Inbreeding
Union Youth Lyrics

The lyrics of Union Youth's "Inbreeding" are cryptic and can be interpreted in different ways, but one possible explanation is that they speak to feelings of alienation, guilt, and violence experienced by a person who has been raised in a dysfunctional, possibly abusive family or community. The opening lines suggest that the singer is trying to find a way out of a dead-end situation, possibly by seeking solace in a person ("she") or a place ("river") that represents escape, but is hindered by memories of past trauma ("School was so bad"). The chorus of "Sorry is a winner, sorry always else" can be read as a sarcastic comment on how apologizing or accepting blame can become a way of avoiding responsibility or admitting one's flaws, especially in a culture that prizes winning and domination ("be a man"). The metaphor of "cold inbreeding" could refer to the way that abusive patterns of behavior can be passed down through generations or enforced by a closed, clique-ish group mentality. The lines "When you don't kill me as when I kill you / Come and kill me" evoke a sense of mutual destructiveness or ambivalent desire, as if the singer is both aggressor and victim, longing for someone to put an end to the cycle of abuse but also fearing the loss of identity and purpose that comes with it. The repeated refrain "I'm as dirty as a winner" could be taken as an admission of complicity or guilt, but also defiance or self-assertion, as if the singer is owning their flaws and casting off the stigma of shame.