Daedalus
Thrice Lyrics


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I stand on the cliffs with my son next to me
This island our prison, our home
And everyday we look out at the sea
This place is all he's ever known

But I've got a plan, and some
Wax and some string, some feathers I stole from a bird
We leap from the cliff and we hear the wind sing a song thats too perfect for words

But son, please keep a steady wing
And know your the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea

Now safely away, I let out a cry
We'll make the mainland by noon
But Icarus climbs higher still in the sky
Maybe I've spoken too soon

But son, please keep a steady wing
And know your the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea

Wont you look at your wings
They're coming undone
They're splitting at the seams
Steer clear of the sun, for once wont you listen to me?

Oh God!
Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings
Oh God!
Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me




I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings
Oh God!

Overall Meaning

Thrice's song Daedalus is a retelling of the Greek mythic tale of Daedalus and his son, Icarus. The lyrics describe Daedalus and his son standing on the cliffs of an island, which is their prison/home. The father has a plan, and he has gathered some wax, string, and feathers to make wings. Together, they leap from the cliff and fly away towards the mainland. However, Daedalus warns his son to keep a steady wing and steer clear of the sun, or he will fall into the sea. As Icarus climbs higher into the sky, he becomes too enamored with flying and gets too close to the sun, melting the wax seals on his wings, causing him to fall into the sea and drowning. The song ends with Daedalus lamenting the loss of his son and his ability to fly.


The lyrics of "Daedalus" showcase the overarching theme of hubris, a common Greek tragedy theme that emphasizes an individual's excessive pride and self-confidence. In Greek mythology, hubris often led to devastating consequences, and this song reflects that as well. Daedalus, thinking himself invincible, was too preoccupied with flying and pushing his limits, which ultimately resulted in his son's death.


The song's slow and melancholic melody reflects the sorrow and regret that Daedalus feels after losing his son. The song's title refers to Daedalus, the legendary Greek craftsman credited with inventing and constructing the wings with which he and his son escaped from their imprisonment.


Line by Line Meaning

I stand on the cliffs with my son next to me
Standing on a secluded island with my son next to me, where we are both imprisoned and call it home.


And everyday we look out at the sea
We look at the vast sea every day, which has surrounded us from all sides, as far as the eye can see.


But I've got a plan, and some Wax and some string, some feathers I stole from a bird
I have come up with a plan to escape the island using some wax, strings, and feathers I stole from a bird.


We leap from the cliff and we hear the wind sing a song that's too perfect for words
We jump off the cliff, and we hear the melodious sound of the wind, which is too perfect for us to explain in words.


But son, please keep a steady wing And know you're the only one that means anything to me Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea
I urge my son to keep his wings steady, and let him know that he is the only one who matters to me the most. I warn him to stay away from the sun or face the consequences of falling into the sea.


Now safely away, I let out a cry We'll make the mainland by noon But Icarus climbs higher still in the sky Maybe I've spoken too soon
Now we have safely flown away from the island, and I exclaim with joy, saying we will reach the mainland by noon. But I see my son climbing higher and higher in the sky, which makes me wonder whether I spoke too soon.


Wont you look at your wings They're coming undone They're splitting at the seams Steer clear of the sun, for once won't you listen to me?
I ask my son to look at his wings, which are coming undone and splitting at the seams. I implore him to listen to me for once and stay away from the sun, which is causing the damage.


Oh God! Why is this happening to me? All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings Oh God!
I cry out to God wondering why this is happening to me. All I wanted was a new life for my son, where he could grow up free. But now, the only thing that meant anything to me has been taken away, and I vow to never fly again and hang up my wings, cursing God in the process.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUSTIN MICHAEL KENSRUE, EDWARD CARRINGTON BRECKENRIDGE, JAMES RILEY BRECKENRIDGE, TEPPEI TERANISHI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Adime

[Daedalus]
I stand on the cliffs with my son next to me
This island our prison, our home
And everyday we look out at the sea
This place is all he's ever known
"But I've got a plan,"
He sung Wax and some string, some feathers I stole from a bird
We leap from the cliff and we hear the wind sing a song that's too perfect for words

But son, please keep a steady wing
And know you're the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea
Now safely away, I let out a cry "We'll make the mainland by noon"
But Icarus climbs higher still in the sky
Maybe I've spoken too soon

But son, please keep a steady wing
And know you're the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea
Won't you look at your wings?
They're coming undone
They're splitting at the seams
Steer clear of the sun, for once won't you listen to me?

Oh Gods! Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings

Oh Gods! Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings
Oh Gods!



Ryan Christl

Copied from Google
( was trying ti sing along)

I stand on the cliffs with my son next to me
This island, our prison, our home
And everyday we look out at the sea
This place is all he's ever known
But I've got a plan and some wax and some string
Some feathers I stole from the birds
So we leap from the cliff and we hear the wind sing
A song that's too perfect for words
But son, please keep a steady wing
You know you're the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun
Or you'll find yourself in the sea
Now safely away, I let out a cry
That we'll make the mainland by noon
But Icarus climbs higher still in the sky
And maybe I've spoken too soon
But son, please keep a steady wing
You know you're the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun
Or you'll find yourself in the sea
Won't you look at your wings?
They're coming undone
They're splitting at the seams
Steer clear of the sun
For once, won't you listen to me
Oh gods, why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was a new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I will never fly again, I will hang up my wings
Oh gods, why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was a new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I will never fly again, I will hang up my wings
Oh gods!



All comments from YouTube:

Adam Meadows

This song still hits me hard after all these years, it has so much passion in it.

TheSlammurai

That last "Oh God" has such power behind it. I can't possibly imagine losing a son.

aenema22

This track hits so hard. I lost my brother a year ago in a tragic mountain climbing accident. He was always so daring in his endeavors. I can't help but hear this song from my mother's perspective and weep.

Sly11B Enal

Thrice has been my favorite band n always will be. Been with them since their beginning ✔💯🔥🍸

Robert Johnson

That goes Thrice for me

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Marcelo Bielsa

I listen to this masterpiece and everything is right with my world. Beautiful lyrics, passionate amazing singing and music that sends me. Unbelievable band and my go to when shit goes bad.

Marcelo Bielsa

Josh Moix The passion, the melodies, the intensity. Can't get enough.

Robert Johnson

Amen. Been listening since circa 2000 & still can't get enough of their entire discography... They're tragically underrated!

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shatterstar 87

Been with them since 98 and will always be a fan!!!

DigitalSea

22 years and still underappreciated. This world doesn't deserve this band.

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