Rotten
Neurotic Fish Lyrics

The lyrics of Neuroticfish's song Rotten are a poetic representation of an individual's self-awareness of their own flaws and how one's inner demons can affect their relationships. In the very first line, the singer acknowledges someone coming back in their life tonight, hoping to forget the past and move on. However, despite this, the singer claims they are rotten inside, emphasizing that their flaws have not disappeared even if they're pretending they have.

The second stanza describes how the singer is struggling to articulate their thoughts about the relationship, where the cost of moving forward might be too great to bear. The singer admits that they cannot listen as intently as they need to and that luck may be intended and yet it may also be misunderstood.

The final verse again sees the singer's relationship significant other return, but despite her efforts, the singer knows that their frayed relationship remains senseless. The lines are laced with a sense of urgency and outright despair. The two characters know that their relationship is broken beyond repair, and even though they have a belief that they maintain, they know that fate has purer plans for them.

Rotten is not entirely bereft of moments of hope. The singer's inner voice recognizes the urgency and purity of the moment and, like a gut-wrenching pain that lasts for an eternity, confronts it with a sense of dignity, maintaining that the relationship is the only thing they believe in. Through this, the song underscores the raw truth about human relationships and how we are all inherently flawed, both struggling with our own battles and often dragging our loved ones down with us.