All of Everything Erased
Kevin Devine Lyrics

This is the window where
The window represents a significant point in the singer's life and is a place from which the singer can look out and observe the world.

I watched the future start
The singer saw a time of promise and excitement when things seemed like they were opening up in terms of possibilities and potential.

My pupils dilated
The singer's eyes opened wide, showing the range of their emotions - from awe to fear - and their anticipation of things to come.

The shock sped up my arms
The intensity of the moment caused the artist's adrenaline to surge through their body, giving them a feeling of energized tension in their limbs.

I shut my ambushed eyes
Overwhelmed by what was occurring around them, the artist began to retreat into their own mind and close themselves off from the outside world.

And turned my face towards the heat
Despite their shock and confusion, the singer chose to face, and even embrace, the intense feelings and pressures of the situation around them.

I felt the city choke
The singer sensed the difficulties and hardships that the people in the city were facing during this tumultuous time.

I heard the world at war
The artist heard the sound of conflict happening on a global scale, and felt that it was affecting everything in their life.

I prayed for providence
The artist turned to a higher power in desperation and with a sense of hopelessness to help them through.

God said, don't pray no more
The artist recognizes that they are ultimately responsible for their own actions and must stop relying on divine intervention to solve their problems.

You went and made your mess
The singer recognizes their own role in creating the problems that they are experiencing and must take responsibility for their own mistakes.

Now keep your blame off my feet
God is essentially telling the artist that their own problems are their own responsibility and that they cannot blame God or anyone else for them.

So I got off my knees
Taking control of their own life, the singer stands up and starts to take action rather than expecting divine intervention.

I faced the devil's day
The singer confronts a difficult and challenging moment and takes it on despite the risks and difficulties involved.

The sky was murder red
The singer is facing a moment of incredible violence and emotional intensity, as symbolized by the red sky.

The streets were headstone gray
The world seems desolate and hopeless, with a sense of lifelessness and despair.

A flaming ferris wheel
A burning image of a once joyful and vibrant ride represents the destruction of hopes and dreams.

Spun where the sun used to be
The once bright and radiant energy that gave the world life has been replaced by a desolate landscape where destruction and darkness prevails.

I watched it's buckets dip and dance
The singer watches as other people-- despite the situation they are in-- continue to joyfully live their lives.

I saw a couple making love lock hands
The overarching themes of hope and joy (even amid conflict) are highlighted through an image of passionate intimacy.

They were pushing for abandon and the answers it could bring
The lovers' passion - and intensity - can offer answers, or at least escape from the relentless environment around them.

90 million miles from the graveyard growing over everything
Despite the burial of space and time, the memory of hope and joy still remains.

I saw my lover chased
The singer watches helplessly as someone they care about is being pursued and threatened.

Through fields of sugarcane
The imagery of sugarcane fields reflects the beauty and potential of the world that is being destroyed.

She clutched her belly close
The singer's lover is pregnant, which underlines the preciousness of life and the stakes of the situation.

And whispered, 'keep us safe'
Even in the face of danger and in the midst of chaos, some things are still sacred.

They ground her down to dust
Despite the hope that the life of the unborn child would be protected, it is obvious that this is not the reality of the situation.

No more miracles today
This moment is a reminder that human-made disasters crush any thoughts of salvation or divine intervention.

I dreamt myself awake
The artist escapes their unhappy reality by dreaming of something better.

In a resort hotel
The symbol of a resort hotel represents luxury and escape - the 'reality' the singer longs to return to.

Above a golden coast
The singer is now in a place of happy memories where there is still beauty and calmness in the world.

Beside my Southern belle
The artist is reunited with someone they care about deeply, and together they are able to find solace in the midst of turmoil.

We heard the sea reborn
The calming image of the sea symbolizes that there is hope and positivity still left in the world and that renewal is possible.

In each singing shell
The ancient sound of a singing shell represents nostalgia and hope in a world that seems to have been erased.

And every coughing car
The experience of driving on polluted streets represents the degradation of the environment and the loss of individuality and expression.

And every coiled snake
Snakes represent danger and threats to one's survival, which are ever-present as society gradually crumbles.

And every shrieking star
The star's scream is an indication of the potential terror in the universe and how we are all connected to it.

And every burning stake
The burning stakes represent the violence and hatred that can simmer beneath the surface of society and ultimately lead to its destruction.

Dissolved to atmosphere
Through nature reclaiming the earth, humanity's savage and violent acts are nullified and mitigated.

All of everything, erased
The artist sees that in the grand scheme of things, everything is fleeting and impermanent, but that needn't necessarily be a bad thing.

I spread into a distant hum
The artist is unique but also part of something much larger, and this realization humbles them.

I droned along with everyone
Despite being part of a larger collective, the singer recognizes that their story and the stories of others are unique and important.

And the earth grew green and nursed herself to what she used to be
Through the power of nature, the world undergoes a remarkable transformation, wiping away the bad and fostering growth and renewal.

All our senseless shouting calmed to quiet in her ancient memory
The natural world is indifferent to human acting, but its durability and promise offer us renewal and peace after our own senseless actions.

And oh, what a joy
There is still hope, in the end, that peace and renewal will come, and that humanity may learn from its mistakes.

To be free
The sense of freedom, and the possibility of choice that comes with it, is the ultimate goal.