The Wolf
Rancid Lyrics

I didn't trust him, 'cause he smiled at me first
I was cautious of the person, because he gave a friendly smile to me, which immediately reminded me of how a wolf behaves before it attacks.

Just like the wolf before he bites me
An analogy by which he compares the stranger's behavior towards him with that of a wolf.

And I didn't go there, I swear that it was cursed
The singer decided not to venture into a place due to a strong feeling that it was cursed, as if the place was intentionally trying to bring misfortune upon him.

Just as if it was to despite me
The artist felt that the cursed place was targeted towards him, almost as if it was created to purposefully spite him.

I saw some better days, from Beijing to Hunter Place
The artist reminisces about the good times he's had in the past, in different places- such as Beijing and Hunter Place.

A portrait of the sum of the last couple years
The singer describes these good memories as a sum of the highlights of his past few years.

See I lost an image, an image of chaos
The singer laments that he has lost an image of chaos- which might mean that he doesn't have control over situations around him anymore, and that things are falling apart.

All I've ever known is isolation and pain?
The artist expresses a feeling of loneliness and discomfort with life so far, as if those are the only emotions he's ever truly understood.

I'm on the verge of losing everything, every single day
The artist feels that he is very close to losing everything that he has, every single day, and therefore the future looks bleak.

In all this deadly drama you know I see myself fall
With everything happening around him, the artist can only see himself fall- as if he is just a passive spectator in a deadly drama.

I've been confusing
The singer is confused about what to do next, or how to tackle life's challenges.

A lost canyon
The artist feels like he is in a pathless territory, without any direction or guidance.

Consuming it all
All the chaos and confusion seems to be eating away at the singer, and taking a toll on his energy and well-being.

So I may be antisocial and shy, and yo I found myself a job
The singer describes himself as being introverted and shy, but is proud of the fact that he has found a job for himself.

But I journey and complain, through incredible odds
Despite having found a job, the singer faces many difficulties on his way and continues to complain through it all.

Its the simple things I guess, a delicate balance
The artist realizes that in the grand scheme of things, it's the small things that matter, and maintaining a balance in life is key.

I never really thought I could make it all happen
The artist expresses his amazement at having been able to survive through all the tough times and come so far.

Now the anarchist kid gives a fuck about you
The singer feels that he is now strong enough to stand for himself and doesn't care about others' opinion of him, just like an anarchist.

I stood up every single time I fell
The singer is proud of his resilience and the fact that he keeps getting back up every time he falls.

It's just you
The artist feels that in the grand scheme of things, it's just them and their struggles, and that everybody else is on their own as well.

Consuming it all
Echoing what he said before, the artist feels that everything around them, all the challenges and hardships, are consuming them slowly but surely.

I didn't trust him, cause he smiled at me first
Repeating what he said earlier, the artist emphasizes that he doesn't trust people who try to put on a facade with their smiles, likening them to wolves in sheep's clothing.

Just like the wolf before he bites me
An analogy by which he compares the stranger's behavior towards him with that of a wolf.

And I didn't go there, I swear that it was cursed
The artist believes that the place he chose not to go to was intentionally cursed, which made him feel even more convinced that it was best to avoid it.

Just as if it was to despite them
Echoing what he said before, the singer feels that the cursed place was targeted towards him, almost as if it was created to purposefully spite him.

I didn't trust him, cause he smiled at me first
Repeating what he said earlier, the singer emphasizes his suspicion of people who try to put on a facade with their smiles.

Just like the wolf before he bites me
An analogy by which he compares the stranger's behavior towards him with that of a wolf.

And I didn't go there, I swear that it was cursed
The artist believes that the place he chose not to go to was intentionally cursed, which made him feel even more convinced that it was best to avoid it.

Just as if it was to despite me
Echoing what he said before, the artist feels that the cursed place was targeted towards him, almost as if it was created to purposefully spite him.