While the instrumental side is impressively melodic and aggressive at the same time, the true depth of the song is contained in the lyrics and the way in which they are delivered. Lead singer Nate Barcalow takes the listener through pretty much his full range of vocal skills, swinging from the harsh screams that he has been become so accomplished at to the downright sincere and beautiful notes.
The song describes an individual of medical expertise (in all likeliness a doctor) who assists his pain stricken wife to commit suicide. We are taken through the grief of the individual who struggles to watch as his wife lives a life of agony and suffering, feeling helpless and at odds with his conscience. He tries to reason with himself that any form of life is preferred to no life at all, trying to ignore the option of euthanasia. The title of the song comes from the fact that the man's judgement is clouded by his feelings of love for his wife, i.e. that his instincts and decision making skills as a medical expert are reduced to grinding his teeth in frustration.
Eventually he takes it upon himself to end her pain and so temporarily finds personal relief through this. Finding himself accused of murdering her, the lyrics vent the man's frustration and bitterness towards people unable to see the difference between murder and compassion. He comtemplates the damage he may in fact have done to his own soul as he starts doubt whether he has done the right thing after all, as panic sweeps through him. Implications are that he is convicted and he is accused of using his position as a doctor to kill her in cold blood for some motive of his own such as a medical experiment. By ending his wife's pain he has tried to bring her and himself peace but now has unleashed all hell upon himself, mirrored by the harrowing aggressive vocals which end the track.
Reduced to Teeth
Finch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For so long before being exposed
To the sun
The moon is up, a whisper of
"'Till death do you wrong"
Patients bother a patient doctor
Plastics itch, and bandages the
Aftermath won't add up to this.
It would take a masochist
To live like this
I buried my wife today
Restitution for my sanity
Chasing demons dressed like me
Their eyes are not like mine
Ignorance is divine
Instincts are reduced to teeth
That bite the hand that feeds
Fear thy father love thy martyr
The verdict of the jury hung on
The weight of what has become
A starry night, a vengeful wish "it doesn't have to be like this"
I buried my wife today
Restitution for my sanity
I buried my wife today
Restitution for my sanity
Sound the alarm and make
No mistake about this
All the king's horses and all the king's
Men have been sent to put this boy back
Together again, but somehow, he must
Have been predicting the fall
Caged rats, experiments
A brain with no oxygen
Release all the hostages, you've got
To wash your hands of this
Caged rats, experiments
A brain with no oxygen
Release all the hostages, you've got
To wash your hands of this
Murder, murder, murder, murder
The song "Reduced To Teeth" by Finch is a complex and dark exploration of mental illness, grief, and violence. The song is written from the perspective of someone who has gone through a traumatic experience and is struggling to come to terms with the aftermath. The opening lines "Behind a mask, a man can bask only for so long before being exposed to the sun" suggest that the singer has been hiding behind a facade for a while, but can no longer keep their true self hidden. They feel exposed and vulnerable to the world.
The chorus reveals that the singer has recently lost their wife and is using her death as a way to find some measure of peace or closure. They repeat the lines "I buried my wife today / Restitution for my sanity" as if attempting to convince themselves that their actions are justified. The second verse includes the line "Chasing demons dressed like me / Their eyes are not like mine", indicating that the singer may be struggling with some kind of dissociative disorder or mental illness, which is causing them to see themselves as separate from their own actions.
The final section of the song is the most disturbing, with the repeated chant of "Murder, murder, murder, murder" creating a sense of chaos and darkness. The lyrics "Release all the hostages, you've got / To wash your hands of this" implies that the singer has done something horrific and is now trying to distance themselves from it. Overall, the song touches on themes of guilt, grief, and mental instability, and portrays a character who is struggling to come to terms with their own actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Behind a mask, a man can bask only
For so long before being exposed
To the sun
Hiding behind a facade can only last so long before reality comes to light
The moon is up, a whisper of
"'Till death do you wrong"
Patients bother a patient doctor
During the still of night, unsettling thoughts can arise, and even a doctor can feel overwhelmed by their patients
Plastics itch, and bandages the
Aftermath won't add up to this.
The fever breaks
Even modern medicine can't take away the deep pain and scars that come from suffering
It would take a masochist
To live like this
Only someone who enjoys pain could endure such hardship
I buried my wife today
Restitution for my sanity
The death of a spouse can feel like the only respite from mental suffering
Chasing demons dressed like me
Their eyes are not like mine
Ignorance is divine
Instincts are reduced to teeth
That bite the hand that feeds
Fear thy father love thy martyr
Battling inner demons is a painful and confusing ordeal, causing one to hurt even those who try to care for them, despite the unconditional love of a father figure.
The verdict of the jury hung on
The weight of what has become
A starry night, a vengeful wish "it doesn't have to be like this"
The decision of the jury for a significant event weighed heavily on the aftermath, leaving a yearning for a different turn of events that never came to fruition.
Sound the alarm and make
No mistake about this
Urgent and decisive action is necessary, with no room for error
All the king's horses and all the king's
Men have been sent to put this boy back
Together again, but somehow, he must
Have been predicting the fall
Despite best efforts to restore something to its former state, one can't help but think it was inevitable for things to fall apart.
Caged rats, experiments
A brain with no oxygen
Release all the hostages, you've got
To wash your hands of this
Murder, murder, murder, murder
Being trapped in a cruel and inhumane situation can lead to a complete loss of control and an unresolved sense of viciousness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEJANDRO M. LINARES, ALEJANDRO MARTINEZ LINARES, DEREK DOHERTY, MARC EDWIN ALLEN, NATHAN BARCALOW, RANDY STROHMEYER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind