Building Better Bridges
Listener Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My lungs are wax inside my ribs, you’re burning, well I’m breathing
This back breaks walked on from carrying friends, can’t stop now, still working
Your life’s like rain drops on my tongue, I believe you, keep raining
And it’s alright, it’s alright, we are not right now complete
And I’m alright, you’re gonna be alright, we might never be complete
But the water keeps rising, it’s rising, everybody get into the water
And hold each others hands and lives, let’s all push our hearts together
But you gotta swear to promise that we’ll never go back again, ever again
And we’re not just islands lying beside each others shorelines
We’re all bound with veins and hopes, we are not each others ghosts
Our hearts are abridged, let's build bridges to each other
So this river won’t take us under
Filled with monsters and goblins, they keep dragging the bottom
Our life is a bridge, let’s build bridges to each other
And pray we don’t go under, oh these careless waters
I’m trying not to confuse being used with giving all I am
By being used and giving everything I have, all I am
So I’ll build a bridge with hollow bones filled with hollow teeth
Inside a hollow heart, with the insides carved
And let the blood in these veins freeze
Let the water in these veins freeze and break and flood the dam
We are all we have, this is all we need, hold on it may never end
And I might have to drink my teeth again if I wash up on the coast
So I’ll build a bridge with all that’s left, and not make any more new ghosts
Show me your life, wide and bright, I hope that patience fills the seams
Keep what’s inside, dry and right, you arch the frame I’ll span the beams
Our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
From every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
'Cause one day we’re gonna close our eyes for death or rest
And abandon ourself, this weak mind and breath
And the columns we made, and roots we grew down deep
Will be pulled and gathered in to firewood, and burnt for heat
But when the tension shifts, and these braces turn
I’ll try and build a better bridge
And when all our piers burn, and the hinges miss
I’m gonna build a better bridge
Our hearts are abridged, let’s build bridges to each other
So we don’t take ourselves under
Our heart burns broken at the ends, they fail us, keep building
My lungs are wax inside my ribs, you’re burning, I’m still breathing
This back breaks walked on carry friends, can’t stop now, still working
Your life’s like rain drops on my tongue, I believe you, keep raining
Our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
From every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
Our hearts are abridged, let’s build bridges to each other
So this river won’t take us under, so we don’t take ourselves under
Our lives are a bridge, let’s build bridges to each other
And pray we don’t go under, oh these careless waters
Our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
From every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
Our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
From every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
Our hearts are abridged, let’s build bridges to each other
So this river won’t take us under, so we don’t take ourselves under
In "Building Better Bridges," Listener addresses the importance of building connections with others in order to overcome the struggles and pain that life can bring. The opening lines describe a sense of brokenness and failure, but also a determination to keep moving forward and "keep building." The metaphor of a bridge is used throughout the song, representing the connections we make with others and the strength we gain from those connections.
The lyrics also explore the idea of forgiveness and healing. The repetition of the line "if I forgive will you forgive?" emphasizes the importance of letting go of the past and moving forward with a sense of empathy and understanding. Listener acknowledges that building bridges and maintaining those connections is not always easy, and that there will be challenges and setbacks along the way. However, the chorus reminds us that we are not alone in this struggle, and that by coming together we can create something stronger and more resilient.
Line by Line Meaning
Our heart burns broken at the ends, they fail us, keep building
We feel hurt and broken, but we keep pushing ourselves to keep going and building up our hearts.
My lungs are wax inside my ribs, you’re burning, well I’m breathing
Even though you may be burning hot and I feel like my lungs are melting, I am still going to keep breathing and pushing forward.
This back breaks walked on from carrying friends, can’t stop now, still working
Although carrying the weight of our friends may cause our backs to break, we can't stop now and must keep moving forward.
Your life’s like rain drops on my tongue, I believe you, keep raining
Your life is like the nourishing rain that I believe in and want to keep receiving.
And it’s alright, it’s alright, we are not right now complete
We may not be complete at this moment, but that's alright and we can keep improving ourselves.
And I’m alright, you’re gonna be alright, we might never be complete
I may be alright and you will be too, but we may never reach true completeness.
But the water keeps rising, it’s rising, everybody get into the water
The water is rising and we need to act quickly by getting into it before it's too late.
And hold each others hands and lives, let’s all push our hearts together
We need to hold onto each other and work together to push our hearts towards bettering ourselves.
We’re gonna leave these shores right now, be everything we’ve never been
We are going to leave our current state and become everything we've never been before.
But you gotta swear to promise that we’ll never go back again, ever again
We need to promise to never go back to our past selves and always strive for progress.
And we’re not just islands lying beside each others shorelines
We are not just separate islands, but interconnected and linked to each other.
We’re all bound with veins and hopes, we are not each others ghosts
We are connected through our hopes and our veins, and we are not just strangers to each other.
Our hearts are abridged, let's build bridges to each other
Our hearts are incomplete, and we need to build bridges between each other to become whole.
So this river won’t take us under
We need to build these bridges to prevent ourselves from being overwhelmed by the dangers of the river.
Filled with monsters and goblins, they keep dragging the bottom
The river is filled with scary and dangerous things that threaten to drag us down to the bottom.
Our life is a bridge, let’s build bridges to each other
Our lives are bridges that connect us to each other, and we need to build more bridges to strengthen these connections.
And pray we don’t go under, oh these careless waters
We need to hope that we don't get overwhelmed and lost in these careless waters.
I’m trying not to confuse being used with giving all I am
I am trying not to mix up being used and giving my all in everything I do.
