Ever since their first album, Get Your Mind Right, the band hasn't failed to deliver a non-stop artillery of mean hardcore punk that definitely goes for the throat. Waste Management’s second album, Power Abuse, was also a great success, welcomed with open arms by all their loyal fans.
The band’s long-awaited third album, which is also their first ever full-length studio album, Tried and True, hit the shelves in 2018, 11 years after the band’s debut. The latest album stands alongside many other hardcore punk bands that define the modern Boston scene, such as No Tolerance and Boston Strangler. If you’re familiar with them and like what they do, then these guys will absolutely blow you away.
Strangled
Waste Management Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Surprised I haven't exploded yet
Find the door - find it quick
These fucking people make me sick
Hating this world - it's just my way
Born annoyed, screw this place
War in my head - it won't go away
It'll take all I've got to survive today
I'm busting through
Strangle me
I'll strangle you
The lyrics to Waste Management's "Strangled" paint a picture of a person who is overwhelmed with the world around them. The opening lines, "Crowded room - I start to sweat, Surprised I haven't exploded yet" set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is clearly uncomfortable in a room full of people, and the second line suggests that they may have anxiety or anger issues that have yet to boil over. The following lines reveal the singer's desire to escape, as they search for the door and express frustration with those around them. The lines "Surrounding me, I'm busting through" convey a sense of desperation to flee the situation, while the final two lines "Strangle me, I'll strangle you" give a glimpse into the singer's violent thoughts.
Overall, "Strangled" is a powerful commentary on the toll that the pressures of society can take on an individual's mental health. Through vivid imagery and raw emotion, Waste Management captures the feeling of being trapped in a situation that seems impossible to escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Crowded room - I start to sweat
Feeling overwhelmed in a room filled with people, causing physical distress in the form of sweating
Surprised I haven't exploded yet
Feeling very close to a breaking point or outburst due to being unable to handle the situation
Find the door - find it quick
Urgently wanting to leave the situation and looking for a way out
These fucking people make me sick
Feeling strong disdain and disgust towards the people in the room
Hating this world - it's just my way
Having a persistent negative outlook on life, preferring to see the world in a negative light
Born annoyed, screw this place
Having a natural tendency towards being irritated and disliking one's surroundings
War in my head - it won't go away
Experiencing a constant internal struggle and turmoil, which does not dissipate
It'll take all I've got to survive today
feeling drained and depleted, but determined to make it through the day despite the difficulty
Surrounding me
Feeling trapped and enclosed by the situation and environment
I'm busting through
Striving to break free and find a way out of the current situation
Strangle me
Feeling so frustrated and angry with the situation and people that the idea of being physically strangled seems appealing
I'll strangle you
Expressing a desire to retaliate and cause harm to those that are causing such intense emotion
Contributed by Anna S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.