The Alien
Manchester Orchestra Lyrics

The lights were low enough, you guessed
The atmosphere was dim enough to hide yourself in it.

You swapped your conscience with your fathers medication
You replaced your moral sense with the drugs prescribed for your father.

Limped from Rome to Lawrenceville
You traveled a long distance on foot from Rome, probably with some trouble, to reach Lawrenceville.

And on the way wrote out a self-made declaration
During your journey, you created a written statement outlining your own beliefs or principles.

And when you got to Pleasant Hill
When you reached Pleasant Hill, a place where you could finally relax and feel at ease.

You forced the traffic to erase your family demons
You used the hustle-bustle of vehicles to dispel or forget your psychological traumas related to your family.

And made a pact with you and God
You entered into a solemn agreement with yourself and God, probably to change or stop doing something.

If you don't move I swear to you I'm gonna make ya
If you do not take action or decide on something, you would compel yourself to do it with utmost commitment.

Do you need me?
You are asking someone if they require your presence, help or company.

When the first officer arrived
The moment the first police officer came to the scene.

It happened to be the high school bully of your brother
The cop present was someone who had bullied your brother in high school.

When you finally recognized
Upon realising the cop was a former bully, your emotions took over.

You felt some guilt that you had even let him touch you
You experienced some remorse for being in physical contact with someone who had tormented a family member.

Can you hear me? What's your name?
Someone is trying to communicate with you, and is willing to know your name or identity.

You could not speak just laid amazed at all the damage
You were too stunned by all the harm that had been caused and couldn't utter a single word.

And as the high school's letting out
As the students of the high school were getting ready to leave.

All the kids saying the same thing that they used to
The students made remarks that reminded you of how they used to behave in the past.

It's an alien
The feelings or experiences you had were otherworldly or inexplicable to most people.

Hospital food, there's never enough medication
The food provided by the hospital was deficient or below average and there was a scarcity of medicines.

The doctor asked about your ears
The physician inquired about your ears and their health status.

You said your mom said you were made from a revelation
You replied with something your mother had told you about being created or born as a result of a divine revelation.

The revelation never scares
The divine insight or inspiration never instilled fear in you.

If you came from your drunken dad and a pair of scissors
If people were to find out that your father was drunk and carrying scissors while you were being born, they would judge you harshly.

You just finally letting go?
You are wondering if you are finally freeing yourself of something or someone that had been holding you back.

Did you mean to take out all those people with you?
Someone is questioning your motives or intentions for causing harm to others.

Oh I didn't mean to (Oh I didn't take the time to learn to let you go)
You are admitting that you were not intentional and possibly regretful for not having learnt to let something/someone go.

Never letting go
You are not able to detach yourself from something/someone, and it continues to affect you.

Time is here to take your last amendments and believe them on your own
It is time to use your final opportunities to make changes and own them, rather than relying on external forces.

Time is here to take you by the hand and leave you there alone
Time has arrived for you to strike out on your own and deal with the consequences of your actions.

Time has come to take the last commandment and to carve it into stone
It is time to take the final piece of guidance and inscribe it on a physical object, to signify its importance and permanence.

Time has come to take you by the hand and leave you here alone
Time has come to take you by the hand and let you stand alone and face the consequences of your actions.