History
Funeral for a Friend Lyrics

Dear friends of this academy
The band addresses their audience, calling them friends of their shared experience.

Romeo is bleeding to death
A metaphorical reference to a friend or lover struggling and in perilous danger, where 'Romeo' symbolizes love and passion.

To see a friend bleed to death, what for
Questioning the point of watching friends suffer while also acknowledging how death and struggle can hold significance in human connection.

Some kind of metaphor that I can't see?
Wondering if the deep emotions and struggles they face are less clear to others, who may not grasp the intricate complexity of their inner world.

So I'll drink until I see it.
Using alcohol as a coping mechanism to numb the pain and confusion, making it easier to confront the emotions and conflicts surrounding them.

This sky will make me sick
The surrounding environment (here symbolized by the sky) is unpleasant, causing discomfort and suggesting that the poet is having trouble finding solace even in their surroundings.

So I'll give up on you
Deciding to let go of their involvement with something that's causing them pain and stress, with a likely focus on a romantic relationship.

I'll give up on this
They'll also give up on their involvement with a situation or circumstance that they perceive as hopeless or unchangeable.

So I'll give up on this
Reinforcing the previous thought, stating that they will no longer hold onto something that has become negative and toxic for them to remain involved in.

I'll give up on you
Reinforcing the previous thought, stating that they will no longer maintain their relationship with someone who has become toxic to them.

Archers in your arches
Referring to the listener as archers with bows and arrows in hand, only to emphasize the sense of fight and struggle in their seemingly endless efforts.

Raise your fingers for the last salute
Calling for the listeners to express their last goodbyes or thank yous, which may be representative of a failed or ended friendship or relationship.

And bleed this skyline dry
Metaphorically draining the proverbial sky (symbolic of hope or good fortune) of any remaining positivity, indicating that their hope is lost.

Your history is mine
Assuming ownership and responsibility for the sufferings and curses bestowed upon them by their surroundings and the listener's presence, in order to tie their shared struggle together.

So you want to hold me up and bring me down
Addressing an individual or institution that they feel is causing them emotional turmoil or attacking them even when they're trying to do good.

Yes, you want to hold me up and break me down
Further hinting at the idea that their escalation in the negative environment is working against them to no end.

I don't care for your sweet scent
Metaphorically indicating that the poet is not enticed by anything that the opposing individual or force is offering, seeing it as a mirage or potentially harmful.

Or the way you want me more than I want you
Resenting how they feel the other party has power over them, and desiring to reclaim this power dynamic in a way that they are comfortable with.

I don't care for your sweet scent
Reiterating the previous statement, that the individual in question is repudiated by the writer's sense of individuality.

Or the way you want me more than I want you
Reiterating the previous statement, reminding the individual that they are no longer luring the writer in, and that they can no longer hold on to them in any way.

Archers in your arches
Repeating the same phrase from earlier, in order to further emphasize the sense of struggle and conflict, this time with the focus on the individual who is affecting the poet.

Raise your fingers for the last salute
Repeating the same phrase from earlier, the writer once again calls for a final farewell to the person who has caused them suffering, indicating that they are attempting to disassociate with them.

And bleed this skyline dry
Repeating the same phrase from earlier, the writer is indicating that they desire to remove any hope that this individual or entity possesses, completing their feeling of hopelessness.

Your history is mine
Repeating the same phrase from earlier, the writer is reminding the individual that if they continue to be toxic and predatory, that the struggles will henceforth be shared amongst them.

It's all mine
The phrase is a conclusive summary of the poet's struggle, indicating that they alone will be held responsible for their own success and well-being from this point forward.