Perish the Thought
genCAB Lyrics


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don't wait up for me
i can't think straight
this time please don't freeze
just run from focus til i can't see

why am i the one
resenting everyone i love
don't wanna fake another smile
don't ever want to see you move on

CHORUS
why is it everything is all the same
even through all the fame
i stand beside myself inside of a joke
even when i admit to take the blame
and tarnish my own name
the guilt inside me causes myself to choke

all these dreams in me
achieved but still i don't feel complete
all alone somehow
this time there's nothing stopping me now
i'll reach my arms outside the windows
catching any breath i can
i'll need the strength to lie about
my perfect promised land
these words embodying them all
as herds of dolls before the fall
caked up in makeup
tracing circles in the sky until i call

coming to my senses
losing all i never had
i'm burning each and every photograph
to keep from looking bad
saving faces i've forgotten
save my own face, no exception




frame them safely, fake a smile
and say goodbye to my reflection

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Perish The Thought" are filled with intense emotions of confusion, guilt, and a desire to escape. The singer seems to be struggling with a sense of inadequacy, even though they have achieved their dreams. They are grappling with a loss of direction and purpose, which has led to them resenting their loved ones. The singer is asking to be left alone for a while, so they can escape from the pressure and expectations weighing down on them.


In the chorus, the singer is expressing how fame and success have not brought them any true happiness. They feel like they are living a lie and suffocating from the guilt inside. The singer is acknowledging their flaws and shortcomings, but they still feel like they are not good enough. They are trapped in their own thoughts and struggling to find a way out.


In the final verse, the singer seems to have come to a breaking point. They are destroying photographs of themselves and saving only the ones where they can fake a smile. They want to escape from their reflection and the pressure to be perfect. The song ends on a somewhat bleak note, with the singer acknowledging that they are alone and that the only way out is to lie and put on a brave face.


Overall, "Perish The Thought" is a powerful and emotional song about the struggles of fame and success. It tackles themes of isolation, pressure, and the search for meaning and purpose.


Line by Line Meaning

don't wait up for me
I am leaving and I don't want anyone to follow me


i can't think straight
My mind is not in the right place and I cannot focus


this time please don't freeze
Please don't try to stop me from leaving like you did before


just run from focus til i can't see
Keep moving until I can't see you anymore and I am alone


why am i the one
I am feeling angry and resentful


resenting everyone i love
I'm struggling to understand why I feel this way towards people I care about


don't wanna fake another smile
I don't want to pretend that I am happy when I'm not


don't ever want to see you move on
I don't want the people I love to be happy without me


why is it everything is all the same
I feel stuck in a cycle of monotony


even through all the fame
Despite my success, I still feel unfulfilled


i stand beside myself inside of a joke
I feel like a fraud and that my success is not genuine


even when i admit to take the blame
Even when I own up to my mistakes


and tarnish my own name
And accept negative consequences for my actions


the guilt inside me causes myself to choke
I am consumed by guilt and it is suffocating me


all these dreams in me
I have many aspirations


achieved but still i don't feel complete
I have achieved success, but it has not brought me fulfillment


all alone somehow
Despite my success, I feel alone with my thoughts and emotions


this time there's nothing stopping me now
I am determined to move forward and nothing can hold me back


i'll reach my arms outside the windows
I will try to escape my own thoughts and emotions


catching any breath i can
Seeking any respite from my burdens


i'll need the strength to lie about
I will need to pretend that everything is okay


my perfect promised land
My vision of the future, which may not be realistic


these words embodying them all
These lyrics represent my emotions and struggles


as herds of dolls before the fall
I feel like I am part of a larger, empty system that is destined to fail


caked up in makeup
I am hiding my true self behind a facade


tracing circles in the sky until i call
My thoughts and emotions are spiraling out of control


coming to my senses
I am realizing the consequences of my actions


losing all i never had
I feel like I have lost things that I never really had in the first place


i'm burning each and every photograph
I am trying to erase my past to forget my mistakes


to keep from looking bad
To avoid facing my own shortcomings


saving faces i've forgotten
I am trying to preserve false images of myself that I no longer believe in


save my own face, no exception
I will do whatever it takes to protect my self-image


frame them safely, fake a smile
I will try to preserve my past and pretend that everything is okay


and say goodbye to my reflection
I am saying goodbye to the person I was, and trying to become someone new




Contributed by Ellie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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