“Stay with Me,” is an homage to one of Dustin’s favorite Josh Ritter songs “The Temptation of Adam” — about a couple who fall in love after taking shelter in a missile silo fearing the end of the world. Here Dustin imagines their above ground and post-apocalyptic analogue, but in both songs, the protagonist is haunted by what would happen to their love, should they find “the war was over.”
As with so many of Dustin Kensrue’s lyrics, the song is probably intended to work on physical and a spiritual level of interpretation.
At its basic level, the voice in the song is of someone who discovers a tired and broken person and chooses to help them. He rescues the weak one and they develop a bond. The rescued develops a loyalty and a love for their rescuer, but the rescuer wonders if that loyalty is only there because of what he can do, or if it goes beyond that to who he is.
On a spiritual and allegorical level, the voice in the song would be God, wondering the same thing about his followers. The subject is probably inspired by Kensrue’s (a devout Christian) questioning his own motives for faith at times, and is written as a reminder of God’s heart towards him; This allegory is reminiscent of many passages in the Bible, including Ezekiel 16. Through Jesus, God has rescued all who believe in him, but are Christians using Jesus as “fire insurance” or do they truly love him?
Stay With Me
Thrice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I took your fevered hands, felt like embers of the world's dying glow
And you were featherlike as I carried you quietly through the crumbling streets
And in the fading light I could see in your eyes that somehow we were meant to meet
Would you stay with me?
If you thought the war was over
And everything made right
Would you still believe in us?
And would your love for me grow colder?
With no one left to fight
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay with me?
After the fever left, together we scavaged through the city and her scars
And when the day would end, by the door against the demons and the dark
We'd share a can of something, a bottle of bourbon I'd hid away
It wore me from within, and you from without
'Til I forget the chilling grief
Would you stay with me?
If you thought the war was over
And everything made right
Would you still believe in us?
And would your love for me grow colder?
With no one left to fight
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay with me?
Oh, it seems like every night
You lie in bed and worry that the world would start to heal
Now I'm terrified
If the demons start to ask if what we have is real
Would you stay with me?
If you thought the war was over
And everything made right
Would you still believe in us?
And would your love for me grow colder?
With no one left to fight
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay with me?
In "Stay With Me" by Thrice, the lyrics paint a haunting and poignant picture of a relationship forged amidst the ruins of a war-ravaged city. The song begins with the singer describing their encounter with someone, portrayed as a shimmering shadow in the mirror, amidst the desolation of the world. The person they meet seems fragile and ethereal, symbolized by being "featherlike." Despite the harsh circumstances, the connection between them feels fated, as they can see it in each other's eyes.
As the song progresses, the lyrics delve into the shared experiences of survival and healing. Together, they scavenge through the city, confronting and overcoming its scars. They find solace in each other's company, sharing whatever little they have, like a can of something or a hidden bottle of bourbon. However, the toll of their past experiences starts taking a toll on both individuals, wearing them down from within and without. The singer fears that their relationship might suffer if the demons of the past resurface and question the authenticity of what they share.
The chorus repeatedly poses the essential question of whether this person would stay with the singer under different circumstances. It explores the idea of finding lasting love and connection beyond the struggle and chaos of their surroundings. It questions if the love they have built together can withstand the absence of external battles, or if it would grow colder without a cause to unite them.
Overall, "Stay With Me" captures the fragility and uncertainty of relationships formed in challenging times, exploring themes of love, survival, and the fear of losing someone when the world starts to heal.
Line by Line Meaning
You were a silhouette, shimmering shadow in the mirror with ash and snow
You were a vague, distorted figure, reflecting the darkness and desolation in the mirror
I took your fevered hands, felt like embers of the world's dying glow
I held your hands which were warm with intense emotion, reminiscent of the fading vitality of the world
And you were featherlike as I carried you quietly through the crumbling streets
You were fragile and light as I silently carried you through the decaying streets
And in the fading light I could see in your eyes that somehow we were meant to meet
As the light diminished, I perceived in your eyes that our encounter was destined
After the fever left, together we scavaged through the city and her scars
When the intensity subsided, we explored the city's ruins and the marks of its wounds together
And when the day would end, by the door against the demons and the dark
At the end of each day, we would stand by the door, protecting ourselves from the inner struggles and external dangers
We'd share a can of something, a bottle of bourbon I'd hid away
We would share a drink, a hidden bottle of bourbon, as a means of finding solace and escape
It wore me from within, and you from without 'Til I forget the chilling grief
It drained me internally, and you externally, until I no longer remember the haunting sorrow
Oh, it seems like every night You lie in bed and worry that the world would start to heal
Every night, you lie in bed and fear that the world will begin to recover
Now I'm terrified If the demons start to ask if what we have is real
Now I'm filled with fear, as if the demons are questioning the authenticity of our connection
Would you stay with me? If you thought the war was over And everything made right
If you believed the conflict was resolved and everything was restored, would you still remain by my side?
