Peeping Tom
Placebo Lyrics

The song "Peeping Tom" by Placebo reflects the feeling of someone who is living life as a voyeur. Right from the start, the lyrics "I'm careful not to fall, I have to climb your wall" indicate the person is trying to gain access to something they shouldn't. This could be a metaphor for trying to cross personal boundaries or even a physical wall to see something that's not visible from the outside. The lines "you're the one who makes me feel much taller than you are" reveal the person's obsession with the subject of their voyeurism. The idea is that looking at this person makes the rest of the world seem small in comparison.

The repeated lines "I'm just a peeping tom, on my own for far too long" indicate the singer is aware of their behavior and is feeling isolated because of it. The last two lines, "Problems with the booze, nothing left to lose" suggest the singer is using alcohol to cope with their situation, and that they don't have much hope of getting out of their current predicament.

The chorus repeats the lines "I'm weightless, I'm bare, I'm faithless, I'm scared" which conveys the idea that the singer feels lost, stripped of their identity, lacking in faith or hope, and overwhelmed by fear. The face that "fills the hole that stole my broken soul" could be a metaphor for the person who the singer is spying on. Maybe they see something in that person's life that they're missing. The line "troubles with the gear, nothing left to fear" suggests that the singer is so desperate for a thrill that they're willing to risk everything, including their physical well-being, to get it.

Overall, the song is a powerful reflection on the consequences of voyeurism, as it portrays the character as more and more isolated and desperate as the song progresses.