Thomas Lackner (Drums) and Ramon Riezouw (Singer/Songwriter) started playin… Read Full Bio ↴Thomas Lackner (Drums) and Ramon Riezouw (Singer/Songwriter) started playing together in 2005. Being friends and neighbors since childhood, built a solid foundation for creating a band. After Dominik Brunner (Bassist) joined the band the genre of music slowly took shape. After a year of rehearsing regularly, they invited Florian Nothegger (Guitarist) to the band and with him found the completion of members.

The band adopted several names before deciding on “Nihils”, which describes a “non belief” in any rules that apply to music. The music which has a warm, dynamic and rich feel to it, hovers somewhere within the Indie/Pop/Alternative genre but varies from song to song. The band had their first local gig in 2007 and continued performing regularly from then on including shows in the UK and Germany. In 2011 the band had their first chart success with their single "Set my sail" which entered the Austrian single charts at # 14. Nihils are currently working on their second album.

Prison
Nihils Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

As Winter nights grow colder
Hear the echoes ringing through the halls
As time runs out, I feel it slower
Being locked up behind these walls

Why would I resist to question
When the answer seems to be so clear
And I wonder how long, how much longer?

′Cause I can't stay here, gotta disappear

Try and stop me, breaking free
I′m not a prisoner, not a prisoner
Try and stop me, breaking free
I'm not a prisoner, not a prisoner
No more

In the darkest hour
Oh how a dream can seem so damn real
Just a small taste of lasting freedom
Now I can't forget how it feels

Days and days of digging deeper, deeper
I′ve got the tools and the light shows the way
And I wonder how long, how much longer?
′Cause I can't stay here, gotta disappear

Try and stop me, breaking free
I′m not a prisoner, not a prisoner
Try and stop me, breaking free
I'm not a prisoner, not a prisoner

Try and stop me, breaking free
I′m not a prisoner, not a prisoner
Try and stop me, breaking free
I'm not a prisoner, not a prisoner

Try and stop me, breaking free
I′m not a prisoner, not a prisoner

Try and stop me, breaking free
I'm not a prisoner, not a prisoner

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Nihils's song "Prison" convey the theme of wanting to break free from the constraints and limitations of one's environment. The opening lines, "As Winter nights grow colder, Hear the echoes ringing through the halls," create a cold and desolate image of confinement. The next lines, "As time runs out, I feel it slower, Being locked up behind these walls," represent how time feels different when one is trapped and confined.

The singer in the song questions the reasons for their confinement, "Why would I resist to question, When the answer seems to be so clear?" Yet, they declare their need for escape, "I can't stay here, gotta disappear." The repetition of the chorus, "Try and stop me, breaking free, I'm not a prisoner, not a prisoner, No more", emphasizes the singer's determination to break free from their prison.

The second verse suggests that the singer has experienced a fleeting taste of freedom, "Oh how a dream can seem so damn real, Just a small taste of lasting freedom, Now I can't forget how it feels." This experience has given them a sense of longing and hope to escape their confinement. The final lines of the song, "Days and days of digging deeper, deeper, I've got the tools and the light shows the way," symbolize the singer's tireless efforts to escape.

Overall, "Prison" by Nihils is a powerful song that uses motifs of confinement, escape, and desperation to create an emotional and relatable message.

Line by Line Meaning

As Winter nights grow colder
As the winter season progresses and the nights become colder

Hear the echoes ringing through the halls
Hear the sounds that echo through the halls

As time runs out, I feel it slower
As time passes and my situation is becoming more desperate, I feel as though time is moving slower

Being locked up behind these walls
Being confined and trapped within these walls

Why would I resist to question
Why should I resist questioning my circumstances

When the answer seems to be so clear
When the solution to my problem appears to be obvious

And I wonder how long, how much longer?
And I contemplate how much longer I can endure my confinement

′Cause I can't stay here, gotta disappear
Because I cannot remain here and must find a way to escape and disappear

Try and stop me, breaking free
Attempt to prevent me from breaking free

I′m not a prisoner, not a prisoner
I refuse to be defined as a prisoner

No more
I will no longer accept being a prisoner

In the darkest hour
During the most difficult and trying time

Oh how a dream can seem so damn real
How a dream can seem incredibly vivid and lifelike

Just a small taste of lasting freedom
Having experienced a brief moment of true freedom

Now I can't forget how it feels
Now the memory of freedom is forever ingrained in my mind

Days and days of digging deeper, deeper
Spending countless days digging deeper and deeper

I′ve got the tools and the light shows the way
I possess the necessary tools and light to guide me on my escape

Writer(s): Ramon Riezouw, Thomas Lacky Lackner, Dominik Brunner, Florian Nothegger, Paul Wallner, Nikolaus Stossl

Contributed by Noah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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