After The Fall
Jenifer Jackson Lyrics

In the first verse of Jenifer Jackson's song "After the Fall," she describes a time when she and another person were suspended in the air on a wire. This could be a metaphor for a time in their relationship when everything felt up in the air, unsure and uncertain. The idea of her "radar" being put to sleep could represent a sense of trust and openness with this person; she let her guard down and allowed herself to be vulnerable with them. However, the line "I swallowed the pill now I'm starting to tire" hints at the fact that this relationship may not have been sustainable, and that there were underlying issues that she may not have been fully aware of when she let her guard down.

The second verse describes the aftermath of this relationship, which may have ended in a "fall," or a moment of disillusionment. She is having trouble sleeping, likely due to a sense of unease and unrest. The sirens outside could be a physical representation of that unease, or they could also be a metaphor for something else entirely. The fact that the "smudge on the ceiling / that once was alive" suggests that something significant has changed, or that something that used to bring joy and life to her world no longer does.

In the chorus, Jackson reflects on the idea of love, which can be both freeing and suffocating at the same time. She describes it as an "ocean" and a "stone," two contradictory images that speak to the push-and-pull nature of relationships. The idea that love is a "wish that you make on your own" suggests that sometimes, we place unrealistic expectations on our partners, and that it's possible to wish for things that aren't attainable. The last line, "If all of these ghosts would just leave me alone / I know that I could be free," suggests that there are past hurts or traumas that continue to haunt her, even after the fall of this relationship.