The Bitter End
Richie Kotzen Lyrics

Purple feathers fall from the core of a handmade boa
The singer describes the physical appearance of an object associated with his memories of a relationship. The purple feathers represent the pain he experienced.

That dries her tears
The feathers represented his pain and sadness, which his partner sensed and empathized with. She tried to comfort him, but the gesture was futile.

Precious stones in a box
The box of stones represents the value and importance of one's feelings and desires. It is locked away for fear of losing it.

Reflecting her fear
The fear mentioned here is the fear of opening up and expressing one's feelings. The reflection represents the realization of this fear.

You want something real
The artist expresses a desire for a genuine connection with someone, for authenticity and sincerity in relationships.

You don't know when you got it
The singer recognizes that sometimes we don't appreciate what we have until we lose it.

Emotionally fierce you want love
The intensity of the singer's emotions makes him fiercely devoted to love in its purest form.

But you fight it till the bitter end
Despite his yearning for love, the artist fears the pain that inevitably comes with opening up to someone. He fights against it to avoid the possibility of being hurt.

Wading in a river
The artist is moving through life, possibly searching for something he has lost or seeking clarity and direction.

Fishing out pieces of his heart she shattered
The artist has had his heart broken, and he is trying to collect the remaining pieces in order to move on. 'She' is the person who caused this heartbreak.

Falling from a blue crest
The blue crest refers to something that was once beautiful and idealistic, but has since fallen apart. The singer is dealing with the aftermath of this fall.

Realizing too late this place is shallow
The artist has realized that the thing he once held in high regard was shallow and unfulfilling. He's come to this conclusion too late, however, and feels trapped.

Our two different people
The singer and 'she' are fundamentally different from each other, and this is part of the reason their relationship couldn't work.

The music box she carries the camouflage he wears
The 'music box' represents memories and nostalgia that the partner holds onto, while the 'camouflage' represents the singer's attempt to hide his true emotions.

Is soon to be buried
The end of the relationship is approaching and will soon be over and buried.

All glory no feel you want love but you fight it
The artist recognizes that it's easy to superficially present oneself as happy and successful, but this masks the true desire to find and embrace love. This is complicated by the fear of pain and the fight against vulnerability.

Livin' on a pipe dream tryin' to make the right scene
The artist is struggling to create an image of himself that he believes will be happy and successful. This is a 'pipe dream' because it doesn't truly represent who he is or what he wants.

Reachin' for a brass ring without life in your hand
The singer is chasing after a false idea of success and happiness. The 'brass ring' represents the unattainable goal, and the lack of 'life in your hand' means that the journey to get there is empty and meaningless.

Talkin' through the motions criticize devotion
The singer recognizes the hollowness of conversations that are just 'talking through the motions'. This inevitably causes a lack of true devotion and commitment to sustaining the relationship.

Breakin' out the door and never findin' the key
The artist is searching for something, but no matter how hard he tries or how much he struggles, he can never find what he is looking for.

Pacifier motion void of all emotion
The artist describes the act of pacifying or going through the motions of something without any emotional investment or sincerity. This portrays a lack of genuine engagement and stifles true feelings and desires.

Fallin' out fallin' down and over again
The artist is struggling to find a foothold, trying to climb a ladder that constantly seems to be falling or moving. With every attempt, the artist falls back down and has to start from the bottom again.

Take association over dedication
The singer describes a way of life where people associate with one another superficially without any real dedication or investment in the relationship. The idea is that people always want the superficiality of association, but do not want the reality of dedication.

How far can you go without takin' a step
The artist asks how far one can truly go without taking the first step, risking vulnerability and exposure. Without taking that initial leap, true growth and success may not be attainable.

You want and you want and you kill yourself to get
The singer recognizes that people have a tendency to want things that may not be good for them or that they may not truly need. Despite this, they relentlessly pursue these desires to the point of exhaustion and detriment.

You die and you die and you ain't seen nothin' yet
The singer describes the enormous cost of trying to obtain desires that are superficial or inauthentic. People may experience many losses and disappointments but still have not truly lived, if they have not fulfilled their true desires and found genuine happiness.

You hide and you hide just to stay above the crest
The singer recognizes that in order to protect themselves from the pain of being hurt, people take refuge in superficiality and try to maintain a surface-level appearance of success and happiness.

You're a fake, a lie...now try and camouflage that
The artist directly confronts the facade of superficiality and inauthenticity, challenging people to try to deny the truth of their own inadequacies and limitations.

Like a changing season adapt to fit the reason
The artist describes the pressure to be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances or people, even if it means compromising one's own desires and needs. This repetition can leave one feeling lost and hopeless.

Integrity what's it mean to you it's a lie
The singer questions the value of integrity and whether people truly understand what it means. When people compromise their own values for superficial gains, they undermine the true meaning and significance of these values.

Hold out till you see it then you try and be it
The singer encourages people to wait until they understand who they truly are and what their genuine desires are before trying to become someone or something else.

You're lost, a fool...what can I say
The artist describes the state of trap and aimlessness that comes with superficially seeking success and happiness. In these circumstances, people can feel utterly lost and foolish, without direction or guidance.

You lie and you live but it's all the same
The artist describes the emptiness of living a lie and trying to present oneself as something different from what they truly are. This ultimately leads to an unfulfilling existence, without real meaning or purpose.

You're fake, you are nowhere ...now try and camouflage that
The artist reiterates the point that superficiality and inauthenticity are self-destructive and unfulfilling. If people acknowledge their own limitations and flaws, they can begin to work towards becoming more authentic and fulfilled.