Elephant
Haunt the Woods Lyrics

There's an elephant in the room
There's an obvious problem that everyone knows exists, but nobody wants to address.

And it feels like me
The problem feels like it is a part of the singer and is weighing them down.

Like the tide with the moon
The problem is as inseparable from the singer as the tide is from the moon.

My souls cannot be free
The artist feels trapped and unable to escape the situation.

And if I was the sculptor, I'd sculpt you out of clay
The artist wishes they could reshape someone in their life, perhaps to better fit their own desires.

And if I was the author, then I'd re-write this play
The singer wishes they could change how their life has turned out, perhaps by altering their own decisions or the actions of others.

Go back to the beginning so it didn't end like this
The singer wishes they could undo past mistakes and have a different outcome.

Wrap it up in plastic, tell yourself it's still a sin
The artist is describing a false sense of closure, trying to package up the problem and convince themselves it's resolved when it still feels wrong.

Secure it with elastic, tugging on your heartstrings
The artist is trying to hold on to the problem, even though they know it's not healthy, because it still emotionally affects them deeply.

I don't know why I live
The artist is feeling lost and doesn't understand what their purpose or motivation is.

Must be out of some kinda fear
The singer believes their lack of direction comes from fear, such as fear of failure, fear of the unknown, or fear of disappointing others.

Or I would be long gone
The artist suggests they might have given up or even ended their life if not for certain fears or compulsions holding them back.

One by one, the moments come, they always lead to this
The singer feels like their life is an inevitable series of events leading to this current unhappy situation.

When everything is said and done, I'm just a catalyst
The singer feels like they're only causing or enabling the problem, rather than being able to solve it.

For me, of your eternity
The singer is unsure what their role is in this other person's life, but they know it's significant and that their lives are intertwined.

My God, oh
This phrase is repeated several times throughout the song as an emotional exclamation, suggesting the artist is struggling with a crisis of faith or identity.