Simmer
Hayley Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You think that you've tamed it
But it's just lying in wait
Oh
Rage
Is it in our veins?
Feel it in my face when I least expect it
Control
There's so many ways to give in
Eyes close
Another way to make it to ten
Oh how to draw the line between wrath and mercy?
Gotta simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer down
Control
There's so many ways to give in
Eyes close
Another way to make it to ten
Oh how to draw the line between wrath and mercy?
Gotta simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer down
If I had seen my reflection
As something more precious
He would've never
Mmm and if my child needed protection
From a fucker like that man
I'd sooner gut him
'Cause nothing cuts like a mother
Give in
Control
There's so many ways to give in
Eyes close
Another way to make it to ten
Oh how to draw the line between wrath and mercy?
Simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer down
Control
There's so many ways to give in
Eyes close
Another way to make it to ten
Oh, how to draw the line between wrath and mercy?
Simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer down
Wrap yourself in petals
Wrap yourself in petals
Wrap yourself in petals for armor
Petals for armor
Give In
Control
There's so many ways to give in
Eyes close
Another way to make it to ten
Oh how to draw the line between wrath and mercy?
Gotta simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer down
Control
There's so many ways to give in
Eyes close
Another way to make it to ten
Oh how to draw the line between wrath and mercy?
Gotta simmer, simmer, simmer
The lyrics to Hayley Williams's "Simmer" express the struggle with holding in rage and anger. The opening line, "Rage is a quiet thing," introduces the theme of repressed emotions that can unexpectedly surface at any given moment. The following lines describe the difficulty in controlling this emotion, as it is always waiting to come out. The repetition of the word "rage" emphasizes the intensity of this emotion and the chaos that can ensue if not handled properly. The stanza then shifts to the struggle of trying to maintain control and not giving in to these impulses. The line "Oh, how to draw the line between wrath and mercy?" suggests the complexity of trying to balance these two emotions and not letting one overpower the other.
The chorus continues to explore the tension between control and giving in. The line "There's so many ways to give in" implies the temptation to let go and allow anger to take over. The repetition of "simmer down" emphasizes the need to calm these intense emotions and to find a balance. The stanza that follows features a personal reflection on the importance of self-love and recognizing one's worth. The idea of petals as armor suggests the strength and protection that can come from finding that inner strength and beauty.
Overall, "Simmer" is a powerful song that speaks to the struggle of holding in and controlling difficult emotions. It captures the tension between anger and mercy, and the importance of finding balance and self-love.
Line by Line Meaning
Rage is a quiet thing
Anger exists within us internally but can remain dormant until provoked.
You think that you've tamed it
It's easy to believe that we have control over our anger until it surfaces unexpectedly.
But it's just lying in wait
The anger we believe we've subdued is actually just biding its time to resurface.
Oh
Exclamation expressing frustration or realization.
Rage
Intense anger or fury.
Is it in our veins?
Anger may be innate and a part of who we are as individuals.
Feel it in my face when I least expect it
Anger can manifest physically and can catch us off guard.
Give in
Succumbing to anger and losing control.
Control
The struggle to maintain restraint and manage anger.
There's so many ways to give in
There are many circumstances or triggers that can cause a loss of control and give in to anger.
Eyes close
Signifying the need to retreat or close oneself off from the situation causing anger.
Another way to make it to ten
To calm down or prevent a situation from escalating further.
Oh how to draw the line between wrath and mercy?
The struggle to balance anger and compassion towards another person.
Gotta simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer, simmer down
The repeated chorus emphasizes the need to calm down and control one's anger.
If I had seen my reflection
Reflecting on past experiences and realizing the value of oneself.
As something more precious
Viewing oneself as valuable and deserving of respect and protection.
He would've never
A hypothetical situation where someone would have acted differently if given the chance to see the true value of another person.
Mmm and if my child needed protection
A mother's instinct to protect her child from harm.
From a fucker like that man
Expressing strong anger towards someone who would harm a innocent child.
I'd sooner gut him
Metaphorically expressing strong protective instincts and willingness to take drastic measures to keep a child safe.
'Cause nothing cuts like a mother
The love and protective instincts a mother has towards her child is incredibly strong and powerful.
Wrap yourself in petals
Symbolically protecting oneself with the beauty and fragility of nature.