Would you still believe in us? And would your love for me grow colder? With no one left to fight
Would you still have faith in our relationship? And would your affection for me diminish when there are no more battles to wage?
Would you stay with me?
Would you continue to stay by my side?
Would you stay with me?
Would you continue to stay with me?
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: DUSTIN MICHAEL KENSRUE, EDWARD CARRINGTON BRECKENRIDGE, JAMES RILEY BRECKENRIDGE, TEPPEI TERANISHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bubba Walker
You were a silhouette
A shivering shadow in the mirror, ash and snow
I took your fevered hands
Felt like embers of the world's dying cloak
And you were phantom light as I carried you quietly through the crumbling streets
And in the fading light I could see in your eyes that somehow we were meant to meet
Would you stay with me?
If you thought the war was over
And everything made right
Would you still believe in us?
Would your love for me grow colder?
With no one left to fight
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay with me?
After the fever left
Together we scavenged through the city and the scars
When the day would end
Bar the door against the viewers and the dark
We'd share a can of something
And a bottle of bourbon I'd hid away
It warmed me from within
And you from without till I forget the chill ingrained
Would you stay with me?
If you thought the war was over
And everything made right
Would you still believe in us?
Would your love for me grow colder?
With no one left to fight
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay with me?
It seems like every night
I lie in bed and worry that the world would start to heal
And now I'm terrified
That if it did you'd start to ask if what we had is real
Would you stay with me?
If you thought the war was over
And everything made right
Would you still believe in us?
Would your love for me grow colder?
With no one left to fight
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay with me?
thebigone022
You were a silhouette, a shivering shadow in the mingled ash and snow
I took your fevered hands - felt like embers of the world's dying glow
And you were feather light as I carried you quietly through the crumbling streets
And in the fading light I could see in your eyes that somehow we were meant to meet
Would you stay with me
If you thought the war was over
And everything made right?
Would you still believe in us
Or would your love for me grow colder
With no one left to fight?
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay with me?
After the fever left, together we'd scavenge through the city and her scars
And when the day would end, bar the door against the demons and the dark
We'd share a can of something and the bottle of bourbon I had hid away
It'd warm me from within, and you from without till I'd forget the chill and grey
Would you stay with me
If you thought the war was over
And everything made right?
Would you still believe in us
Or would your love for me grow colder
With no one left to fight?
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay with me?
Oh, it seems like every night
I lie in bed and worry that the world will start to heal
And now I'm terrified
That if it did you'd start to ask if what we have is real
Would you stay with me
If you thought the war was over
And everything made right?
Would you still believe in us
Or would your love for me grow colder
With no one left to fight?
Would you stay with me?
Would you stay with me?
Mike Adams
I hope they never stop, making music, evolving as a band, and moving my soul, the discography of Thrice is like 80 percent of the soundtrack of my life. Underrated, underappreciated, and one of
Rock music's best kept secrets.
Beezy Beez
https://youtu.be/0lk4NlqJlKY
A must listen!!!!!!
Amanda Garner
Every song has exceeded my expectations. These songs are so good I legitimately want to cry.
Beezy Beez
https://youtu.be/0lk4NlqJlKY
A must listen!!!!!!
Sergio Adarve Vargas
I almost cry today listening through the new record, it was like every song was made to touch my soul in ways I didn't know it can happen, that was such a magical moment, full of peace and light
sam walters
this album is a masterpiece i cant even believe it. usually their new albums take me a couple months to get accustomed to this one has only taken a week for it to be arguably one of my favorite ladder half thrices
Beezy Beez
https://youtu.be/0lk4NlqJlKY
A must listen! ! !
Greg Morgan
once again, proof that thrice are capable of pretty much anything
Beezy Beez
https://youtu.be/0lk4NlqJlKY
A must listen!!!!!!
Beezy Beez
https://youtu.be/0lk4NlqJlKY
A must listen!!!!!!