Borrowed Time Borrowed Eyes
SubRosa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give me a reason to go on
The winter sky is full of ash
Broken homes, endless trash
But in the darkness he holds his son
He's all that's left, the only one
Join together, rot inside
In this land, the only hope
Is to die young, to not get old
But in the darkness he holds his son
He's all that's left, the only one
In the darkness he holds his son
There is no God, there is no love
Stripped to the marrow,
Their empty platitudes can't
Clothe them, feed them, heal them
They shuck them off like a thin, useless skin
That they've outgrown when hunger calls
How long must my journey go?
And my sorrow no one know?
In SubRosa's song "Borrowed Time Borrowed Eyes," the lyrics depict a dystopian world, where society has crumbled and people struggle to survive. The first stanza is a vivid portrayal of a post-apocalyptic world, with heads on spikes and endless trash symbolizing the destruction and chaos. The singer is searching for a reason to continue living in this desolate world, but it seems like there is no hope. The winter sky full of ash indicates that the world may have gone through a catastrophic event, such as a nuclear war.
The second stanza reveals that the singer has a son who is the only family left. Despite the harsh conditions, the singer holds on to his love for his son and continues to protect him. The people in the hills have given up, accepted their fate, and have hidden away. The only hope is for one to die young and not grow old. The singer is realistic about the world they live in, but his love for his son keeps him going.
The last stanza is a commentary on the inadequacy of religion and love in a world that has lost all its values. The people are stripped to the marrow, and their empty platitudes can't help them. When hunger strikes, they realize that religion and love are useless in the face of survival. The song ends with sorrow and despair, with the singer questioning how long their journey will go on, and no one to share his sorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Heads on spikes, symbols on skulls
Displays of violence and death are prevalent and normalized in this society.
Give me a reason to go on
The singer is struggling to find hope or motivation in their circumstances.
The winter sky is full of ash
The environment is polluted and bleak.
Broken homes, endless trash
The artist's surroundings are characterized by poverty and decay.
But in the darkness he holds his son
Despite the darkness and despair, the artist finds comfort and hope in caring for his child.
He's all that's left, the only one
The singer has lost everything else but is determined to protect his child.
In the hills, the people hide
The general population lives in fear and desperation, hiding from danger.
Join together, rot inside
The few who band together for survival slowly deteriorate.
In this land, the only hope
The only option for escape is death.
Is to die young, to not get old
Living long enough to experience the full extent of the society's deprivation is unbearable.
There is no God, there is no love
The singer feels abandoned by religion and any feeling of benevolence or kindness in this world.
Stripped to the marrow,
The people are left with nothing, completely deprived and hopeless.
Their empty platitudes can't
The empty words of those in power are not enough to support or aid the people.
Clothe them, feed them, heal them
The people lack basic necessities and care.
They shuck them off like a thin, useless skin
Those in power discard the needs of the people as if they are an insignificant inconvenience.
That they've outgrown when hunger calls
The leaders only acknowledge the people's suffering when it becomes too loud to ignore.
How long must my journey go?
The artist is questioning the seemingly never-ending struggle for survival.
And my sorrow no one know?
The singer feels isolated and alone in their pain and hardship.
Contributed by Elliot H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
EmiLee Arsnyk
//lyrics
Heads on spikes, symbols on skulls
Give me a reason to go on The winter sky is full of ash Broken homes, endless trash
But in the darkness he holds his son
He’s all that’s left, the only one
In the hills, the people hide
Join together, rot inside
In this land, the only hope
Is to die young, to not get old
But in the darkness he holds his son
He’s all that’s left, the only one
In the darkness he holds his son
There is no God, there is no love
Stripped to the marrow
Their empty platitudes can’t
Clothe them, feed them, heal them
They shuck them off like a thin, useless skin
That they’ve outgrown when hunger calls
How long must my journey go?
And my sorrow no one know?
Grey Sorcerer
I really enjoy SubRosa. It's a strange combination of Gothic, Black-Metal, Doom, and Psychedelic. I can attest to this being labeled "Doomgaze".
Jude Chua
Please don't. Don't put any label.
Uncle Fester
I'd call em Experimental Metal. Best description for what they are.
Varaah Vryatt
Favorite band ever...inspired me to learn to play electric guitar, always thought they made a new genre, doesn’t fit with a lot of other doom metal
cora Rose
TheMoon Atman it has a rebellious feel to it
EmiLee Arsnyk
//lyrics
Heads on spikes, symbols on skulls
Give me a reason to go on The winter sky is full of ash Broken homes, endless trash
But in the darkness he holds his son
He’s all that’s left, the only one
In the hills, the people hide
Join together, rot inside
In this land, the only hope
Is to die young, to not get old
But in the darkness he holds his son
He’s all that’s left, the only one
In the darkness he holds his son
There is no God, there is no love
Stripped to the marrow
Their empty platitudes can’t
Clothe them, feed them, heal them
They shuck them off like a thin, useless skin
That they’ve outgrown when hunger calls
How long must my journey go?
And my sorrow no one know?
LunarRose0105
Yes
Varaah Vryatt
Bless U🧚🏻♀️🌟
Zozobra
In case anyone was wondering at all, this song is about the novel "The Road," a very dark, realistic portrayal of a post-apocalyptic journey of a father and son. The phrase "Borrowed Eyes, Borrowed Time" is almost directly from the book and the lyrics pertain to their unfortunate experiences.
Zozobra
@Jude Chua The band said it was in an interview at one point, but if you read the lyrics it's also pretty evident.