Phoenix
Redscale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The smoke rising up from the sand
Shattered ground below
And moving a skeletal hand
You′re raising these bones
You're shaking off the dust
Breaking from the hold
The flesh beneath the crust
Shivering limbs
Slowly creeping towards the edge
The expanse below
A solitary star ahead
It draws you in
A tremor from the core
You can hear the call
It′s time to come back home
The palest light
Is leading into the grave
Your mind decays and takes you into the cold
The earth cracking open, the old world has to die
A wail from the darkness below
We crawl from the ashes moving towards the light
After the fall
Your body raised
A wandering ghost
Burning with new blood
The searing mark emblazed
And you leave behind
A yawning empty grave
The way inside
Is paved with every mistake
A cold embrace
The spectre leaving the host
The earth cracking open, the old world has to die
A wail from the darkness below
We crawl from the ashes moving towards the light
After the fall
Will we find what we're searching, break free from the hold
Or are we on a path that leads us astray
Oh we shovel the dirt, we're looking for gold
What if we have been wrong all the way
The world must be broken and cast to the flames
We crawl from the ashes remade
The lyrics of Redscale's song Phoenix describe a sense of rebirth after experiencing a catastrophic event. The opening lines of the song describe a scene of destruction where the singer is surrounded by smoke and shattered ground. The imagery in these lines establish a bleak and hopeless atmosphere. However, the singer then describes themselves raising their bones and shaking off the dust, emblematic of overcoming the devastation around them. The subsequent lines describe the singer cautiously making their way towards a solitary star in the distance and yielding to the urge to come back home. The pale light mentioned in the song alludes to a sense of hope even though it guides the singer towards the grave. The song continues to describe how despite the specter of death, the singer continues towards the light and ultimately emerges transformed and renewed.
The second verse in the song, like the first, frames the singer triumphing over their circumstances, leading to a reprise of the chorus. The final verse, alternatively, prompts us to question whether our search for meaning and redemption is worth the real and metaphorical dirt we dig up on our path. The chorus reinforces the idea that in order to be remade, one must first "crawl from the ashes" of what has come before. In short, the song Phoenix is an allegory about renewal and regeneration, leading to a reimagined identity.
Line by Line Meaning
After the fall
Following some sort of collapse or tragedy
The smoke rising up from the sand
The aftermath of the fall, destruction and chaos
Shattered ground below
The physical effects of the fall, broken and destroyed environments
And moving a skeletal hand
Showing signs of life among the wreckage, trying to survive
You're raising these bones
Fighting to overcome the damage and rebuild
You're shaking off the dust
Trying to move past what has happened and start anew
Breaking from the hold
Breaking free from whatever has been keeping you down
The flesh beneath the crust
Beneath the damaged exterior, there is still life and hope
Shivering limbs
Overcoming fear and uncertainty to move forward
Slowly creeping towards the edge
Taking small steps towards progress
The expanse below
The unknown future ahead
A solitary star ahead
A beacon of hope, something to strive towards
It draws you in
The hope and possibility pulls you forward
A tremor from the core
The excitement and anticipation of change
You can hear the call
Feeling a sense of destiny or purpose
It's time to come back home
Returning to a sense of self or purpose after being lost
The palest light
A dim and uncertain hope
Is leading into the grave
Seeming to lead towards a hopeless end
Your mind decays and takes you into the cold
Mental deterioration and the overwhelming feeling of being lost
The earth cracking open, the old world has to die
Creating space for new growth and change
A wail from the darkness below
The pain and trauma of the past
We crawl from the ashes moving towards the light
Rising from the wreckage towards hope and optimism
Your body raised
Overcoming adversity and rising from the ashes
A wandering ghost
Feeling lost and uncertain in the new world
Burning with new blood
Reinvigorated and ready for a new beginning
The searing mark emblazed
The scars of the past, a reminder of the journey
And you leave behind
Moving on from what was lost
A yawning empty grave
The past, empty and buried
The way inside
The path towards growth and change
Is paved with every mistake
Learning and growing from past failures
A cold embrace
The harsh reality of change and growth
The spectre leaving the host
Leaving behind the past and embracing a new future
Will we find what we're searching, break free from the hold
Questioning if the journey will be worth it, if change is worth the effort
Or are we on a path that leads us astray
Worrying that the effort won't lead to the desired result, and instead will cause more harm
Oh we shovel the dirt, we're looking for gold
Working hard towards growth and change, despite the challenges
What if we have been wrong all the way
Questioning if the journey and change were worthwhile, or if the past was better
The world must be broken and cast to the flames
Breaking down the past in order to create a new future
We crawl from the ashes remade
Moving forward from the destruction and being reborn into something new and better
Writer(s): Jessica Sharman, Scarlet Porterfield Hood Billham
Contributed by Elizabeth P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.