Before and After
Lyrics Born Lyrics

This is hard for me to write it's difficult to express this
Starting off the song by expressing the difficulty to articulate the emotions related to a strained friendship.

Its heavy on my shoulders and the weight gets relentless
The burden of a failed friendship is often overwhelming and constant.

The story of brothers and a beautiful friendship
Reflecting on a once cherished relationship with someone who was like a sibling.

And how relations get strained with pressure and tension
Negative outside factors and internal conflicts can lead to a decline in a friendship.

Who's wrong, correct, so, so, subjective
The truth of a situation can be blurred and subjective to each person's perspective and interpretation.

You look back its hard 'cause the mind gets adventurous
Reflecting on past events can be difficult as one's memory can be distorted over time.

Dates get mixed up facts disconnected
Memories of specific details can fade with time, leaving only a general sense of the situation.

The only thing you remember is the feeling that you're left with
Despite forgetting specific details, the emotions tied to those events can remain strong.

It started as a blessing
The beginning of the friendship was a positive and fortunate occurrence.

Now you could write this off as luck or one of life's coincidences
Some may dismiss the friendship as merely a fortunate coincidence rather than a deeper connection.

But at some point you think god damn what are the chances
Despite the possibility of coincidence, the closeness and connection of the friendship is almost too unlikely to be ignored.

People with similar interests and influences
The shared values and interests of the individuals in the friendship brought them together.

Coming together at that moment to form a kinship
The similarities and shared experiences forged a deeper bond between the individuals.

It's like you knew that you was brothers before your conception
The connection felt between the individuals was so strong it seemed to exist before their actual meeting.

Even if you're not a spiritual person I admit shit
Acknowledging the strong bond formed in the friendship, regardless of one's belief in a spiritual presence or not.

At that point I wasn't but at some point it sets in
Initially not believing in a spiritual force, but eventually recognizing the deep connection as something beyond mere coincidence.

It be foolish to dismiss this as coincidence
The depth of the bond between the individuals is too significant to simply dismiss as luck or chance.

Now this shit is different, somewhere this is written
The current state of the friendship is drastically different from its once strong and positive state, and seems to have some sort of predetermined fate.

Be part of a mission, this shit is predestined
The current state of the friendship is part of a larger, predetermined plan or mission.

Closer than close like flesh is to tendon
Describing the closeness and connection of the friendship like the connection of flesh and tendon in the body.

Share my 50 cent bag of chips with my freshman
Recollecting moments of sharing small luxuries with a friend early in their friendship.

Half a half a gas station sandwich no question
Further example of the simple moments of sharing and generosity in the early friendship.

Talking shit to me well then talking shit to him then
Defending each other even in small moments by not allowing others to talk negatively behind their backs.

Family is sacred it must be protected
Describing the strong bond of friendship between the individuals as being as important and sacred as a family bond.

Over time I don't know what happens something got infected
Not knowing the exact cause, but acknowledging that something has gone wrong with the friendship over time.

People grow in different ways at different rates I guess
Recognizing that people change and grow differently over time, which can lead to a strain on a friendship.

It ridiculous, little shit it suddenly gets big shit
Small issues can escalate and become significant points of conflict in a friendship.

Lapses in communication, glitches in the system
Miscommunication and errors in communication become issues that further isolate and distance the individuals in the friendship.

He said that she said what nobody said shit
Misunderstandings can arise from rumors or misinterpretations of what others have said, leading to further conflict.

But you'll never know 'cause everyone's passive aggressive
Due to a lack of open and honest communication, individuals in the friendship may be passive aggressive or avoid direct confrontation.

I sit down smoke pow wow how everyone said shit
Reflecting on how rumors and misinformation can spread in social situations and further contribute to the conflict in the friendship.

People cease to make the effort to get to the essence
Individuals in the friendship stop making an effort to truly understand each other and their perspectives, leading to a lack of empathy and deeper conflict.

Peep this shit out though this shit is really twisted
Drawing attention to the convoluted and confusing state of the friendship.

