Retaliation
Mesh Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The things you never saw
They didn't hurt you
I loved you once before
I never lied to you
And you're biting back at me
And I'm sick enough to see
That it won't be you that breaks it
Because you'll never sit and take it
Retaliation
For all the voices in your head
Was I mistaken?
In all the things I never said
Retaliation
For all the times I never bled
The things I've taken
To cure the poison
Brush the pain aside
It didn't happen
Calm the voice inside
I never got to you
And you're writing on your skin
That "the world is caving in"
But it won't be you that makes it
Because you never tried to fake it
Retaliation
For all the voices in your head
Was I mistaken?
In all the things I never said
Retaliation
For all the times I never bled
The things I've taken
To cure the poison
For all the bullets in your head
For all the things that you regret
For the lives you've never led
Did I destroy them?
Retaliation
For all the voices in your head
Was I mistaken?
In all the things I never said
Retaliation
For all the times I never bled
The things I've taken
To cure the poison




The things I've taken
To cure the poison

Overall Meaning

The song "Retaliation" by Mesh is a powerful reflection on the aftermath of a toxic relationship. The opening lines suggest that the singer is haunted by the things they never saw, perhaps alluding to hidden betrayals or secrets kept from them by a partner. However, the next line complicates this by suggesting that those things "didn't hurt you," implying that perhaps the singer is overreacting or internalizing misplaced guilt.


The chorus then kicks in, with the recurring refrain of "Retaliation" serving as a rallying cry for the singer to reclaim agency and push back against the perceived injustices they've suffered. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who has been gaslighted and made to feel crazy for their pain, who is now determined to stand up and fight back regardless of the consequences.


One particularly striking line comes towards the end of the song: "For all the bullets in your head / For all the things that you regret / For the lives you've never led / Did I destroy them?" Here the song takes on a more existential, introspective tone, with the singer questioning whether their own actions in response to the toxic relationship may have caused harm to themselves or others.


Overall, "Retaliation" is a searing indictment of the damage wrought by emotionally abusive relationships, as well as a call to arms for anyone who has felt powerless in the face of such toxicity.


Line by Line Meaning

The things you never saw
You were never aware of the things that happened.


They didn't hurt you
Despite the things that happened, you were never affected.


I loved you once before
I had feelings for you in the past.


I never lied to you
I always told you the truth.


And you're biting back at me
You're retaliating against me.


And I'm sick enough to see
I'm aware of the situation but not well enough to handle it.


That it won't be you that breaks it
You won't be the one who ends the situation.


Because you'll never sit and take it
You won't tolerate what's happening.


Retaliation
You're responding to my actions.


For all the voices in your head
You're haunted by negative thoughts and emotions.


Was I mistaken?
Did I make a wrong decision/s?


In all the things I never said
I didn't express everything I should have.


For all the times I never bled
For all the hurt I never showed.


The things I've taken
I've endured a lot.


To cure the poison
I did this to recover from the pain.


Brush the pain aside
I ignored the pain I felt.


It didn't happen
I'm trying to convince myself that nothing happened.


Calm the voice inside
I'm trying to keep myself grounded.


I never got to you
I couldn't connect with you.


And you're writing on your skin
You're doing something self-destructive.


That "the world is caving in"
Things are falling apart for you.


But it won't be you that makes it
You won't be the one who ends the situation.


Because you never tried to fake it
You won't pretend that everything is okay.


For all the bullets in your head
For all the negative thoughts and doubts.


For all the things that you regret
For all the mistakes you've made.


For the lives you've never led
For the opportunities you missed.


Did I destroy them?
Did I cause you to miss these opportunities?


The things I've taken
I've endured a lot.


To cure the poison
I did this to recover from the pain.




Contributed by Eli S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

ax trifonov

Best song by Mesh

DailyMuse

thx for upload! very cool song.

Aztegio

I love this song. but hate i cant get my hands on it.

Jenovasson

Best song on the album next to Razorwire, my cd scratched. Upload razorwire please : )

Tanek Rune

This is the best song and this is 2021 speaking.

More Versions