Prison Chains
Motherjane Lyrics


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Wake up...
Alarms in your head,
That keep going off through the day.
Another deadline to separate time
As you ease into your prison chains.

You're human fueld burning out.
Fulfilling your destiny
As a plunging line on a time graph
An art form of this century.

These prison chains are your making
A disease you embrace.
You're smiling but the gaps start showing
Its like a cancer in your face.

Prison chains
Didn't see them coming
Till they were firmly in place.
You're still smiling...
An emptiness growing
Where you once had a face.

You gave up so much of you life
You couldn't have know what for
Noting you built was meant to last
And no one was keeping score.

You're a victim of the surmise
That these chains were too strong.
They were nailed to the open skies.
Untested far too long.

And as I watch you multiply
Into a vortex of human pain




Can I smash the mirrors between you and I?
The last of my prison chains.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Motherjane's song "Prison Chains" speak about the condition of individuals working tirelessly every day to fulfill their destinies. The song highlights the fact that people have created their own "Prison Chains," which are the deadlines, duties, and responsibilities that they have to meet. The prisoners in this song are those individuals who end up getting trapped and suffocated by their own self-inflicted obligations.


The lyrics touch upon the common perception that success can only be achieved through hard work and dedication, which many people accept as the truth. However, the song poses the question of whether all this labor is truly worth it, and suggests that happiness and fulfillment should be the ultimate goals. The lines "You gave up so much of your life/ You couldn't have known what for/ Nothing you built was meant to last," indicate that individuals are sacrificing their present and future happiness to fit into the mold of what society perceives as success.


The song concludes with the singer considering the possibility of smashing the mirrors between the two individuals (the singer and the person they are addressing) as a way of breaking the chains that bind them. This is symbolic of breaking free from the societal norms and the belief that the only way to be successful is through sacrifice and stress. Breaking the mirror, in this context, is a way of shattering the illusion that one has to live a robotic and predictable life to succeed.


Line by Line Meaning

Wake up...
It's time to become aware of your situation.


Alarms in your head,
Thoughts that keep disturbing your peace of mind.


That keep going off through the day.
Persisting relentlessly.


Another deadline to separate time
Another task that eats up your time and energy.


As you ease into your prison chains.
As you unknowingly accept your tragic reality.


You're human fuel burning out.
You're depleting your energy and spirit.


Fulfilling your destiny
Doing what you were meant to do.


As a plunging line on a time graph
Measurable and predictable progress towards your end.


An art form of this century.
A widespread and accepted way of living.


These prison chains are your making
You created this limiting and oppressive reality.


A disease you embrace.
You're addicted to and dependent on this existence.


You're smiling but the gaps start showing
You pretend to be happy, but it's becoming obvious that you're not.


Its like a cancer in your face.
Your situation is spreading and consuming your identity.


Prison chains
The constraints that suffocate you.


Didn't see them coming
You were unaware of how trapped you'd become.


Till they were firmly in place.
Until it was too late to escape them.


An emptiness growing
A void inside you that's getting bigger every day.


Where you once had a face.
Where your true self once existed.


You gave up so much of your life
You sacrificed and lost a lot in this reality.


You couldn't have known what for
You didn't anticipate the extent of your sacrifice.


Nothing you built was meant to last
Your achievements in this reality are temporary and fleeting.


And no one was keeping score.
Your efforts and sacrifices go unnoticed and unappreciated.


You're a victim of the surmise
You're a casualty of widespread belief or opinion.


That these chains were too strong.
That it was impossible to escape or change your situation.


They were nailed to the open skies.
They were interconnected and interdependent with everything else around you.


Untested far too long.
Your reality was not critically questioned or challenged.


And as I watch you multiply
As I see you replicate this existence to others.


Into a vortex of human pain
Into a cycle of suffering and despair.


Can I smash the mirrors between you and I?
Can I break the illusions that keep us apart?


The last of my prison chains.
The final constraints that bind me are broken by understanding your situation.




Contributed by Logan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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