At the age of 18, Santiago moved to Los Angeles, where she worked as a bartender in a restaurant. She has credited encouragement from a co-worker, who later became her first manager, for motivating her to pursue a professional career as a musician.
In 2017, Santiago independently released "Temperance", her debut single under the stage name Royal & the Serpent. On her moniker, she has explained that "'Royal & the Serpent' translates to 'Me + My Ego'". In 2018, she released her second single, "Together", and was featured on the song "Wicked" by music producer Tommee Profitt. By the end of 2019, she had signed with Atlantic Records.
"Overwhelmed", Royal & the Serpent's first single on Atlantic, was released in June 2020, and her debut EP Get a Grip was released in October. That year, Royal & the Serpent joined English singer Yungblud's Weird Time of Life virtual tour as a supporting act.
Overwhelmed
Royal & the Serpent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's starting to freak me
Out it's so loud
It's like my ears are bleeding
What am I feeling?
Can't look at the ceiling
The light is so bright
It's like I'm overheating
This mind isn't mine
Who am I to judge?
Oh I should be fine
But it's all too much
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety keeps me silent
When I try to speak
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed
All of these faces
Who don't know what space is
And crowds are shut down
I'm overstimulated
Nobody gets it
They say I'm too sensitive
I can't listen cause I'm eyeing the exits
This mind isn't mine
Who am I to judge?
Oh, I should be fine
But it's all too much
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety keeps me silent
When I try to speak
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed
I get overwhelmed
I should be fine
But it's all too much
I should be fine
But I'm not
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed so easily
Keeps me silent
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed
The song "Overwhelmed" by Royal & the Serpent is a powerful anthem about the struggles of anxiety and feeling overwhelmed in social situations. The opening lines immediately set the tone, as the singer pleads to turn off the TV that is causing sensory overload. The bright lights and cacophony of sounds leave the singer unable to focus on anything other than their own thoughts and the feelings of anxiety building inside of them. The mind isn't their own, and they are unable to judge these feelings. Despite the internal struggles, the singer knows they should be "fine," but acknowledges that it is all too much to handle.
The chorus of the song highlights the internal battle with anxiety that is crippling the singer. They feel like they are "somebody else," as if the weight of the anxiety has taken away their own identity. The feeling of being "overwhelmed" is expressed repeatedly, as if the isolation and frustration of these feelings is a never-ending and cyclical struggle. The final lines emphasize this feeling of helplessness, as the singer acknowledges that they "should be fine, but [they are] not."
The song provides an unflinching and honest representation of the struggles of mental health, particularly anxiety disorders, and the feeling of being overwhelmed in crowded or social situations. It is a powerful message of understanding and empathy that resonates with many people who have experienced these feelings of anxiety.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn off the TV
I need to turn off the TV because it's making me anxious and uncomfortable.
It's starting to freak me
The TV is causing me to feel freaked out and uneasy.
Out it's so loud
The volume of the TV is too loud and overwhelming for me.
It's like my ears are bleeding
The TV is so loud that it feels like my ears are bleeding.
What am I feeling?
I am unsure of what I am feeling but it is causing me distress.
Can't look at the ceiling
I cannot look at the ceiling because it is too bright and overwhelming.
The light is so bright
The light is too bright and it is causing me discomfort.
It's like I'm overheating
The brightness and loudness of my surroundings are making me feel like I am overheating.
This mind isn't mine
I feel like my mind is not my own and I am struggling to cope.
Who am I to judge?
I do not feel qualified to judge my own feelings or emotions.
Oh I should be fine
I logically know I should be fine, but I am struggling to feel that way emotionally.
But it's all too much
Overall, everything in my surroundings is too overwhelming for me to handle.
I get overwhelmed so easily
I have a tendency to feel overwhelmed very quickly and easily, even in seemingly normal situations.
My anxiety creeps inside of me
My anxiety slowly builds up inside of me, making it hard to ignore and control.
Makes it hard to breathe
My anxiety is so intense that it is making it hard for me to breathe normally.
What's come over me
I am unsure of why I am feeling this way or what has caused it.
Feels like I'm somebody else
My anxiety is so overwhelming that I no longer feel like myself or in control of my actions.
My anxiety keeps me silent
My anxiety is so powerful that it causes me to remain silent and unable to express myself.
When I try to speak
Even when I try to speak, my anxiety makes it difficult for me to find the right words and express myself clearly.
All of these faces
I am surrounded by people who do not understand what I am feeling or going through.
Who don't know what space is
The people around me do not understand my need for personal space and silence.
And crowds are shut down
The noise and chaos of large crowds can cause me to shut down and feel overwhelmed.
I'm overstimulated
I am receiving too much sensory input, causing me to feel overwhelmed and overstimulated.
Nobody gets it
No one around me seems to understand how I am feeling or what I am going through.
They say I'm too sensitive
The people around me believe that I am overreacting or being too sensitive to my surroundings.
I can't listen cause I'm eyeing the exits
I am distracted and unable to focus on what is happening around me because I am constantly looking for a way to escape.
