Jesse Michaels – vocals
Tim Armstrong – guitar
Matt Freeman – bass
Dave Mello – drums
Vulnerability
Operation Ivy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wasn't time for fear, before his body hit the ground
Our vulnerability is all our insensitivity
Car that hit him pulled to a stop
Driver hid the bottles, he anticipated cops
Crowd assembled to take a look at death
People looked bored, like expecting more
People looked bored like expecting more
And sympathy is only friendships whore you know
And maybe we don't know who we are anymore
Another spectacle and its respectable
To take it lightly like another TV show
So desensitized so dehumanized
Why stop and think when you can find someplace to go
Were drowning
And its gonna be the death of us just you wait and see
The song "Vulnerability" by Operation Ivy, an American punk rock band, is a powerful commentary on how desensitized we have become to violence and tragedy. The lyrics describe a scene where a man is hit by a car, and the driver of the car hides his bottles, expecting to be caught by the police. The people who witnessed the accident gather around the man's body, but they look bored, as if they were expecting more. The singer laments that we have become so insensitive to violence and death that we treat them like another TV show. The chorus of the song drives home the point that our lack of empathy and sensitivity will be the death of us.
The opening lines of the song set the stage for the theme of vulnerability. The line "I saw this guy go down" implies that the singer witnessed the accident first-hand. The next line, "Wasn't time for fear, before his body hit the ground" suggests that the singer was too shocked to react before the man's body hit the ground. This creates a sense of vulnerability, that we are all susceptible to accidents and misfortune.
The chorus of the song is particularly striking, in which the singer asserts that "sympathy is only friendships whore you know." This line seems to suggest that we are more concerned with our own personal relationships than with the suffering of others. The final line, "And its gonna be the death of us just you wait and see," is a warning that our lack of concern for others will lead to our downfall.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw this guy go down
The singer witnessed a man falling
Wasn't time for fear, before his body hit the ground
The man fell so suddenly that there was no time to react with fear
Our vulnerability is all our insensitivity
Human weakness comes from an inability to feel empathy and compassion for others
Car that hit him pulled to a stop
The car that hit the man stopped after the accident
Driver hid the bottles, he anticipated cops
The driver of the car tried to hide evidence of drinking alcohol in anticipation of police intervention
Crowd assembled to take a look at death
A crowd gathered to observe the man's death
Shattered skull fragile body, blacktop running red
The man suffered fatal injuries, his blood staining the pavement
People looked bored, like expecting more
Onlookers appeared uninterested or even desensitized to the situation, as if they were waiting for more excitement
And sympathy is only friendships whore you know
The concept of sympathy has been reduced to a cheap commodity, like a prostitute
And maybe we don't know who we are anymore
People have become so desensitized and lacking in empathy that they have lost their own sense of identity
Another spectacle and its respectable
Tragedies and violence have become normalized or even celebrated in society
To take it lightly like another TV show
People treat horrific events as entertainment, like a television show
So desensitized so dehumanized
Society has become numb and disconnected from human emotions and experiences
Why stop and think when you can find someplace to go
People would rather ignore or distract themselves from unpleasant realities than confront them with empathy and thoughtfulness
Were drowning
Humanity is drowning in a culture of violence, apathy, and desensitization
And its gonna be the death of us just you wait and see
The consequences of this societal attitude will eventually lead to the destruction of humanity
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: DAVID M MELLO, JESSE MICHAELS, ROGER MATTHEW FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kunty McKunthles
My dad would always play this album in the car when I was a kid. I'm 20 years old now and I have to say, my parents raised me right.
Anon Ymous
I'll be playing some op iv songs in the car with my 7 year old daughter today! Long live Operation Ivy!
Kunty McKunthles
I don’t understand why we’re bringing up politics. This is op ivy. If I wanted to argue about politics I would have gone to a dead Kennedy’s song and posted.
Arlen Burgin
You're still a kid, fuck nut
nunya binus
my kids are 10 and 13
and while i still slave away we do it to this soundtrack
and btw vote trump 2020
Sentil
I'm 19, and I'm still a little boy. Help me nigga how do I swim in reality?
EST 1981
My favorite Op Ivy song (judging by views) is one of the least liked from the album. I don't get it. This song rocks and has a great message.
pleromic pastry
I LOVE this song and only today found out the lyrics. I'm shocked to find out what he was singing! lol Lyrically it's amazing too!
Owen Frank
It's a timeless message
Zack Arnold
I love Op Ivy's well written songs. Fucking bravo!