Less Than Zero
Society Burning Lyrics

My gift to you is...
The artist presents a gift as a gesture of appreciation to someone or perhaps to society as a whole.

There are people running around
There are individuals scurrying about, aimlessly searching for purpose or direction in their lives.

Trying to be used
Some people want to be exploited or dehumanized in exchange for attention, approval, or other gains.

Trying to find love
People yearn to discover affection and genuine emotional connections with others.

The way Hitler loved the Jews
The artist equates the search for love with the Holocaust, possibly suggesting that some individuals will go to extreme and devastating lengths to find love.

There's a nasty world outside
The world is filled with unpleasant or dangerous forces that are threatening.

And it's got us on our knees
The challenges of the world have overwhelmed us, and we are powerless to stop them.

There's people in the forest
Unconventional individuals can be found in unexpected places, perhaps protesting, hiding, or simply existing outside of mainstream society.

Making love to the trees
The forest-dwellers exhibit bizarre behavior, perhaps out of rebellion, desperation, or mental illness.

Less than zero
The artist suggests that, despite efforts to establish identity or purpose, we are fundamentally worthless, insignificant, or empty.

We're painting flags on our faces
People adorn or mask themselves with symbols or affiliations, seeking to find meaning or belonging through tribalism or nationalism.

Fill in the empty spaces
We construct elaborate narratives or beliefs to explain the world or to fill gaps in our understanding or experience, rather than accepting the uncertainty of reality or existence.

We're living in a jungle
The world is a wild, unpredictable, and unforgiving landscape in which the strong survive and the weak perish.

With monkeys on our backs
We carry around burdens or addictions that distract or harm us, like the metaphorical monkeys that plague a drug addict's life.

There's people in South Africa
The singer acknowledges that there are struggles and injustices in other parts of the world, potentially in the context of apartheid-era South Africa or other global crises.

Trying to love the blacks
The oppressed or marginalized are seeking acceptance, equality, or compassion, but often face resistance or hostility.

I'm just another Icarus
The artist identifies with the tragic Greek myth of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun with waxen wings and fell to his death.

Screaming as I fall
As the singer faces the consequences of his actions or decisions, he reacts with desperation, anger, or sorrow.

Back to the arms of mother Earth
In the end, all beings return to the natural world, whether through death or decay.

Another blind animal
The artist views himself as a creature who is ignorant or helpless in the face of the larger forces of the universe.