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Knowing
xRepentancex Lyrics
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Caught between the need to speak and the impulse to react
Rash words like swords thrust into swine
Severed deep and seeping wine
Words like flesh on wire barbs
Tearing wounds from faded scars
And the words wont come
Every time I try to express these feelings,
Words cut my throat like shattered glass
Hung myself on the words of others
Nailed upon this cross of verbs
And im drawing a blank
While burning with the rage
Of a thousand sleepless nights
Searching for my voice
With a mouth filled with blood
And severed tongue
Crawling in the darkness Ive become
Scratching for some substance to retrieve
Knowing that ill never match my peers
DROWNING.
The lyrics of "Knowing" by xRepentancex delve into the struggle of expressing oneself, particularly when the pressure to do so feels overwhelming. The opening lines highlight the burden of wanting to speak out, yet feeling unable to do so due to the fear of how others may react. The line, "Rash words like swords thrust into swine," vividly portrays the idea that words, once spoken, cannot be taken back and can cause lasting harm. This is further emphasized in the following lines, "Words like flesh on wire barbs, tearing wounds from faded scars." These two lines allude to the idea that even well-intentioned words can leave deep emotional wounds, especially when directed at someone who may have already experienced hurt or trauma.
The following lines introduce a new theme, that of feeling trapped and unable to escape from one's own thoughts and feelings. The imagery of being "Nailed upon this cross of verbs" creates a sense of powerlessness and emphasizes that the singer feels completely consumed by their own thoughts and emotions. The line, "And the words won't come and the stares burn cold," shows that the fear of judgement or rejection can make it even harder to express oneself, leading to a sense of isolation and hopelessness.
The final lines combine both themes articulated in the song, with the singer feeling like they are "Searching for [their] voice with a mouth filled with blood and severed tongue" while simultaneously feeling like they are "Drowning." These final lines express a sense of desperation and hopelessness, as though the singer feels completely overwhelmed and unable to find a way out of their current situation.
Line by Line Meaning
The pressure to scream these words weighs heavy on my back
I feel the need to express myself, but the burden of doing so is exhausting.
Caught between the need to speak and the impulse to react
I struggle to find a balance between expressing myself and reacting impulsively.
Rash words like swords thrust into swine
When I speak without thinking, my words can cause harm to others.
Severed deep and seeping wine
My thoughtless words can cut deep and cause lasting pain.
Words like flesh on wire barbs
My hurtful words can feel like physical wounds that never fully heal.
Tearing wounds from faded scars
My words can open up old wounds and reignite past pain.
And the words wont come
Despite my need to express myself, I find myself unable to put my feelings into words.
And the stares burn cold
The judgment of others only adds to my difficulties in expressing myself.
Every time I try to express these feelings,
I repeatedly attempt to put my emotions into words.
Words cut my throat like shattered glass
When I struggle to express myself, it feels like my words are causing me physical pain.
Hung myself on the words of others
I have become too reliant on the opinions and words of others.
Nailed upon this cross of verbs
I feel trapped and bound by the expectation to express myself through words.
And im drawing a blank
I am unable to find the words to express myself.
While burning with the rage
Despite my inability to express myself, I am consumed with anger and frustration.
Of a thousand sleepless nights
My struggles with expressing myself have kept me up at night and caused me great stress over time.
Searching for my voice
I am on a personal quest to find my own unique way of expressing myself.
With a mouth filled with blood
My repeated attempts to express myself have left me feeling defeated and exhausted.
And severed tongue
I struggle to put my feelings into words and have become increasingly frustrated by my inability to do so.
Crawling in the darkness Ive become
I feel lost and alone in my struggle to express myself.
Scratching for some substance to retrieve
I search for anything that can help me find the words I need to express myself.
Knowing that ill never match my peers
I feel inferior to others who seem to have no trouble expressing themselves.
DROWNING.
I am overwhelmed and suffocated by my struggle to express myself.
Contributed by Maria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.