Petals
KITCHEN - Hole Lyrics

The lyrics to Hole's song Petals suggest themes of destruction and the passage of time. The first line, "Tear the petals off of you," conjures an image of destruction, as if someone is forcibly removing something beautiful and delicate from another person. The next line, "And make you tell the truth," suggests that this destruction has a purpose - perhaps to reveal something about the person that was previously hidden.

The next two lines, "All the darling buds of May / They fall with no sound," continue the theme of destruction and suggest a sense of inevitability. Even beautiful things eventually succumb to the passage of time and the ravages of life. The next line, "They carry you down," suggests that this destruction has a weighty consequence - it is not simply an abstract concept, but something that has a tangible impact on the individual in question.

The next two lines, "All the lilies bloomed and blossomed / Wilted and they're shivering," continue the theme of inevitability and destruction. Even flowers, which seem so delicate and ephemeral, eventually die and decay. The final line, "Oh this world is a war," suggests that this cycle of destruction and renewal is a perpetual one, and that there may be no end to the violence and decay that surrounds us.