Afterlife
Nothing But Thieves Nothing But Thieves Lyrics
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Oh, what a terrible thought
'Cause I've lived without you once before
We don't, we don't have to do this again
Please don't, please don't make me start this again
And oh my love
Your beauty will consume me in the end
It was only ever you
It was only ever you
My baby, it feels like a lifetime
Oh God, I don't think I could do two
Afterlife
You can tell your God he can keep his salvation
And if you like, the angels can fly into the sun
We don't, we don't have to do this again
Please don't, please don't make me start this again
It was only ever you
It was only ever you
My baby, it feels like a lifetime
Oh God, I don't think I could do two
My soul is tortured with love and lust and hate
My cracked lips are unkissed for a million days
My infected heart, it's bleeding in this cage
I'm losing my dignity, not got long left to wait
It was only ever you
It was only ever you
My baby, it feels like a lifetime
Oh God, I don't think I could do two
The song "Afterlife" by Nothing But Thieves appears to be about the singer's deep love for someone, and his fear of losing that person permanently. The opening lines express this fear quite vividly: "Oh, what a terrible thought / 'Cause I've lived without you once before." The singer seems to be addressing his lover, almost pleading with them not to leave him again: "We don't, we don't have to do this again / Please don't, please don't make me start this again." The repetition of these lines adds weight to the singer's sense of desperation.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the fact that, for the singer, this one person is everything: "It was only ever you / It was only ever you / My baby, it feels like a lifetime / Oh God, I don't think I could do two." The reference to "two" suggests that the singer can only handle so much separation from this person before he would be unable to continue living without them. This idea of being unable to continue without someone is further emphasized in the second verse, where the singer describes his "tortured" soul and "infected heart," and his sense of losing his dignity as time passes.
Overall, "Afterlife" seems to be a powerful and emotional song about the depths of love, and the fear of losing that love forever. The evocative lyrics and plaintive melody make for a compelling musical experience that resonates with listeners on a deep emotional level.
Line by Line Meaning
Afterlife
The idea of an afterlife is terrifying
Oh, what a terrible thought
The thought of living without you again is unbearable
'Cause I've lived without you once before
I've experienced life without you once, and it was awful
We don't, we don't have to do this again
We don't have to go through life without each other again
Please don't, please don't make me start this again
Please don't make me go through the pain of losing you again
And oh my love
The depth of my love for you is overwhelming
Your beauty will consume me in the end
Your beauty has the power to envelop and overwhelm me completely
It was only ever you
No one else has ever mattered, it's only ever been you
My baby, it feels like a lifetime
The time without you feels like an eternity
Oh God, I don't think I could do two
I don't think I could handle losing you again
You can tell your God he can keep his salvation
I don't need anything from God if it means losing you
And if you like, the angels can fly into the sun
I would give up everything, even the angels in heaven, if it means keeping you with me
My soul is tortured with love and lust and hate
My emotions are tearing me apart
My cracked lips are unkissed for a million days
I am longing for your touch, and it feels like an eternity
My infected heart, it's bleeding in this cage
My heart is damaged and broken, trapped and hurting
I'm losing my dignity, not got long left to wait
My situation is hopeless, and I am losing myself in the process
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Conor Mason, Dominic Alexander Roberto Craik, Joseph Langridge-Brown, Michael Seamus Crossey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind