion.


And leaned into the wind to let it sway your bones
You allowed yourself to be consumed by the negative emotion, letting it take control of your body.


And how your ribcage took the weight of all that ache
Your sadness became a heavy burden that you carried in your chest.


And your heart got so damn heavy
Your heart became weighed down by the pain you were feeling.


So dull and heavy
The emotional pain made even the simplest of things difficult, leaving you feeling numb.


You could close the windows 'cause that looks strong
You could have put up a strong front, but instead, you chose to let your guard down.


Or lean into the panes and let the rains fall on you
You willingly exposed yourself to the hurtful things in life and took the pain as it came.


And you chose so fast
You made a decision about how to deal with your emotions too quickly.


How did you move so fast with a heart so heavy?
Despite the heavy burden of sadness, you found the strength to move forward.


Well remember how you told her you were sleeping below the dirt
You confided in your friend that you were struggling to cope and felt as though you were buried alive.


'Cause somebody told you just how bad they'd make you hurt?
Someone may have warned you that your emotions would be overwhelming, but you tried to cope anyway.


They never said that but you felt it, so that was what you heard
You anticipated the emotional pain, even if nobody directly warned you.


Kendra, can we come home now?
You longed for the comfort of your home and loved ones.


How we live with what we learn
We must learn to cope with emotional pain and carry the lessons with us.


The coast that caught you kept you moving along
Your environment helped you cope and move forward with your life.


And you grew calm and you let your hair grow long
As you began to cope with your emotions, you experienced a sense of peace and let yourself heal.


And then you took up swimming
You found a new hobby or passion that helped you in your recovery.


So now you're fuckin' swimming
You have embraced your new hobby or passion and are enjoying your life again.


Forever now
You have found a new sense of purpose and direction for your life.


Find your tether now
Find something that keeps you grounded and stable, something that helps you avoid being overwhelmed by negative emotions.


Then write it down, write it down, write it down
Make a list of the things that help you cope and remember them when needed.


Put your feet back above the ground
Stay grounded and focused on what is important in life.


Girl, are you coming home now?
You are eager to return to your former life and want to move on from your pain.




Contributed by Abigail F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Sam Sykes

This is freaking amazing. The vocals, the lyrics and the story. Beautiful and inspiring music.

Arthur Biddle

How have I listened to this at least 30 times in the last few days and it's still amazes me and gives me goosebumps. I only just discovered her and RVIVR and I can't believe how amazing her vocals are.

Andrew Davison

Absolute beast!

Todd Wolfson

I am in love with her soul, she's so true and beautiful. And love everything by RVIVR, anyone know when they're putting out a new record?

theZbanana

Love the videos you guys put out, and they way you cut together this one! Saw Stick and Poke in the background :)
Also it's odd to see the rest of that room

A Fistful Of Vinyl

Thank you :)

Hah I didn't consider that people would be surprised to see the rest of the room. That's funny. There's a whole radio station up there!

Mads Madsen

One of those songs I can always listen to. So close to being too much but somehow it's not. Brilliant.

Timbo Preforest

saw her in bielefeld, germany. such a wonderful girl who's making wonderful music. rvivr <3

Andrew Davison

Much love ❤️ erica. You are amazing

ZerogoestoGlory

Simply awesome, saw you in Bologna with Rvivr, great show, but this is... so personal, so impressive!

More Comments

More Versions