Hunter
Have a Nice Life Lyrics


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Hunter, I'm laid out on the forest floor
Arrows in my back and sides
Down among the leaves and stones
You can wear my skin as armor
You can eat my flesh and bones
Leave nothing that is needed
All I have is yours
And I'll give myself up to your sharpened edges
I no longer cling to my life
Yes, I'm finally giving in
Teeth and hate end our relationship
Of course it's said, but that's the way it is
Your violence always wins the day
Yes,
Your violence wins
And I'll give myself up to your sharpened edges
I no longer cling to my life
Yes, I'm finally giving in
Oh, and you watch as the animals
Lay themselves
Down at your feet
A thousand bared teeth
A thousand bowed heads
Yes, they're begging you for
Death




The Hunter does us all a great service
And we've done so much to deserve it.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Have a Nice Life's song "Hunter" evoke feelings of surrender and submission to a greater force - in this case, a hunter. The first verse sets the scene of a helpless victim already wounded by arrows and left lying among the natural elements of the forest. The following lines suggest a willingness to be consumed completely by the hunter, both physically and metaphorically, as the victim offers their skin as armor and flesh and bones as sustenance. This ultimate sacrifice represents a relinquishment of control and an ultimate acceptance of the hunter's power and superiority.


The subsequent verses continue to portray a subservient relationship between the victim and the hunter, with lines like "Teeth and hate end our relationship" suggesting that a violent end is inevitable. The victim's acceptance of their fate is emphasized in the repetition of the phrase "I no longer cling to my life" and in the relinquishing of everything they have to the hunter. The final lines of the song, "The Hunter does us all a great service / And we've done so much to deserve it," suggest a bleak worldview in which humans are deserving of their own destruction and the hunter is performing a necessary and righteous act.


Overall, the lyrics of "Hunter" suggest a resignation to fate and the power dynamics of our world, with the hunter representing a symbol of violent authority and the victim choosing to submit to their will.


Line by Line Meaning

Hunter, I'm laid out on the forest floor
The singer is helpless and lying on the forest floor.


Arrows in my back and sides
The singer has been shot multiple times with arrows.


Down among the leaves and stones
The setting is among the forest's natural environment.


You can wear my skin as armor
The Hunter can take the artist's skin as armor after killing them.


You can eat my flesh and bones
The Hunter can consume the artist's dead body.


Leave nothing that is needed
The Hunter must not leave anything that would be necessary for the singer's survival.


All I have is yours
The singer's life is in the hands of the Hunter.


And I'll give myself up to your sharpened edges
The artist has accepted their fate of being hunted and is willing to surrender.


I no longer cling to my life
The artist has let go of their desire to live.


Yes, I'm finally giving in
The artist is submitting to the Hunter's power.


Teeth and hate end our relationship
The relationship between the singer and their impending death is violent.


Of course it's said, but that's the way it is
The inevitability of death through hunting is accepted.


Your violence always wins the day
The Hunter's violent actions are always successful.


Yes, your violence wins
The Hunter's violent nature ultimately leads to the singer's death.


Oh, and you watch as the animals lay themselves down at your feet
The Hunter has control over the animals and the forest's ecosystem.


A thousand bared teeth, a thousand bowed heads
The animals in the forest fear and respect the Hunter's power and authority.


Yes, they're begging you for death
The animals would rather face death than be hunted.


The Hunter does us all a great service
The Hunter's actions are seen as beneficial to the forest and its inhabitants.


And we've done so much to deserve it.
The animals and the singer have committed actions that warrant being hunted and killed.




Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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