Softball was an pop punk band from Chiba, Japan. The band members — Moe (vo… Read Full Bio ↴Softball was an pop punk band from Chiba, Japan. The band members — Moe (vocals/guitar), Nomiya (bass), and Rie (drums) — got together while still in high school. Mike Park signed them to North American label Asian Man Records, and they made their self-titled first North American release in 1999. They are known in the Western World for their cover of the song "Foreign Land" an hommage to U.S.A. soldiers invading foreign nations.

Baby
Softball Lyrics

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I didn't notice
that I played the baby
The air was filled
with anxiety and fear
I had a conversation
in the darkness
I spoke to myself there
It's a sin to tell a lie

My left hand was sweaty
It's an escape to cheat
Shells are being destroyed
By a riot on the inside
I didn't notice
that I played the baby
The air was filled
with anxiety and fear
I had a conversation
in the darkness
I spoke to myself there

I tore my claws from myself
In order to get to the truth
I tore my claws from myself
In order to get at the eyes
I didn't notice
that I played the baby
The air was filled
with anxiety and fear
I had a conversation
in the darkness
I spoke to myself there
I didn't notice
that I played the baby
The air was filled
with anxiety and fear
I had a conversation
in the darkness

I spoke to myself there
I'm in time.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Softball's song "Baby" tell a story of self-reflection and inner turmoil. The singer didn't realize that they were playing the role of the baby, or the vulnerable and dependent one, until the air around them became filled with anxiety and fear. In the darkness, the singer has a conversation with themselves, grappling with the tension between honesty and deception. They recognize that telling a lie is a sin but also acknowledge the allure of cheating as an escape from this overwhelming feeling of unrest. The violence of the riot happening inside them is destroying the shells of their exterior self.

In the second half of the song, the singer speaks of tearing their claws from themselves in order to find the truth and the eyes, which could represent both their own perception of reality and the perception of others. Despite this quest for truth, the singer realizes that they remain in the role of the baby, still filled with anxiety and fear.

Overall, the lyrics of "Baby" focus on the struggle to reconcile our exterior self with our interior self, the tension between truth and lies, and the ongoing search for identity and self-awareness.

Line by Line Meaning

I didn't notice
I was unaware

that I played the baby
that I acted immaturely

The air was filled
The atmosphere was thick

with anxiety and fear
with nervous tension and apprehension

I had a conversation
I spoke with someone

in the darkness
in a place without light

I spoke to myself there
I had a soliloquy

It's a sin to tell a lie
Fibbing is morally wrong

My left hand was sweaty
My opposite hand had perspiration

It's an escape to cheat
Cheating is a way to avoid something unpleasant

Shells are being destroyed
A hard and protective cover is being demolished