There is more than one artist with this name:

(1) Pedestrian is a U… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:

(1) Pedestrian is a UK based electronic DJ and producer. A notorious sound wanderer, sonic sculptor and dancefloor master, Pedestrian’s intricate, crystallised production and an instinct for DJ sets that can captivate any club has seen him ranked in K Magazine’s ‘10 Bass Music Artists To Watch Out For In 2012’. And with very good reason.
With universally strong releases on Push & Run, 2nd Drop, Brownswood and Metalheadz, Pedestrian (also known as Jack Sibley) flows over genre constraints with sounds that submerse the home listener and entrance the heads on any dancefloor with penetrating basslines, crystallised synths, organic audio sampling and crackling melodic harmonies.
His first 12” ‘Hei Poa’ on Push & Run garnered massive critical acclaim, lauded for its high production value and a dancefloor impact only enhanced by an ethereal, hypnotic quality. Support has been coming in strong from luminaries such as Gilles Peterson, Bonobo, Commix, Ifan Dafydd, and Huw Stephens, and his remixes for Gang Colours, Emeli Sandé’ and a massive Lauryn Hill bootleg with close associates Maribou State have been creating considerable hype.
In 2013, Pedestrian’s dreamy tune “Hoyle Road” claims the historic second release slot on the legendary James Zabiela’s Born Electric imprint.

(2) Pedestrian (AKA the Pedestrian) is the pseudonym of rapper James Brandon Best. Possibly the least well known of anticon's co-founders, his first release, the 12" "The Toss & Turn", wasn't issued until 2004, though he had made several appearances on compilations and was part of one-off groups Stuffed Animals & Object Beings. Pedestrian's full-length debut, Unindian Songs, Vol. 1, came out in 2005. Asides from guest spots on records by other anticon accomplices such as Telephone Jim Jesus and Themselves, he has not released anything since.

(3) Pedestrian is a rock band from Los Angeles consisting of: Joel Shearer (vocals, guitars) Zac Rae (keyboards, guitars) Blair Sinta (drums) and Joe Karnes (bass). Members have contributed as session and touring musicians to the music of: Alanis Morissette, Damien Rice, Our Lady Peace, Annie Lennox, John Cale, Fiona Apple, Gnarls Barkley, Dido, Jane’s Addiction, Carly Simon, and Lindsey Buckingham. They have 4 independently released CDs: the Electric and Acoustic EPs (2003) Ghostly Life (2006) and their newest album Sidegeist (2008)

Overwhelmed
Pedestrian Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

i feel simple, i feel lost
i feel heavy with all the above
i want to get away, i've got to get away
one more blow will do me in
so i hide beneath this skin
it's so much safer here, it must be safer here
in the darkest parts of me
where i tend to find my peace

it's not much better here, it can't be better here
is it easier on you
when i pretend that i am through
we build our walls again, i've built our walls again
sometimes love feels this free
sometimes love disagrees
i'll take what i can get, i take what i can get

oh ,we get so overwhelmed by

Overall Meaning

the weight of our emotions and the struggles of life that sometimes all we want to do is run away from it all. The first few lines of Pedestrian's song "Overwhelmed" describe this feeling perfectly. The singer is feeling simple, lost, and burdened by everything happening around them. They want to escape, just for a little while, to catch their breath and regroup. The next line, "one more blow will do me in" suggests that the singer is close to reaching their breaking point. They feel like they can't handle any more stress or problems in their life without crumbling.

The second part of the verse reveals the singer's coping mechanism. They retreat into themselves and find comfort in the darkest parts of their being. They believe that it is safer there because no one can hurt them. However, the singer acknowledges that this is not a healthy or sustainable way to deal with their problems. They recognize that it's not much better in this state of isolation and they wonder if it's easier on the people in their life if they just pretend that they are doing okay. The repetition of "we build our walls again" at the end of the verse implies that this pattern has been repeated multiple times and that the singer is stuck in this cycle of building walls to protect themselves.

Line by Line Meaning

i feel simple, i feel lost
I am feeling unconfident and unsure of myself, like I lack direction.

i feel heavy with all the above
These feelings are weighing me down and making me feel emotionally burdened.

i want to get away, i've got to get away
I feel the urge to escape from these feelings and emotions that are overwhelming me.

one more blow will do me in
I feel like I am at my breaking point and one more negative thing will push me over the edge.

so i hide beneath this skin
To cope with these feelings, I am retreating within myself, trying to hide my vulnerability and emotions.

it's so much safer here, it must be safer here
I believe that it's safer to keep my feelings hidden to avoid being hurt or judged by others.

in the darkest parts of me
I am referring to the parts of myself that I usually keep hidden from the rest of the world.

where i tend to find my peace
Despite the darkness, I find solace in the fact that these hidden parts of myself are a source of comfort for me.

it's not much better here, it can't be better here
However, I acknowledge that this internal hiding place isn't necessarily better, but it's a familiar coping mechanism that I've come to rely on.

is it easier on you
I wonder if it would be easier for others if I pretend that everything is okay and that I'm not struggling.

when i pretend that i am through
I sometimes pretend that I'm past my struggles, even though I'm not, to make it easier for others, even if it's not necessarily the best choice for me.

we build our walls again, i've built our walls again
This is a reference to the protective walls that I put up to guard myself from the world and its potential traumas.

sometimes love feels this free
Love can sometimes create these intense and overwhelming feelings that can be hard to process, even if they're positive emotions.

sometimes love disagrees
However, love isn't always perfect and it can sometimes cause conflicts or disagreements that are just as overwhelming as negative emotions.

i'll take what i can get, i take what i can get
Despite everything, I'm willing to take whatever positive emotions and experiences come my way because they help balance out the negatives.

Contributed by Peyton W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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