Extreme Duress
Ghostlimb Lyrics
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liability grows in exponent
or will I just look back to suture
gaping wounds of impropriety
as grasping lungs grow older
do they lose the boiling blood
for the street fight the late night
where every breath that is drawn is drawn
or is the song of peace a tune
I only half understand
first world
first hand
and as a limited experience
the next generation can with a clear conscience say
we've learned this backward
we've had enough
but the question still comes up
in that split second when things get rough
Context:
Extreme Duress
The efficacy and causes of violence will forever be debated, but in many parts of the United States, I think it is fair to point out our limited exposure to the violence seen daily in war-torn areas all over the world. It is perhaps important to think about "first world" misconceptions of large-scale violence as something often perpetrated at a great distance to people you will probably never meet and who are completely unlike you. This is simply not true and engenders an irresponsible separation of humanity along borderlines.
The lyrics of "Extreme Duress" by Ghostlimb reflect on our unpaid debt to the future and the exponential growth of our liabilities. The singer questions whether they will look back in order to close the wounds of impropriety or ignore the consequences of their actions. They also reflect on the way grasping lungs lose their boiling blood as they get older and the importance of every breath taken in order to keep on breathing. The singer ponders on the song of peace, wondering whether they only half understand it. They recognize their limited experience as part of the first world, which allows the next generation to look back with a clear conscience and say they learned this backward. However, the question still remains as to what we will do in that split second when things get rough.
The song criticizes the first world for its misconceptions of violence, emphasizing that it happens across the world in many forms. The lyrics point out that thinking about it as something that happens far away to people that are completely unlike us is irresponsible and creates a separation of humanity along borderlines. Ghostlimb brings to light the urgency to reshape our understanding of violence and its sources. The song suggests that our actions and inactions in life accumulate like a debt that future generations will have to pay.
Line by Line Meaning
In our unpaid debt to the future
As humans, we owe the future generations something, but we haven't paid for it yet.
liability grows in exponent
The amount we owe the future grows exponentially over time.
or will I just look back to suture
Maybe in the future, I'll try to fix things that I should have done right in the past.
gaping wounds of impropriety
There are big problems that we've created and ignored, which are causing a lot of pain and suffering to people.
as grasping lungs grow older
As we grow older, we realize that it's harder to breathe and stay alive.
do they lose the boiling blood
As we grow older and life gets more complicated, we lose the energy and passion we had when we were younger.
for the street fight the late night
The struggle to survive is a constant fight, and it often feels like it's a battle that never ends.
where every breath that is drawn is drawn
Every breath we take is important because it's what keeps us alive, and in a difficult situation, every breath counts.
to keep on breathing
We need to keep breathing if we want to keep living.
or is the song of peace a tune
Maybe we don't really understand what peace is, and it's just a nice idea we sing about.
I only half understand
We often only understand the idea of peace on the surface, without really understanding the complex reality of it.
first world
People in the first world often have a distorted and limited view of the world and its problems.
first hand
Many of us have never experienced violence or suffering firsthand, which makes it hard to truly understand its impact and causes.
and as a limited experience
Our limited experience with violence and suffering makes it hard to grasp its reality and complexity.
the next generation can with a clear conscience say
We want future generations to be able to say they did everything they could to make the world a better place, without ignoring the hard realities of suffering and violence.
we've learned this backward
We've been approaching violence in the wrong way, which has only caused more harm and suffering.
we've had enough
We are tired of seeing violence and suffering around us and want to take action to prevent it.
but the question still comes up
Despite all of our efforts to prevent violence, there is still a lot we do not know and still need to learn.
in that split second when things get rough
When we are faced with violence and danger, all of our knowledge and ideas are put to the test, and we have to act quickly to survive.
Contributed by Molly P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.