Anniversary
Ill Lit Lyrics
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“'till death do us part,”
And I remember the day
I saw you die.
The road is what we get
And you went and got it started.
The way we would act when they
All held us back, and the time
Who laughed when we laughed...
(refrain)
These things we've imagined
Would take soft advantage
Of what quickly destroyed us
In asides of the night, well
They've returned with a vengeance
And they're demanding the answers
To the questions
That lock us in our lives.
(refrain)
I remember the accidents
We always called “accidents”.
I remember the way I learned to lie
Down with another type of child.
I still try and cover my eyes
Before the light can blind me,
Carelessly.
How I miss our time.
The lyrics to Ill Lit's song Anniversary tell a story of a relationship that has come to an end. The first stanza recalls the promise made on the day of the wedding - "'till death do us part" - and the subsequent death of the partner. The use of the phrase "saw you die" suggests that the relationship has been dead for a while before the actual physical death. The second stanza talks about the memories of the good times the couple shared, the road they travelled together and how they started it. The reference to "the others who laughed when we laughed" implies that the couple might have felt like outsiders in a way, not quite fitting in with the rest.
The refrain brings the focus to the present, and how the imagined possibilities and fantasies of the past are coming back to haunt the singer. The use of the phrase "asides of the night" suggests a sense of secrecy or hiddenness that is now demanding answers. The third stanza recalls accidents that were always referred to as accidents and the singer's infidelity. The final line expresses a longing for the past, and how the light has blinded the singer from the present. The song is a powerful exploration of the emotional complexities of a failed relationship and the ways in which past memories, both good and bad, can come back to shape the present.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember the day you said,
I remember the day you promised to be with me forever, until death.
'till death do us part,'
An expression of a lifelong commitment in marriage.
And I remember the day
I recall the exact day that I witnessed your death.
I saw you die.
I watched as your life ended before my eyes.
The road is what we get
Life is what we make of it.
And you went and got it started.
You were the one who initiated our journey.
The way we would act when they
The way we behaved when others tried to hold us back was...
All held us back, and the time
...All the while, our friends and the time we spent with them when...
We would spend with the others
...we hung out with others.
Who laughed when we laughed...
...They would laugh when we'd laugh.
(refrain)
A repeated section of the song.
These things we've imagined
These things we've dreamed up of in our minds.
Would take soft advantage
Would easily take advantage.
Of what quickly destroyed us
Of what caused our downfall very quickly.
In asides of the night, well
In intimate moments during the night...
They've returned with a vengeance
These thoughts have resurfaced powerfully.
And they're demanding the answers
And they want us to find the answers...
To the questions
...to the questions that have been tormenting us.
That lock us in our lives.
Questions that have kept us captive in our own lives.
(refrain)
A repeated section of the song.
I remember the accidents
I remember the careless mistakes we made, which we called...
We always called 'accidents.'
...'accidents'.
I remember the way I learned to lie
I recall learning how to be deceitful, how to...
Down with another type of child.
...have a secret affair with another lover.
I still try and cover my eyes
I still attempt to shield my eyes...
Before the light can blind me,
...before my intense feelings overcome me.
Carelessly.
In a way that's reckless and uncaring.
How I miss our time.
I long for the days we spent together.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CARL WHEELER, RAPHAEL SAADIQ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind