Close the Door
Waterdeep Lyrics
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I am like a salmon on
An upstream journey, then
Death to follow once I spawn
I have seen the big fish climb
The ladder at the reservoir
Watch 'em work like devils
CHORUS
Jesus I'm a sucker; I
Wish I believed less of the lies
Did anything I thought I knew
Turn out to be true?
Baby boys and little toys are all that I see anymore
Will somebody close the door?
It's cold outside
Every single time I thought that
I had figured it all out
I was run aground again and
Floundering with crazy doubt
Maybe every way I'd learned
To deal with the tragedy
Was just another junkyard find
Rust-eaten and raggedy
I have paced the floor at night
Staring in his tiny face
Swearing that I'll do my best
To make for him a solid place
Barring acts of God or even
Acts of other men, I'll be
The father that I always wished
I had been allowed to see
The lyrics of Waterdeep's song Close The Door express the singer's feeling of being lost and confused in life. He compares himself to a salmon on an upstream journey, heading towards his own death after spawning. This metaphor highlights his feeling of being trapped in a cycle of life that he cannot break free from. The Fisherman's ladder at the reservoir represents the climb to success and the struggles that come with it. The singers' use of the phrase "half delirious" suggests the turmoil and tireless effort that success can demand of a person, making them lose sight of why they started in the first place.
The chorus reflects his hopelessness and frustration, expressing a yearning for something more significant than the superficial life he currently leads. The lines "Jesus, I'm a sucker, I wish I believed less of the lies," echo his disillusionment with the world and his inability to separate truth from deception. He questions whether "anything I thought I knew turned out to be true," a line that emphasizes his skepticism and doubt.
The second verse speaks of his struggles with coming to terms with his situation. He reflects on how each time he thought he understood life, he was run aground and left struggling in confusion. The line "maybe every way I'd learned to deal with the tragedy was just another junkyard find," suggests that he's tried multiple ways of coping, but everything has led him to rock bottom. The singer then talks about his son, where he expresses his desire to be a better father than he had. The song ends with a glimmer of hope – by stating that if he can avoid God or other men's acts, he will be the father that he always wished he had had an opportunity to see. In the end, the song expresses the singer's realization about the harsh reality of life and the perpetual struggles that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time that I get down
Whenever I feel sad or depressed
I am like a salmon on
I feel like a salmon swimming against a strong current
An upstream journey, then
Trying to make progress despite adversity
Death to follow once I spawn
The struggle will ultimately lead to death
I have seen the big fish climb
I have observed successful people
The ladder at the reservoir
Achieving their goals
Watch 'em work like devils
They work extremely hard
Half delirious do they even know where they are?
They may be so focused on their goals that they lose perspective
Jesus I'm a sucker; I
Expressing frustration and disappointment in oneself
Wish I believed less of the lies
Wishing to be less naive and gullible
Did anything I thought I knew
Questioning the accuracy of my knowledge
Turn out to be true?
Wondering if everything I believed was actually true
Baby boys and little toys are all that I see anymore
Feeling like life is mundane and unexciting
Will somebody close the door?
Asking for a break from monotonous routine
It's cold outside
Feeling emotionally detached from the world
Every single time I thought that
Whenever I believed
I had figured it all out
That I had found a solution
I was run aground again and
But then I faced another obstacle
Floundering with crazy doubt
Feeling overwhelmed with uncertainty
Maybe every way I'd learned
Perhaps all of the lessons I've learned
To deal with the tragedy
For coping with loss
Was just another junkyard find
Proving to be ineffective and worthless
Rust-eaten and raggedy
Old and worn out
I have paced the floor at night
I have been unable to sleep
Staring in his tiny face
Gazing at my child's innocent face
Swearing that I'll do my best
Promising to be a devoted parent
To make for him a solid place
Creating a stable and supportive environment for my child
Barring acts of God or even
Assuming there are no unexpected interventions
Acts of other men, I'll be
I will be the father I never had
The father that I always wished
Being the kind of father I always hoped for
I had been allowed to see
But never had in my own life
Contributed by Liam C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.