See the Leaves
Flaming Lips Lyrics
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Without love
She sees herself
From below and above
Her untied hair
She smears the spit
Pleasure and suffering
It brings a smile
She cannot pretend
To believe that life
Really has no end
See the leaves
They're dying again
See the moth
It's flying again
See the leaves
They're dying again
See the moth
It's flying again
See the grass
It's dying again
See the sun
It's trying again
It's trying again
It's trying again
It's trying again
It's trying again
The lyrics of Flaming Lips' song See the Leaves convey a sense of hopelessness and confusion that the singer is grappling with. The lines "Without hope, without love" signal a deep sense of despair that characterizes her life. She sees herself "from below and above," which could possibly mean a state of detachment or dissociation from her own self. The line "Her untied hair, she smears the spit" suggests a kind of disregard for her own physical appearance, and maybe even a sense of self-disgust.
The conflicting beliefs of pleasure and suffering perhaps indicate an internal strife or confusion about how to reconcile these two opposite experiences. The line "She cannot pretend to believe that life really has no end" may depict an acceptance of mortality or a belief in an afterlife. The recurring refrain of "See the leaves, they're dying again," "See the moth, it's flying again," "See the grass, it's dying again" and "See the sun, it's trying again" evoke a cyclical nature of life and death - the inevitability of the passing of time and the constant cycle of decay and growth.
Overall, the lyrics of See the Leaves paint a picture of a person grappling with existential questions, trying to come to terms with the fleeting nature of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Without hope
This person is feeling a sense of hopelessness
Without love
This person is lacking love in their life
She sees herself
This person is introspective and self-aware
From below and above
This person has a unique perspective on their own self and life in general
Her untied hair
This person is physically disheveled, reflecting an internal state of chaos
She smears the spit
This person is engaging in self-destructive behavior
Pleasure and suffering
This person is experiencing both positive and negative emotions
Her beliefs conflict
This person is struggling internally with conflicting ideological views
It brings a smile
Despite her internal struggles, something brings her joy
She cannot pretend
This person is honest with herself about her beliefs
To believe that life
This person is skeptical of the concept of eternal life
Really has no end
This person believes that death is final
See the leaves
The person is observing the natural cycles of life and death
They're dying again
The person is reflecting on the fact that everything eventually comes to an end
See the moth
The person is observing the flight of a moth
It's flying again
The person is reflecting on the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth
See the grass
The person is observing the natural world around them
It's dying again
The person is acknowledging that all living things eventually come to an end
See the sun
The person is observing the cyclical nature of day and night
It's trying again
The person is reflecting on the fact that every day the sun rises, starting the cycle anew
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WAYNE COYNE, STEVEN DROZD, MICHAEL IVINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind