Square Nothing
In Flames Lyrics
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Clouded, weakened by the haze
Cut of my pride, enough to forgive
Reconcile, back to square nothing
It seems I lost my direction
Don't have the strength to let it slip
Have no desire for the shore
Is this how I want to spend my days?
Shadowed, it fears me, my utopia
Try to find some peace to destroy
These are my sins, I'm heading to fall
Never understood though I accepted
All the weakness that I discover
You gave me a place to hide and lost the key
Drowned my head just to see it sink (to the bottom)
Spent some quality time with the demon of mine
He said "I like the way you struggle but you know I'm gonna win"
Spent some quality time with my borrowed smile
The gleam is replaced, rip me open and erase me
The lyrics in In Flames's Square Nothing describe the pain and confusion one feels when they have been repeatedly hurt by someone they love. The singer is bleeding emotionally and is weakened by the haze of their emotions. They have been forced to cut their pride and forgive their oppressor, but this resolution only brings them back to square one, with no real solution. The singer has lost their sense of direction and does not have the strength to pull themselves out of their despair. They do not want to reach the shore, they only want to play where they are for a while. The singer is stuck in that moment of pain, and cannot find a way out. They question whether this is how they want to spend their days, but they already feel trapped in their utopia. In the second verse, the singer accepts their weaknesses, and blames themselves for their situation, despite being given a place to hide. They have drowned their head just to see it sink, which could metaphorically mean losing control and succumbing to their feelings, which have a tendency to consume them.
Line by Line Meaning
For all the times you left me bleeding
You hurt me so many times that I was left wounded and bleeding.
Clouded, weakened by the haze
I am confused and weakened from the mental haze that your actions have caused me.
Cut of my pride, enough to forgive
I had to let go of my pride in order to forgive you for hurting me so much.
Reconcile, back to square nothing
Despite forgiving you, we are now back to square one and have to start over from the beginning.
It seems I lost my direction
I've lost my way and don't know which path to take anymore.
Don't have the strength to let it slip
I don't have the strength to move on from the pain you've caused me.
Have no desire for the shore
I have no desire to escape this pain and reach a place of safety and security.
Just let me play here for some time
Give me some time to wallow in my pain and sadness.
Is this how I want to spend my days?
I question whether this endless pain and misery is something I want to experience indefinitely.
Shadowed, it fears me, my utopia
My ideal future seems elusive and unattainable, and this is a terrifying thought.
Try to find some peace to destroy
I am trying to destroy my own inner peace by holding onto this pain and not moving on.
These are my sins, I'm heading to fall
I know that these negative emotions and actions are my own doing, and I fear that they will lead to my downfall.
Never understood though I accepted
I may have accepted this pain, but I still don't understand why it had to happen or why you did what you did.
All the weakness that I discover
This pain reveals new weaknesses within myself that I didn't know existed before.
You gave me a place to hide and lost the key
You gave me a temporary escape from the world, but now that place is lost to me and I am left alone with my pain again.
Drowned my head just to see it sink (to the bottom)
I am purposefully drowning myself in my negative emotions, even though I know it will only lead me further into pain and despair.
Spent some quality time with the demon of mine
I have spent time with my inner demons, my negative thoughts and emotions.
He said "I like the way you struggle but you know I'm gonna win"
My inner demons feed off of my struggles and pain, and they know that they will ultimately win the battle for control over my mind and emotions.
Spent some quality time with my borrowed smile
I have put on a fake smile to hide my pain and pretend that everything is okay.
The gleam is replaced, rip me open and erase me
My facade of happiness has faded away, and I feel exposed and vulnerable. I want to be erased and rid of this pain once and for all.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDERS PAR FRIDEN, BJOERN INGVAR GELOTTE, JESPER CLAES HAAKAN STROEMBLAD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind