Rust
Tyson Motsenbocker Lyrics

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You told me that all metal rusts
If you wait long enough
And your eyes looked back
And art restores light

But I was already rusted through
I tried to love you
I tried to love you

I tried

Saw the sun coming up
Over the tidewater ruts
Like I had not done enough
To try and change our luck

But I was already rusted shut
I tried to love you
I tried to love you
I tried to love you

But I was already rusted through
I tried to love you
Yeah I was already rusted through
I tried to love you
But I was already rusted through
I tried to love you
But I was already rusted through
I tried to love you

But I was already rusted through
I tried to love you

Overall Meaning

In Tyson Motsenbocker's song "Rust," he tells the story of a failed relationship through the metaphor of rust. The singer is told that all metal rusts if you wait long enough, but he feels as though he was already rusted through when he met his partner. He tries to love her, but feels as though he is unable to because he is already too damaged.

The sunrise represents a new beginning, but the singer feels as though he hasn't done enough to change the situation. He is stuck in his rusted state and cannot seem to move forward. The repetition of "I tried to love you" emphasizes the effort that was put into trying to salvage the relationship, but ultimately it was unsuccessful due to the singer's pre-existing damage.

Line by Line Meaning

You told me that all metal rusts
You made me realize that everything deteriorates over time.

If you wait long enough
Waiting for a long time results in things breaking down eventually.

And your eyes looked back
Your eyes reflected the wisdom gained through your experiences.

And art restores light
Art illuminates the darkness and brings hope to the world.

But I was already rusted through
I was already too broken to be fixed.

I tried to love you
I made an effort to show my affection towards you.

Saw the sun coming up
I witnessed a new day beginning.

Over the tidewater ruts
Over the rough and unpredictable waters.

Like I had not done enough
I felt like I hadn't done everything I could to improve things.

To try and change our luck
To attempt to alter the course of our lives.

Yeah I was already rusted through
Yes, I was already too rusted and broken to be fixed.