By being used and giving everything I have, all I am
I don't want to confuse being taken advantage of with giving everything I have to offer.
So I’ll build a bridge with hollow bones filled with hollow teeth
I will use what I have left to build myself up, even if it is not much.
Inside a hollow heart, with the insides carved
I will work to strengthen my inner self, even if I may feel hollow inside.
And let the blood in these veins freeze
I am willing to endure pain and hardships to make progress and better myself.
Let the water in these veins freeze and break and flood the dam
I am willing to face my vulnerabilities and let my emotions flow freely to make progress.
We are all we have, this is all we need, hold on it may never end
We only have each other and that is enough to keep moving forward, even if the struggle never ends.
And I might have to drink my teeth again if I wash up on the coast
I may be forced to rely on my own resources and grit if I am stranded somewhere.
So I’ll build a bridge with all that’s left, and not make any more new ghosts
I will use everything I have and all my past experiences to build up myself, and not let any more negative experiences haunt me.
Show me your life, wide and bright, I hope that patience fills the seams
I want to see and learn about your life fully, and I hope we can be patient with each other throughout the process.
Keep what’s inside, dry and right, you arch the frame I’ll span the beams
I want to keep our emotions steady and help you hold up the framework while you guide us towards progress.
From every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
I want us to forgive each other for all the mistakes we've made in the past.
'Cause one day we’re gonna close our eyes for death or rest
One day we will either pass on or rest, and we need to make the most of the time we have.
And abandon ourself, this weak mind and breath
We will eventually leave behind our weak minds and bodies.
And the columns we made, and roots we grew down deep
The things we have built and the foundations we have laid in our lives will eventually be left behind.
Will be pulled and gathered in to firewood, and burnt for heat
Our past will be reduced to ashes and fuel for others to use.
But when the tension shifts, and these braces turn
When the balance shifts and things become more difficult, we will need to adapt and adjust ourselves.
I’m gonna build a better bridge
I will work to build a better foundation for myself and my connections with others.
Contributed by Jayden M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@alanjhegarty1874
Our heart burns broken at the ends, they fail us, keep building
My lungs are wax inside my ribs, you’re burning, well I’m breathing
This back breaks walked on from carrying friends, can’t stop now, still working
Your life’s like rain drops on my tongue, I believe you, keep raining
And it’s alright, it’s alright, we are not right now complete
And I’m alright, you’re gonna be alright, we might never be complete
But the water keeps rising, it’s rising, everybody get into the water
And hold each others hands and lives, let’s all push our hearts together
We’re gonna leave these shores right now, be everything we’ve never been
But you gotta swear to promise that we’ll never go back again, ever again
And we’re not just islands lying beside each others shorelines
We’re all bound with veins and hopes, we are not each others ghosts
Our hearts are abridged, let's build bridges to each other
So this river won’t take us under
Filled with monsters and goblins, they keep dragging the bottom
Our life is a bridge, let’s build bridges to each other
And pray we don’t go under, oh these careless waters
I’m trying not to confuse being used with giving all I am
By being used and giving everything I have, all I am
So I’ll build a bridge with hollow bones filled with hollow teeth
Inside a hollow heart, with the insides carved
And let the blood in these veins freeze
Let the water in these veins freeze and break and flood the dam
We are all we have, this is all we need, hold on it may never end
And I might have to drink my teeth again if I wash up on the coast
So I’ll build a bridge with all that’s left, and not make any more new ghosts
Show me your life, wide and bright, I hope that patience fills the seams
Keep what’s inside, dry and right, you arch the frame I’ll span the beams
Our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
From every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
'Cause one day we’re gonna close our eyes for death or rest
And abandon ourself, this weak mind and breath
And the columns we made, and roots we grew down deep
Will be pulled and gathered in to firewood, and burnt for heat
But when the tension shifts, and these braces turn
I’ll try and build a better bridge
And when all our piers burn, and the hinges miss
I’m gonna build a better bridge
Our hearts are abridged, let’s build bridges to each other
So we don’t take ourselves under
Our heart burns broken at the ends, they fail us, keep building
My lungs are wax inside my ribs, you’re burning, I’m still breathing
This back breaks walked on carry friends, can’t stop now, still working
Your life’s like rain drops on my tongue, I believe you, keep raining
Our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
From every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
Our hearts are abridged, let’s build bridges to each other
So this river won’t take us under, so we don’t take ourselves under
Our lives are a bridge, let’s build bridges to each other
And pray we don’t go under, oh these careless waters
Our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
From every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
Our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
From every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
Our hearts are abridged, let’s build bridges to each other
So this river won’t take us under, so we don’t take ourselves under
@Garrettalllikewhat
"I guess you can't lose em all" That optimism is so beautiful.
@BabvBlues
Used to love this song so glad I found it again
@bobbysalkeld2634
I really like his style. Its like he's forcing it out of him like his mouth is in conflict with the rest of him...verbal turrets yo
@taprootlp36
I used to love this song. I still do, but I used to, too
@imepic434
It's hard to call it a song
@imepic434
@@bobbysalkeld2634 I think he is just having a seizure
@bashfurt
Used to hate this song so sorry I found it again
@VicMourahimself
This is experimental, poetic, interesting and harmonic. Do not fail to see the value in this kind of music..its the exact opposite of the "music blockbuster formula" that builds the pop industry. This is art, the kind of art that moves us foward.
@bnignmusic
real talk
@fizzgigify
i love this song, but that The Chariot hoodie always makes me that much more happy.