Flotsam and Jetsam has released fourteen studio albums in their career, with the latest being 2021's Blood in the Water. Despite not achieving similar levels of commercial success as some of their thrash metal contemporaries, the band emerged as part of the second wave of the genre in the mid-to-late 1980s (along with Sepultura, Testament and Death Angel), and has enjoyed some moderate success in the United States, with two of their albums (1988's No Place for Disgrace and 1990's When the Storm Comes Down) entering the Billboard 200 chart, and their fourth album Cuatro (1992) cracking the top 30 on the Heatseekers chart.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flotsam_and_Jetsam_(band)
Discography
Doomsday for the Deceiver (1986)
No Place for Disgrace (1988)
When the Storm Comes Down (1990)
Cuatro (1992)
Drift (1995)
High (1997)
Unnatural Selection (1999)
My God (2001)
Dreams of Death (2005)
The Cold (2010)
Ugly Noise (2012)
Flotsam and Jetsam (2016)
The End of Chaos (2019)
Blood in the Water (2021)
Secret Life
Flotsam and Jetsam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That everything I'm telling you is passing you by
There's a side of me that you don't know
And if you listen close I'll tell you what you want to hear
That I can see by the look in your eye
That I can see by the look in your eye
So I don't have to hear you cry
So I don't have to see your tears
Scream until I couldn't hear
So I don't have to feel your pain
I bang my head till I'm insane
So I don't have to know the truth
I don't wanna know the real you
I know by the angel of your brow
That everything I'm telling you (is) confusing you now
I know where I really should be
Always guessing what's next, what's cool for me
There's a dream that I just can't see
There's a path of a way to get where I wanna be
There's a drive in my soul
A pounding beat of rock and roll
I've got a secret life
An aching need an unlived dream
I've got a secret life
An unknown desire chasing me
I've got a secret life
An aching need an unlived dream
I need a secret life
A way to escape the one I live
So many things you don't know
That count on me to be the show
So many places you may go
The lyrics of Flotsam and Jetsam's "Secret Life" explore the tension between what is shown on the surface versus what is hidden deeper down. The first verse introduces the idea that there is a side of the singer that the listener doesn't know. The singer can tell that they are not fully understanding or engaging with what is being said. The second verse builds on this idea by acknowledging that the listener may be confused by what the singer is saying. The singer also expresses a desire to escape their current life, which is plagued by pain and a lack of fulfillment.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of a hidden life. The singer has a secret life that is not being lived, filled with desires and dreams that they have not yet pursued. The repetition of this chorus highlights the importance of this secret life to the singer. They need an escape from their current reality and are being driven by their inner desires towards a life that is not yet realized.
Overall, "Secret Life" is a song about the tension between the surface-level reality of our lives and the deeper dreams and desires that we may be keeping hidden. The singer is longing for fulfillment and escape from their current reality, but is stuck in a cycle of pain and unfulfilled dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I can see the look in your eye
I can tell from your expression that you are not fully comprehending what I am saying
That everything I'm telling you is passing you by
You are not really understanding the messages I'm trying to convey
There's a side of me that you don't know
There's a part of me that remains hidden from you
And if you listen close I'll tell you what you want to hear
If you pay closer attention, I'll say what I think you want me to say
That I can see by the look in your eye
I know from your expression that you don't fully understand me
So I don't have to hear you cry
I would rather not hear your tears and sadness
Stick a needle in my eye
I would rather endure physical pain than emotional pain
So I don't have to see your tears
I would rather avoid witnessing your emotional pain and tears
Scream until I couldn't hear
I prefer to occupy myself with loud noise to avoid hearing your sadness
So I don't have to feel your pain
I would rather not feel your emotional pain
I bang my head till I'm insane
I would rather inflict physical pain on myself than to feel your emotional pain
So I don't have to know the truth
I would rather remain ignorant and avoid facing the painful truth
I don't wanna know the real you
I prefer to avoid knowing your true self and carrying the weight of that knowledge
I know by the angel of your brow
I can read from the expression in your forehead that you are confused
That everything I'm telling you (is) confusing you now
You are struggling with understanding the messages I'm conveying
I know where I really should be
I am aware of my true calling and where I belong
Always guessing what's next, what's cool for me
I am always searching and wondering what the next exciting thing for me is
There's a dream that I just can't see
I have a dream that remains unclear and out of reach
There's a path of a way to get where I wanna be
There is a specific course of action that can lead me to my desired destination
There's a drive in my soul
There is a passion and motivation within me
A pounding beat of rock and roll
The passion and motivation within me is fueled by rock and roll music
I've got a secret life
I lead a life that remains hidden and unknown to others
An aching need an unlived dream
I have a deep longing and desire for something that remains unfulfilled
An unknown desire chasing me
There is an unidentifiable desire that is driving me forward
I need a secret life
I require a hidden life in order to escape from the realities of my current life
A way to escape the one I live
I seek a means of escaping my current life and responsibilities
So many things you don't know
There are so many things about me that remain hidden from you
That count on me to be the show
These hidden secrets and desires rely on me being outwardly entertaining and impressive for others
So many places you may go
There are endless possibilities and opportunities available to you that I may never experience
Contributed by Daniel D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.