Petals for armor
A metaphor for finding strength and protection in beautiful and delicate things.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hayley Nichole Williams, Joey Howard, Taylor York
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheWolfblade87
here's my analysis of the music video: she mentioned in the annie mac interview that she had this vision of her being covered in petals/flowers and it wasn't the pretty kind, it was painful for her. this new era is about her learning to be more vulnerable despite how it would hurt since she said she has a tendency to push aside/repress how she feels.
there's a lot of imagery of the color red, being nude/naked and the audible presentation of breath sounds. i think the color red is the representation of the rage that comes with the depression she struggled to deal with. the repression she did was shown in how she kept running away from it, quite literally. why she is nude i think presents how vulnerable we feel to our emotions. kind of how the rage is the predator, and we are the prey. we do not want to be eaten by the rage so we run away from it.
there's this part of her in the woods where she's protecting her chest that's shining bright white light. id like to think it's a nice homage to last hope "it's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going". we see the red mist see this and get closer and closer to exterminate this light so runs further to protect the light (herself) from dying
hayley now gets into the house and continues trying to hide from the rage that is shown to be constantly lurking, just always almost too close enough to get her. by the latter part of the music video, she enters a RED room filled with candles i.e. fire which is quite the metaphor for anger which i think is a way of her finally confronting the rage she feels. she then starts smearing either red paint or earth all over her body. either way, i think both is her way of embracing the rage (if it's red paint) and by processing that rage, she starts the process of letting the petals grow out of her (if it's earth) .
as for the breaths being utilized as rhythmic elements in the song, i find it a brilliant way to represent how this song is basically her way of getting this rage out of her chest. id also like to think it's a good way to remind us how breathing literally keeps us alive and without expelling this rage out of us, we will implode and fall apart so this need to breathe out, to release whatever shit we're carrying is greatly shown here by making the breaths such a central point in the song which again, emphasizes the importance of breathing itself
to explain why she killed the told you so version of her (it's also the same house in the music video), i think it's because that version of her was the metaphor of her depression back in the after laughter era. the one that was repressing all the rage she felt. in the end, it is revealed that it was hayley covered in petals who "killed" told you so hayley so going back, im inferring that it's her killing that self as she embraces this new one.
@misakisad
My take: She is running in a vulnerable state while trying to escape from something that is chasing her or something that’s trying to overcome her something which I believe she is trying to suppress which is why she’s trying to cover the light that sprouts from her chest.
She finds shelter in the house, which I think stands for the comfort of her past (music, band, etc) but it is an empty house, which doesn’t offer her the safety nor the comfort she’s searching for and instead prevents her from escaping. Inside this house there is a door, which is the only door that sheds light and as she opens it, it isn’t what she was expecting. It isn’t help, or safety but it’s something raw.
Perhaps the moment she finds the mud or clay is when she finally stops and bathes in her feelings of sadness and rage and is somehow her armor; that’s why she covers herself in it, loses herself in the feeling of it.
Her “other” self I think represents her past self, as she seems to be looking for something, wandering not so much chasing her as was the beginning. But like a child that only wants guidance. so when she opens the door to her emotions and her let’s say “angry” finds her and “kills” her it symbolizes the sort of end of “innocence”. And at the end she realizes that after that there is no way of going back. Because she literally opened a door that no matter if she tries closing it she has already consumed.
All just my interpretation or what I feel from this
@boxedveggie8492
It’s 2020, Hayley Williams is making music and My Chemical Romance is on tour. Let me pull out my eyeliner I guess. Since y’all are twisting my arm here
@goldenglowable
Boxedveggie 💀
@dannybowe6600
Behind the scenes. https://youtu.be/gev1Q-1HlU0
@nielelpro9717
I want Paramore comes to Peru for the »Vivo x el Rock« (Live for the rock) Perhaps my dream Will be true :')
@parallelprocess330kitty3
🌈🐾🌈
@goatcheese
It’s the rawring 20’s
@PaolaTheTimeLord
i love how the song is about anger yet it's so quiet. it's passive aggressive. it represents what pent up anger looks and feels like.
@rosvlinds
this!! this is my favorite thing about the song. quiet anger.
@gisellenicole1018
Rage is a quiet thing
@PaolaTheTimeLord
Giselle Nicole anger is violent. rage is quiet.