We Stay Behind
Rasputina Lyrics


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"There was a black rainbow
That rose up and covered the town!"
Exclaimed Howard Blue, 22
"I never even had a nightmare
Or a beautiful dream about this," He said
As he watched the warehouses burn

The hurricane pilot
Swoops into the 25-mile-wide eye
And he gasps 'cause the size of it was astounding
The towering columns of cumulonimbus stretched six miles high

Two friends remembered
A wooden leg
With a shoe
Detached from its owner while he slept
Twenty-two bodies found tied together in Violet

Living in a mausoleum
Making governments of our own
As the sky turned pink, four horses emerged from the water
Led by a stallion, they
Start grazing on neutral ground

We are the ones
The ones who stay behind, we stay behind




We are the ones
The ones who stay behind, we stay behind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Rasputina's song We Stay Behind tell a story of a catastrophic event that befalls a town. The use of vivid imagery in the lyrics paints a picture of destruction - a black rainbow covers the town, warehouses burn, and bodies are found tied together. The song talks about the hurricane pilot who is amazed at the size of the storm, and the two friends who reminisce about a wooden leg they saw detached from its owner while he slept.


In the chorus, the song takes on a theme of resilience as the singer sings about being the ones who stay behind. The use of the term "we" implies that those who stay behind are a community that perseveres together. The image of four horses emerging from the water and grazing on neutral ground can be interpreted as a symbol of hope; even in the aftermath of a disaster, life continues.


Overall, the lyrics of We Stay Behind showcase the resilience of people in the face of disaster. Rather than focusing on the destruction, the song emphasizes the strength of those who stay behind and rebuild.


Line by Line Meaning

There was a black rainbow
A catastrophic event, like a black rainbow, happened and covered the town in darkness.


That rose up and covered the town!
The event was significant enough to completely cover the town and its inhabitants in darkness and despair.


I never even had a nightmare
Even in their wildest dreams, the people never expected such a disaster to occur.


Or a beautiful dream about this,
Conversely, they also never had a lovely dream that could counterbalance the nightmare they are experiencing now.


He said As he watched the warehouses burn
One observer, Howard Blue, is watching his livelihood burn before his eyes, and everything he once knew is being destroyed.


The hurricane pilot
The pilot is in the eye of the storm and surveying the damage from above.


Swoops into the 25-mile-wide eye
The pilot is flying into the hurricane's eye, which is twenty-five miles wide.


And he gasps 'cause the size of it was astounding
The sheer amount of destruction caused by the hurricane is taking the pilot's breath away due to its enormity.


The towering columns of cumulonimbus stretched six miles high
The storm's clouds are high and towering enough to measure six miles high.


Two friends remembered
Two friends reminisce about a tragedy that happened to a mutual acquaintance.


A wooden leg
The man had a wooden leg, which became detached while he was sleeping.


With a shoe
He was not wearing his shoe when his leg fell off, and it was never found.


Twenty-two bodies found tied together in Violet
Twenty-two people were found bound together in one location, likely Violet, and it is unclear why this happened.


Living in a mausoleum
The people are living in a place that is akin to a dead person's resting place and are surrounded by death and destruction.


Making governments of our own
The survivors are forming their own governments and structures to cope with the new reality that they are living in.


As the sky turned pink, four horses emerged from the water
Out of the chaos and destruction, four horses appear and are a sign of hope or renewal.


Led by a stallion, they
The horses are being led by a dominant male horse.


Start grazing on neutral ground
The horses do not belong to any one group or individual and can be seen as a symbol of unity among the people who have survived.


We are the ones
The survivors are taking responsibility for the fate of their town in the aftermath of the disaster.


The ones who stay behind, we stay behind
They are not going to leave their town and the memories that it holds behind.


We are the ones
Once again, the survivors take ownership of their newfound reality.


The ones who stay behind, we stay behind
They choose to stay and rebuild their town, regardless of the hardships that it may bring.




Contributed by Grayson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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