The Language
Hatebreed Lyrics


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To have the thickest skin
And still walk so tall
For years and even now
They pray to watch me fall
Their petty words and ways
Gave me the needed vision
To ignite change and give strength
To some who lost their direction

Their breath is wasted
Such a bitter pill to choke on
Their time is fleeting, passing
Waiting for my swan song
Tearing me down
Will never raise you any higher
Criticize, condemn, complain
The mirror shows who takes the blame

The language you speak is dead
Dead
Dishonored, disgraced
The language you speak is dead
Dead
Damaged, buried
The language you speak is dead
Dead
Indifferent, forgotten
The language you speak is dead
Dead
There's never been a war where only one side bled

Still dreaming demise
And you'll see and you'll see it
The lost prophesize, they believe it believe it
Goes deeper inside, if you let it, you let it
Now speak of the end
And you'll get it, you'll get it

Tearing their wings
Will never raise you higher
You only damn yourself
You only damn yourself
Criticize, condemn, complain
The mirror shows who takes the blame

The language you speak is dead
Dead
Dishonored, disgraced
The language you speak is dead
Dead
Damaged, buried
The language you speak is dead
Dead
Indifferent, forgotten
The language you speak is dead
Dead
There's never been a war where only one side bled





When you kill trust
There is no resurrection

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Hatebreed's "The Language" detail the persona's triumph over those who have tried to bring them down. The song opens with a statement of the persona's strength – to have the "thickest skin" and "still walk so tall" – despite others' attempts to make them fall. The persona acknowledges that their detractors' "petty words and ways" actually helped to give them the clarity and purpose they needed to enact change and support others who may have lost their way. The chorus of the song repeats the statement that "the language you speak is dead" to those who continue to criticize and condemn, with the persona noting that tearing them down will only damn themselves.


The second verse sees the persona go further in condemning those who continue to believe in their failure, noting that time is fleeting and that their criticism only shows who is truly at fault. The song's bridge is perhaps the most uplifting moment, with the persona reminding listeners that they themselves hold the power to not let the negativity of others drag them down. The outro repeats the chorus, with an added line to underscore the fact that when trust is lost, it cannot be restored.


Overall, "The Language" seems to be an empowering song about rising above the negativity of others and continuing to forge one's own way despite their attempts to bring you down.


Line by Line Meaning

To have the thickest skin
To be able to endure insults and criticism without being affected


And still walk so tall
To still maintain a strong and confident demeanor despite the insults


For years and even now
Despite the passing of time, the insults and criticism continue


They pray to watch me fall
The people who insult and criticize hope to see me fail


Their petty words and ways
Their insults and criticisms are insignificant and unimportant


Gave me the needed vision
Their insults helped me to see what needed to be changed


To ignite change and give strength
To inspire change and empower those who have lost their way


To some who lost their direction
To help those who feel lost and unsure


Their breath is wasted
Their insults are pointless and ineffective


Such a bitter pill to choke on
Their insults are unpleasant and hard to swallow


Their time is fleeting, passing
Their time to insult and criticize is coming to an end


Waiting for my swan song
They are hoping for my downfall


Tearing me down
Trying to destroy me


Will never raise you any higher
Trying to bring me down will not benefit you


Criticize, condemn, complain
Their behavior is negative and unproductive


The mirror shows who takes the blame
Their behavior will ultimately reflect back on them


The language you speak is dead
Your negative behavior is ineffective and has no impact


Dishonored, disgraced
Your behavior is shameful and embarrassing


Damaged, buried
Your negative behavior has caused harm and is buried in the past


Indifferent, forgotten
Your behavior is irrelevant and will be forgotten


There's never been a war where only one side bled
Both sides will suffer the consequences of negative behavior


Still dreaming demise
Still hoping for my downfall


And you'll see and you'll see it
You will witness my success and continued strength


The lost prophesize, they believe it believe it
Those who have lost hope try to predict failure and believe it


Goes deeper inside, if you let it, you let it
Negative thoughts and beliefs take root and fester when allowed to


Now speak of the end
Dwelling on the end or failure will lead to self-fulfilling prophecy


And you'll get it, you'll get it
You will bring about your own failure


Tearing their wings
Trying to bring others down


Will never raise you higher
Trying to bring others down will not benefit you


You only damn yourself
Negative behavior has negative consequences for yourself


The language you speak is dead
Your negative behavior has no impact


Dishonored, disgraced
Your behavior is shameful


Damaged, buried
Negative behavior has harmful consequences, and will be buried in the past


Indifferent, forgotten
Negative behavior is irrelevant in the long run


There's never been a war where only one side bled
Harming others will lead to consequences for both sides


When you kill trust
When you break trust with others


There is no resurrection
It is difficult, if not impossible, to rebuild trust once it is broken




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: CHRIS BEATTIE, JAMEY JASTA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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