I'll Finish You Off
The Melvins Lyrics
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Stay here - the married would be wise
~Let's make a real justice and hollow~
~Still be the married that won't be wise~
Stay here
~Swinged wife with a goal to do a right shot~
There's no time for ~rating~ - don't even care
There's no rhyme and ~the reason is some ghost white like a pill~
~Swinged wife~ in time
To the tune of a man with his hand to his heart
We won't be long - you must be patient
~So there we stay~
It wouldn't be fair - to tell you where
~That's your mistake~
Might be today - might be tomorrow
~But you'll be staying~
Might be today - might be tomorrow
~But you'll be staying~
The Melvins's song I'll Finish You Off is a haunting and eerie track that speaks to the darker aspects of human nature. The lyrics are cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to reference death and the afterlife. The opening lines of "I'm dying and surely hanging staring" suggest a sense of impending doom, as if the singer is on the brink of death and staring into the abyss. The repeated refrain of "Stay here" may be a plea to those left behind to remain present and connected to the singer, even in death.
The following lines of "Swinged wife with a goal to do a right shot" continue the theme of violence and death, possibly referencing a murder or execution. The lyrics suggest a lack of concern for consequences or morality, as the singer declares "There's no time for rating - don't even care." The line "Swinged wife in time to the tune of a man with his hand to his heart" adds another layer of mystery to the song, as it's unclear who the swung wife and man with his hand to his heart are or what their significance might be.
The final lines of "We won't be long - you must be patient" and "Might be today - might be tomorrow, but you'll be staying" suggest that the singer is speaking to someone who is either dying or about to die. The repetition of "you'll be staying" seems to indicate that death is inevitable, and that the listener's fate is sealed. Overall, I'll Finish You Off is a haunting and ominous track that tackles deep, existential truths about mortality and the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm dying and surely hanging staring
I am on the verge of dying and feel as if I'm hanging; staring blankly at my surrounding
Stay here - the married would be wise
It's better for you to stay here with me; it may be unsafe for you to leave
Let's make a real justice and hollow
Let's bring justice to this situation, even if it feels hollow or meaningless
Still be the married that won't be wise
Even though it may not be wise, it's still better for you to be married and here with me
Swinged wife with a goal to do a right shot
An angered spouse has a goal of achieving the right shot or revenge
There's no time for rating - don't even care
There's no time to judge or evaluate the situation; I don't even care about that anymore.
Pitch blind and it seems so easy on the eyes
Though blinded, this situation is still so clear and easy to see
There's no rhyme and the reason is some ghost white like a pill
There is no explanation, logic or clear structure to this situation, it's unclear like a white pill that doesn't affect me.
Swinged wife in time to the tune of a man with his hand to his heart
The angry spouse reacted to this situation like a man with his hands on his heart, using a necessary but violent action
We won't be long - you must be patient
We will leave soon, but you have to be patient with me
So there we stay
So, we will continue to stay here, together
It wouldn't be fair - to tell you where
It's not right for me to tell you where we're going
That's your mistake
It's your fault for not knowing where we are going
Might be today - might be tomorrow, but you'll be staying
We might leave today or tomorrow, but you'll have to stay behind, regardless.
Contributed by Lily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.