After the release of their debut album Enter in 1997, the band became prominent in the Dutch underground scene. It was not until 2001 that they became known to the general public, with the single "Ice Queen" from their second album Mother Earth, which reached No. 2 on the Dutch charts. This was followed by the band winning the Conamus Exportprijs, a Dutch music award, four years in a row, and a fifth in 2016. Their next albums The Silent Force (2004) and The Heart of Everything (2007) debuted at No. 1 on the Dutch charts and expanded their international recognition. In 2008, they released Black Symphony, a live album recorded with the Metropole Orchestra. This was followed in 2009 by An Acoustic Night at the Theatre, another live album, this time with acoustic renditions of the songs.
The band's fifth studio album, The Unforgiving, was released in March 2011 and was one part of a transmedia effort, alongside both a comic book series and a series of short films that together encompass a story. The album saw the band increasingly venturing on new musical territories outside symphonic metal. Their sixth studio album, Hydra, was released in early 2014 in Japan, Europe, and the United States. The album advanced the band's exploration of new musical genres and features guest appearances from various artists: Finnish singer Tarja Turunen, who appears in the lead single "Paradise (What About Us?)"; Howard Jones, former vocalist of American metalcore band Killswitch Engage; Dave Pirner, lead vocalist of American alternative rock band Soul Asylum; and American rapper Xzibit. The band had extensive airplay on BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom with one of the songs from the album, "Whole World Is Watching" featuring Pirner.
Their latest studio album, Resist, was released in February 2019 and incorporates influences from other musical styles such as industrial and EDM. By 2016, the band had already sold more than 3.5 million albums worldwide.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Within_Temptation
Studio albums
Enter (1997)
Mother Earth (2000)
The Silent Force (2004)
The Heart of Everything (2007)
The Unforgiving (2011)
Hydra (2014)
Resist (2019)
Bleed Out (2023)
Destroyed
Within Temptation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But my best was never good enough
Somehow you're only able to see
All I am not
Did you ever look behind?
Aren't you afraid of the pieces you'll find?
I have failed you
It's so easy to destroy and condemn
The ones you do not understand
Do you ever wonder if it's justified?
It's so easy to destroy and condemn
The ones you do not understand
In your life, why didn't you ever try?
I close my eyes as I walk the thin line
Between love and hate
For the person with the same blood
In his veins
You show no regrets
About all the things you did or said
I have failed you
But believe me you failed me too
It's so easy to destroy and condemn
The ones you do not understand
Do you ever wonder if it's justified?
It's so easy to destroy and condemn
The ones you do not understand
In your life, why didn't you ever try?
It's so easy to destroy and condemn
The ones you do not understand
Do you ever wonder if it's justified?
It's so easy to destroy and condemn
The ones you do not understand
Do you ever wonder if it's justified?
The lyrics of Within Temptation's song "Destroyed" appear to touch on themes of disappointment, failure, and misunderstanding in a relationship. The singer of the song seems to be addressing someone significant in their life, expressing their feelings of inadequacy and hurt. The first verse talks about how the singer tried their best to please this person but always fell short of their expectations. They feel that the other person only sees their flaws and shortcomings, rather than their efforts and positive qualities. The chorus is repeated twice throughout the song and underscores the central message of the lyrics: it's easy to destroy and condemn those we don't understand, but we should try to understand before we judge.
The second verse delves deeper into the relationship's issues, challenging the other person to examine what they might find if they look beyond the skewed perception they hold of the singer. The third verse reveals that the two parties share a familial connection "with the same blood in his veins," implying that the relationship is perhaps a parent-child or sibling bond. The singer expresses the conflict they experience, walking a "thin line between love and hate" as they struggle to reconcile their feelings toward the other person's actions. The final chorus repeats the earlier lines, encouraging the listener to consider whether it's justified to condemn without understanding, and why they never tried to empathize with the other person's perspective.
Line by Line Meaning
I did my best to please you
I gave everything I have to make you happy
But my best was never good enough
You never appreciated my efforts
Somehow you're only able to see
You only notice my flaws and imperfections
All I am not
You don't see the good things in me
Did you ever look behind?
Have you ever tried to understand me?
Aren't you afraid of the pieces you'll find?
Aren't you scared of discovering my pain and suffering?
I have failed you
I let you down
But you have failed me too
You didn't support me when I needed you
It's so easy to destroy and condemn
It's effortless to tear someone apart and judge them
The ones you do not understand
The people you don't take the time to comprehend
Do you ever wonder if it's justified?
Have you ever considered if your actions are reasonable?
In your life, why didn't you ever try?
Why didn't you make an effort to understand someone in your life?
I close my eyes as I walk the thin line
I'm struggling to balance my emotions
Between love and hate
Between feeling affection and anger
For the person with the same blood
Towards a family member
In his veins
Who shares the same bloodline
You show no regrets
You don't feel sorry for what you've done
About all the things you did or said
For all the hurtful actions and words you've used
Do you ever wonder if it's justified?
Have you considered if your actions are right?
It's so easy to destroy and condemn
It's effortless to tear someone apart and judge them
The ones you do not understand
The people you don't take the time to comprehend
In your life, why didn't you ever try?
Why didn't you make an effort to understand someone in your life?
It's so easy to destroy and condemn
It's effortless to tear someone apart and judge them
The ones you do not understand
The people you don't take the time to comprehend
Do you ever wonder if it's justified?
Have you ever considered if your actions are reasonable?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SHARON J. DEN ADEL, ROBERT WESTERHOLT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind