Förnedringen
Reeperbahn Lyrics

The lyrics to "Förnedringen" by Reeperbahn express a sense of disillusionment and despair towards the experiences and interactions encountered by the singer in their life. Through the imagery of waves, menstruation, and sexual encounters, the singer appears to be reflecting on their own personal struggles with sexuality and desire, attempting to reconcile their own desires and experiences with the shame and guilt they feel. The line "Jag är ett barn som så gärna vill - bli bränt" can be interpreted as the singer's desire to be consumed by their desires, despite the fear and taboo surrounding them.

The second stanza shifts the focus towards violence and death, with references to men and blood, and a sense of detachment towards the physical aspects of the body. The singer describes the bodies they encounter as "tomt", suggesting a sense of emptiness or loss of identity. The line "Alla lik som gett mig mat - och förnedring" highlights the way in which the singer has been forced into a position of subservience and abuse, gradually losing more and more of their sense of self.

The repeated line "Jag samlar upp inför summeringen" can be seen as the singer's attempt to take stock of their experiences and make sense of them, as they approach their own mortality. The final line "I raka led – nedför stupet..." suggests a sense of fatalism and inevitability, as though the singer knows that they are doomed to continue down the same path of destruction.