Thief
Mating Ritual is the solo dance-rock outfit of Ryan Marshall Lawhon. Based … Read Full Bio ↴Mating Ritual is the solo dance-rock outfit of Ryan Marshall Lawhon. Based in Los Angeles, Lawhon was one-part of Pacific Air, a synth-rock duo with his brother Taylor. In 2014, the siblings put their group on hold so that Taylor could go back to school. Ryan forged ahead with his new project, a bouncy blend of hand-clap arena rock and synth melodies inspired by the '90s electronic and new age inspirations from his childhood, like Laurie Anderson, Ray Lynch, and Enya. Balancing those atmospheric sonics with the spirit of his emo and post-punk influences, Lawhon released his debut single in 2015. "Toxins" unveiled a hook-heavy sound reminiscent of the Naked & Famous, Miike Snow, and Passion Pit. He went on to release a string of other singles that year ("Game," "Moonlight" and "Hum Hum"). For his debut EP, he collaborated with his brother Taylor once again, as well as drummer Rob Humphries and singer Lizzy Land. The four-song self-titled Mating Ritual was released in early 2016. Building upon existing shimmery electronic layers, Lawhon bolstered the songs with some glam rock muscle on "I Can't Dance" and '80s new wave on "Don't Know Your Name." Early 2017 saw Lawhon issue a trio of singles -- "Thief," "Second Hand," and "Drunk" -- in anticipation of the release of his debut full-length How You Gonna Stop It?, which dropped later that June.

Thief
Mating Ritual Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm driving down an empty road
There's no more sights, no more home
The sky is darker than last night
But I will drive till I see light
I'm swinging from a chandelier
The view gets worse every year
The gold is duller to my eyes
But I'll hang here until I'm blind
I pushed the button and nothing happened I'm a thief that ran out of gold
I worked myself to the bone to find I'm just a thief who's ran out of gold
I pushed the button and nothing happened
Pushed the button




I pushed the button
I worked myself to the bone to find I'm just a thief who's ran out of gold

Overall Meaning

The song "Thief" by Mating Ritual tells the story of a person who feels lost and disconnected from the world around them. The lyrics describe driving down an empty road with no sense of direction or purpose. The darkness of the sky represents the internal darkness that the person is feeling, but they continue to drive with the hope of finding some sense of purpose.


The second verse talks about hanging from a chandelier, which could represent a lavish and extravagant lifestyle that the person once had, but now it has lost its value and meaning. The gold becoming dull to their eyes shows that material possessions cannot bring true fulfillment in life. The chorus talks about pushing a button and nothing happening. This could symbolize the person's attempts to find happiness and success, but nothing is working out for them. They feel like a thief who has run out of gold, having put in so much effort for no reward.


Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of hopelessness and frustration. The person is struggling to find meaning and purpose in their life, feeling like they have run out of options. The repetition of pushing the button symbolizes the singer’s failure to initiate a significant change or to find the light they are searching for.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm driving down an empty road
I am journeying on a lonely, desolate path.


There's no more sights, no more home
The scenery has lost its vibrancy and familiarity as I travel further.


The sky is darker than last night
Even the skies that were once bright and hopeful have grown dimmer.


But I will drive till I see light
Despite everything, I will continue forward in search of hope and illumination.


I'm swinging from a chandelier
I am living extravagantly, but there is an underlying darkness to it.


The view gets worse every year
As time goes on, the view becomes bleaker and more unappealing.


The gold is duller to my eyes
The things that once brought me joy and pleasure can no longer hold my interest anymore.


But I'll hang here until I'm blind
Despite everything, I am still clinging onto what little illusions of happiness remain.


I pushed the button and nothing happened
I have made an effort to improve my situation, but to no avail.


I'm a thief that ran out of gold
I was once able to extract value and worth from life, but it has since eluded me.


I worked myself to the bone to find I'm just a thief who's ran out of gold
I put in significant effort and toil, only to realize that my life is now empty and meaningless.


Pushed the button
Attempted to make a change.


I worked myself to the bone to find I'm just a thief who's ran out of gold
Realizing that I have hit rock bottom and have become unable to extract meaning from life.




Writer(s): Ryan Marshall Lawhon

Contributed by Audrey K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@bnv-txvn2352

I absolutely love this song, I'll never forget the chills I got the first time I heard it. My daddy was a victim of a hit an run accident last November and now is suffering TBI and he loved music before....now he can't handle sounds. Breaks my heart. We used to stay up all night listening to music like this and enjoying life.

@bnv-txvn2352

My daddy has passed as a result of his injuries, please pray for his justice.

@bnv-txvn2352

My pain is ... incredibly hard 🤬

@libroz6396

Why is this so underrated ?

@samuelbabalola4852

Anyone from “how to get away with murder”?

@hadifitri77

Samuel Babalola 🙋🏻‍♂️

@imenea7520

Right here with you bro. Best serie I've seen since Breaking Bad.

@carlosvillarroellopez3652

Que buen gusto que tengo

@13ytw

But i will drive till i see light....

How to get away with murder... 💪🇷🇴💙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@anjalirs3931

I SO WANT ITS SECOND PART.

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