I should be fine, but it's all too much
Even though things are logically okay, I am still feeling overwhelmed and struggling to cope.
I get overwhelmed
Overall, I tend to feel overwhelmed very easily and frequently.
I'm not
Despite what others may think or say, I am not okay and I am struggling to cope with my anxiety.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jeoff Harris, Ryan Santiago, William Behlendorf, Mark Gozman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@amandaoliveira2355
Lyrics:
Turn off the T.V
It's starting to freak me
Out it's so loud
It's like my ears are bleeding
What am I feeling?
Can't look at the ceiling
The light is so bright
It's like I'm over heating
This mind isn't mine
Who am I to judge?
Oh I should be fine
But it's all too much
Chorus:
I get overwhelmed
So easily
My anxiety creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
Words come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed
So easily My anxiety
Keeps me silent when I try to speak
Words come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed
Verse 2:
All of these faces
Who don't know what space is
And crowds are shut down
I'm over stimulated
Nobody gets it
They say I'm too sensitive
I can't listen cause I'm eyeing the exits
Chorus:
This mind isn't mine
Who am I to judge?
Oh I should be fine.
But it's all too much.
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
Words come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety keeps me silent
When I try to speak
Words come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed
Verses 3:
I should be fine
But it's all too much
I should be fine
But I'm not.
Chorus:
I get overwhelmed
So easily my anxiety
Creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
Words come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed
So easily
Keeps me silent
Words come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed.
@leafyveins4985
I'm 28 and I've known about my anxiety since I was 8. This is the first song I've ever heard that really captures what it feels like.
For me, it's never gone away. It's a part of who I am, for whatever reason. Perhaps an evolutionary response to a threat that isn't there? I go to therapy, I take my medications and I'm starting to explore more methods like meditation, eating much healthier, drinking a lot more water, exercising, etc. All of these things help a lot. I can't erase my anxiety but I can be stronger than it, I can work around it. I'm happy to say I haven't had a true panic attack in over a year, something I never, ever thought would be possible. I had just accepted that was my life: panic attacks every day or multiple times a day. Frozen. Silent.
I will never stop trying to work around my anxiety. It also helps to listen to your anxiety, as strange as that sounds. To ask it questions like, "What are you really upset about? Is it that person standing too close, can you do something about it? If you can't, can you breathe slowly and deeply and try some grounding exercises? If that doesn't work, can you try to drink some water to occupy your mind in this moment, focusing on nothing else but the water? You can do this. I believe in you."
And, as juvenile as it sounds, I speak to my anxiety as if it were a child. In a good way. I don't think of my anxiety as some monster in the closet. It's just a chemical imbalance that believes it's helping me stay safe. I explain what reality is to my anxiety and comfort it the same way I would my own child. If my anxiety is here to stay, then we better get used to each other. I can't walk around hating that part of myself because it doesn't make the anxiety go away, it makes it worse.
Don't give up. You are worthwhile. You can go lengths of time without having a panic attack or feeling any anxiety at all. You can. It's possible, I promise you. I have seen it, felt it. It won't always feel this way, I promise. You're doing amazing sweetie ❤
@shalinichauhan8769
Lyrics:-
Turn off the TV
It's starting to freak me
Out it's so loud
It's like my ears are bleeding
What am I feeling?
Can't look at the ceiling
The light is so bright
It's like I'm overheating
This mind isn't mine
Who am I to judge?
Oh I should be fine
But it's all too much
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety keeps me silent
When I try to speak
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed
All of these faces
Who don't know what space is
And crowds are shut down
I'm overstimulated
Nobody gets it
They say I'm too sensitive
I can't listen cause I'm eyeing the exits
This mind isn't mine
Who am I to judge?
Oh, I should be fine
But it's all too much
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety keeps me silent
When I try to speak
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed
I get overwhelmed
I should be fine
But it's all too much
I should be fine
But I'm not
I get overwhelmed so easily
My anxiety creeps inside of me
Makes it hard to breathe
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed so easily
Keeps me silent
What's come over me
Feels like I'm somebody else
I get overwhelmed
Thank you for all that likes 💗
@victoriaknolton2043
It means a lot when someone can put things like this into words that other people can understand. Then I can just send someone a song and be like “okay, so you get it now??” Love it.
@asukirigaya416
Right ?! Like you don't know what you feel
@serasnathi4275
Exactly my thoughts! And then I remembered that anyone who I would show this doesn't speak english 😅
@Mediaadoration
Any one who reads this please find peace and stay blessed😁❤️
@maggiehendon9946
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (KJV) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
@purplesongs
Listen to the slowed and reverb version of this song.
https://youtu.be/XuSXkVUaNjs
💜💜
@caylensparrow9578
This song is so comforting , there has never been a song that explains how anxiety feels in my mind, as well as overstimulation and it genuinely makes me feel a little less lonely in this world
@shaye967
Army💜
@kaiibagel4871
Same, now im feeling less alone.
@melina948
I literally come here reading comment to feel less alone in this