"“Zombie!” is about repressing emotions until one day they burst out of you all at once. Specifically it’s about a very common, very male kind of repression I witnessed in a boy I loved once—I could see that he felt things but there was a barrier stopping him from expressing them. I hated that for him, it made me so angry at the societal pressures that led him to that place. For me living “like a zombie” became a metaphor for this way of living; someone so seemingly unemotional on the surface they barely seem alive. I scream my head off in the outro of the song and that scream is meant to feel like a huge release, like the moment you let it all out."
— via Paste
"track 5, ‘zombie’ – RAUCOUS. aw man this is going to go off live, I feel it.
lol this scream at the end of ‘zombie’ was one of the most guttural sounds that has ever come out of me
I wanted it to feel years of pent-up emotion, all coming to the surface at once"
— via Twitter
Zombie!
Orla Gartland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie, turn it off
Push it down and it comes back round again
When all of your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie, turn it off
You're not a bad guy, not a bad guy
But you do this all the damn time
You go quiet and you fight it
You don't know how to feel
All of this rage in your hands
Passed on down from your old man
And now somehow it's my fault
Oh, who is this monster on the phone?
Jacked up on your testosterone
And I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it
I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it
When all of your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie, turn it off
Push it down and it comes back round again
When your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie, turn it off
And push it down
Take your time
Take your time
'Cause babe what's yours is mine
All your drama and your trauma
That you hide from the boys
If I say that I'll stay
Then I'll stay but I can't
Sit here watching you wasting away
Oh, when all of your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie, turn it off
Push it down and it comes back round again
When your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie, turn it off
And push it down
(Push it down)
When all of your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie, turn it off
Push it down
When all of your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie, turn it off
Push it down
The lyrics to Orla Gartland's song "Zombie!" depict the struggle of being in a relationship with someone who is emotionally detached and unable to express their true feelings. The repeated phrase "When all of your body's burning up" suggests intense emotions and turmoil that the person is experiencing. The comparison to a zombie symbolizes the feeling of being alive but emotionally dead, going through the motions without truly feeling anything.
The line "You're not a bad guy, not a bad guy, but you do this all the damn time" highlights the frustration and confusion the singer feels towards their partner's repeated behavior. The partner goes quiet and fights against their emotions, making it difficult for them to understand and connect with their own feelings. The reference to "rage in your hands passed on down from your old man" hints at a cycle of emotional suppression that may have been inherited from their family or upbringing.
The chorus emphasizes the repetitive nature of this emotional struggle, with the notion of pushing down emotions only for them to resurface again. The presence of anger and resentment is evident in the line "Oh, who is this monster on the phone? Jacked up on your testosterone," suggesting that the partner's emotions can sometimes manifest in hurtful or aggressive behavior. The singer expresses their dislike and frustration towards this behavior, acknowledging that it is negatively affecting both their partner and their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
When all of your body's burning up
When you're overwhelmed and consumed by intense emotions
You live like a zombie, turn it off
You numb yourself and try to ignore your feelings
Push it down and it comes back round again
Suppressing your emotions only leads to them resurfacing later
You're not a bad guy, not a bad guy
You're not inherently evil or malicious
But you do this all the damn time
However, you repeatedly engage in this behavior
You go quiet and you fight it
You retreat and struggle to confront your emotions
You don't know how to feel
You're unsure of how to process and express your emotions
All of this rage in your hands
You inherited anger and aggression from your father
Passed on down from your old man
It was handed down to you
And now somehow it's my fault
And now you blame me for it
Oh, who is this monster on the phone?
Who is this aggressive and confrontational person talking to me?
Jacked up on your testosterone
Driven by excessive male hormones and aggression
And I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it
I strongly dislike and resent this behavior
When your body's burning up
When you're overwhelmed by intense emotions
Take your time
Take the time you need
'Cause babe what's yours is mine
Because everything you're going through affects me too
All your drama and your trauma
All the chaos and pain from your past
That you hide from the boys
That you keep concealed from others
If I say that I'll stay, then I'll stay but I can't
If I promise to support you, I will, but there's a limit
Sit here watching you wasting away
I can't stand idly by watching you self-destruct
Push it down
Suppress your emotions
Lyrics © Sentric Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Orla Gartland, Pete Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
frog dude
Lyrics:
When all of your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie
Turn it off, and push it down
And it comes back round again
When all of your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie
Turn it off, and push it down
And it comes back round again
You're not a bad guy, not a bad guy
But you do this all the damn time
You go quiet and you fight it
You don't know how to feel
All of this rage in your hands
Passed on down from your old man
And now somehow it's my fault
Oh, who is this monster on the phone?
Jacked up on your testosterone
And I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it
I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it
Oh, when all of your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie
Turn it off, push it down
And it comes back 'round again
When your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You livе like a zombie
Turn it off and push it down
Take your timе, take your time
'Cause babe what's yours is mine
All your drama and your trauma
That you hide from the boys
If I say that I'll stay then I'll stay
But I can't sit here watching you wasting away
Oh, when all of your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie
Turn it off, push it down
And it comes back 'round again
When your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie
Turn it off and push it down
When all of your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie
Turn it off, push it down
When all of your body's burning up
When all of your body's burning up
You live like a zombie
Turn it off and push it down
Un rapá transquilo FTM.
-Me: Orla Gartland can't surprise me as much as she did when she released Figure it out.
-Orla releases Pretending.
-Me: Orla Gartland can't surprise me as much as she did when she released Pretending.
-Orla releases More like you.
-Me: Orla Gartland can't surprise me as much as she did when she released More like you.
-Orla releases Zombie!
What a beautiful day not to predict anything. Keep on ruling, Orla <3
BIBI SKZ
Did Tessa, Dodie, and Orla all collectively agreed to end my entire existence by dropping amazing videos one after another?? 😂❤
omlette_leia
Dude that's what I'M asking
Emma P.
Lauren and Emma too 😭 like girls this is too much for my poor heart lol
Tyler Davis
We really don't deserve them all
Jeremy Robles
Yes
benfll
And Emma too
PALOMA AHTZIRI DELAROSA BARRERA
I'm so happy rn, honestly Orla is a huge inspiration, she has worked so hard to fullfit her dreams and seeing her create is an honor :)
Orla Gartland
no I can't
Pixel Galaxy
Yes u can
doddleoddle
YESSSSSSSSS YESS YESS YESSS