Funny thing is that you and I do it every minute
Recognizing that miscommunication and misunderstandings occur in many situations and relationships, not just this one friendship.

We take it in rhetoric every time somebody says shit
Misinterpretations and misunderstandings can be further exacerbated by our own biases and preconceived ideas.

Against us stock piling every little incident
Individuals in the friendship may hold onto small issues and mistakes and use them as ammunition against each other in future conflicts.

What's stupid is all the bullshit that's circulating
Acknowledging the pettiness and unnecessary drama that has arisen in the friendship.

Could be fixed in an instant with simple conversation
Recognizing that the issues in the friendship could be resolved with open and honest communication.

But you know how pride is
Pride can prevent individuals from admitting fault or attempting to resolve conflicts, despite knowing it would be beneficial.

A bitch with her fist clenched
Describing the stubborn and unyielding nature of pride during a conflict.

That mixed with the fat drama gets addictive
The drama and conflict arising from pride and other issues can become addictive and all-consuming.

Wounds need dressing and they don't receive attention
Issues and conflicts in the friendship are not addressed and continue to fester, causing further harm and resentment.

It snowballs and festers and creates resentment
Small conflicts and issues continue to grow and become larger, leading to long-lasting resentment between the individuals.

People demonise each other brave discontent
Individuals in the friendship begin to see each other in a negative light and view each other as the cause of their discontent.

But nobody could've been prepared for the next step
Despite the existing tensions, nobody could have foreseen the ultimate cause of the friendship's faltering.

The nature of the predator is calculated pensive
The ultimate cause of the friendship's breakdown was intentional and premeditated by one or more individuals.

Waiting in the brush patiently revving they engines
The intentional cause of the friendship's breakdown waited in the wings, ready to act at the opportune time.

Despite the colour that they got all they see is crimson
The individuals responsible for the breakdown of the friendship lost sight of their previous loyalty and only saw the possibility for bloodshed.

Waiting for they prey to become desperate defenceless
The individuals responsible for the breakdown of the friendship waited for their former friends to become vulnerable and weakened to strike.

Outside is always over just beyond the fences
The possibility of harm and danger always exists, even outside of one's immediate surroundings or the boundaries of the friendship.

Today the gate is open though today they make an entrance
Despite the once strong connection, the individuals responsible for the friendship's breakdown are now able to enter and cause harm to their former friends.

Friendly at first laughs jokes like we best friends
The initial rekindling of the friendship seems promising and friendly, with laughter and joking as if everything is normal.

Slowly though you start to see they become hidden agendas
As time passes, the true intentions of the individuals responsible for the friendship's breakdown become clear and their hidden motives are revealed.

Nine to five one day insecure self perceptions
The possible cause of the individuals' betrayal may stem from their own insecurities and self-perceptions.

Shines a spotlight on all those paranoid self perceptions
The individuals' paranoia and distorted self-perceptions are brought to the forefront and affect their actions in the friendship.

Things begin to heat up everyone's already stretched thin
The tension and conflict in the friendship is reignited and the individuals are already emotionally exhausted and fragile.

How could you be well how could you be so deceptive
The deception of the individuals responsible for the friendship's breakdown is called into question, and the artist struggles to comprehend their actions.

Any second now someone will snap like a bread stick
The tension and possibility for harm in the friendship is so high that it feels like someone could snap at any moment.

And what once was simply dissolves like a breath mint
The deep bond and connection of the friendship is destroyed in a short amount of time, like a breath mint dissolving quickly in one's mouth.

Just like that you start to ask yourself questions
The dissolution of the friendship leads the artist to question the purpose and value of the relationship.

Is this really worth all the emotion and depressment
Considering the negative and painful aspects of the friendship, the singer questions if it is truly worth the emotional strain and sadness.

Do the benefits and perks outweigh the pressure
Reflecting on the potential benefits and positive aspects of the friendship and questioning if they are worth the negative aspects.

Let me step back give this relationship assessment
Taking a step back from the friendship and assessing its value and purpose.