Sleep
Stabbing Westward Lyrics
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When she last felt anything at all but this pain and anger
She stares intently at the door listens for his footsteps
She knows exactly what's in store and the knowing makes it worse
When he calls her daddy's little girl she doesn't hear him
When he crushes her she can't feel her screams are silent
Hides in the corners of her mind where she plays contently
She leaves this nightmare far behind, she escapes inside her dreams
Floating high above her bed
Staring at her father's head
Wishing one of them were dead
So this hell could finally end
These lyrics tell the story of a girl who has been repeatedly abused by her father. She is numb to anything but the pain and anger that she feels as she waits for him to come home. The mention of her being called "daddy's little girl" suggests that she was once a happy child before her father began to abuse her. She dissociates from the reality of her abuse, retreating into her mind where she can be content and dream. This is where she finds solace, but it's also where she wishes for escape from her living nightmare.
The specific mention of her wanting one of them to be dead implies the desperation she is feeling. She cannot escape her father, and she cannot escape the traumatic memories. She wishes for freedom from the cycle of abuse, and sees death as the only way for it to end.
Overall, these lyrics paint a stark picture of the effects of abuse on a victim. It shows the trauma that can linger, the dissociation that can occur, and the desperate yearning for escape.
Line by Line Meaning
She's been here so many times before she can't remember
The girl has endured this traumatic and abusive situation so frequently that it has become normalized to her.
When she last felt anything at all but this pain and anger
The girl's emotional range is limited to pain and anger due to the trauma she has endured.
She stares intently at the door listens for his footsteps
The girl is on high alert, anticipating her abuser's arrival and preparing for the worst.
She knows exactly what's in store and the knowing makes it worse
The girl is aware of the impending abuse, and this knowledge only amplifies her fear and distress.
When he calls her daddy's little girl she doesn't hear him
The abuser's attempts to dehumanize and infantilize the girl have no impact on her due to her emotional detachment.
When he crushes her she can't feel her screams are silent
The severity of the abuse has reached a point where the girl is numb to the physical pain and cannot even vocalize her suffering.
Hides in the corners of her mind where she plays contently
As a coping mechanism, the girl escapes into a mental safe space where she can find peace and happiness.
She leaves this nightmare far behind, she escapes inside her dreams
The girl's dreams become her reality as she seeks refuge from her traumatic experiences in a world of her own imagination.
Floating high above her bed
In her dreams, the girl is liberated from the constraints of reality and can fly and float freely.
Staring at her father's head
The abuser - likely the girl's father - is the source of her trauma and her constant fear.
Wishing one of them were dead
The girl harbors a desire for either herself or her abuser to die in order to end the cycle of abuse and suffering.
So this hell could finally end
The girl's life feels like a living nightmare, and she wishes for it to end by any means necessary.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave
Written by: ANDY KUBISZEWSKI, CHRISTOPHER HALL, JAMES ERIC SELLERS, WALTER FLAKUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind