She overcomes him. You can see her in his eyes when he’s brave enough to open them. Eyes are the window to the soul you know, but the soul has many outlets. The soul can escape through song and sweat and melody. Words alone can be the vehicle. Rhythmic words, set to a stomping foot and a resonating chord, rhythmic words from a voice that shakes but stays strong, a voice that bursts from some hidden wound. His words do not open the window to the soul, nor the door....his words open the floodgates and the soul does not make a quiet escape.
Now we’re in a room of blacked out windows and locked doors. Rows of bottled-up emotions filed away neatly, not to be touched. Dust covered labels that read: Love, Loss, Heartbreak, Forgiveness, Redemption. Does this look familiar?
Erick Baker stomps his foot down hard with the strumming of the guitar and throws his head back as though possessed by some lost ghost. And now those bottles we try so hard to keep buried inside start shaking and rocking back and forth...
Will you steady them and quickly pack them away once more to hopefully be forgotten, or will you let them fall and feel something you haven’t felt in a long time?
Restart
Erick Baker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
sha-shooting at the walls
that always closing at night
in a faded cotton gown
she burns that candle down
wasting her breath
asking why
she don't know to go home
Painted sad eyes
you don't deserve your tears
turn that light out and come outside
as a caged bird dreams of trees
and sings for company
about the fear of gravity
she don't want to go home
she don't want to sleep alone
a burned child and loved the flame
a firin did the same
with the taste of ashes in her mouth
memories are the food of fools
drowning in their dreams
a fish bowl filled with fools like me
she don't want to go home
she won't always be alone
alone and pissed off
blow the door open wide
walk through
and start again
The lyrics to Erick Baker's song "Restart" describe a woman who is alone and angry, firing shots at the walls that seem to be closing in on her at night. She is wearing a faded cotton gown and burning a candle down to its nub. She is wasting her breath, asking why she can't find her way home and why she can't bear to sleep alone. The singer tells her that she doesn't deserve her tears and encourages her to turn off the light and step outside. He uses the image of a caged bird dreaming of trees to illustrate her longing for freedom and companionship. She is afraid of the pull of gravity, which could keep her rooted in her current state of misery.
The second verse introduces the idea that the woman may have previously been burned by something she loved. The fire of her passion caused her pain, and she now has a bitter taste of ashes in her mouth. Memories are "the food of fools" because they can drown people in their dreams and prevent them from moving forward. The metaphor of a fishbowl filled with fools like the singer suggests that he too feels trapped and powerless. However, he wants the woman to know that she doesn't have to be alone forever. She can blow open the door to her current situation and start again.
Overall, the song seems to be about the universal human experience of feeling trapped, alone, and powerless at times. The singer is trying to encourage the woman to take agency and change her circumstances, even though he may not be able to do the same for himself.
Line by Line Meaning
Alone and pissed off
Feeling isolated and angry
sha-shooting at the walls
Acting out irrationally and destructively
that always closing at night
Feeling trapped and closed in
in a faded cotton gown
Feeling unimportant and neglected
she burns that candle down
Struggling to cope with challenges and stress
wasting her breath
Feeling discouraged and hopeless
asking why
Feeling confused and uncertain
she don't know to go home
Feeling lost and disconnected
she don't know to sleep alone
Feeling troubled and unable to find peace
Painted sad eyes
Appearin sorrowful and heartbroken
you don't deserve your tears
Feeling undeserving of sadness and regret
turn that light out and come outside
Inviting to take a break from introspection
as a caged bird dreams of trees
Dreaming of a better and more fulfilling life
and sings for company
Seeking companionship and connection
about the fear of gravity
Struggling with anxiety and fear
she don't want to go home
Feeling unhappy and dissatisfied
she don't want to sleep alone
Feeling uncomfortable and restless
a burned child and loved the flame
Having a tendency to self-destruct and harm oneself
a firin did the same
Reflecting on the trauma inflicted by others
with the taste of ashes in her mouth
Dealing with the consequences of past mistakes
memories are the food of fools
Realizing that dwelling on the past leads to regret
drowning in their dreams
Feeling overwhelmed by unfulfilled desires
a fish bowl filled with fools like me
Feeling trapped and unable to escape one's circumstances
she don't want to go home
Desiring change and a new start
she won't always be alone
Believing in the possibility of finding love and companionship
alone and pissed off
Feeling isolated and angry
blow the door open wide
Embracing change and moving forward
walk through
Taking action and stepping into a new future
and start again
Embracing a new beginning and a fresh start
Contributed by Katherine H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.