Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a stark picture of profound disorientation and neglect. The repeated assertion "No one knows what we should do" and "No one tells what we should know" establishes a pervasive sense of abandonment. This isn't just about lacking information; it's a deeper void where guidance and truth should be. The raw, visceral declaration "We're starving" underscores the dire consequences of this informational and emotional famine, suggesting a fundamental lack of sustenance for survival.
The central tension arises from this desperate need for direction versus the utter absence of it. The narrator questions who to trust ("We never know whom we're believing") and what actions are meaningful ("We don't know the things we're doing"). This confusion is amplified by the feeling of being unheard and uncared for, as indicated by "No one cares about the law" and the repeated "No one tells us." The situation is one of active decline, moving from "starving" to "losing."
The most striking aspect is the shift in the final verses. The pleas for guidance evolve into a desperate, almost defiant request: "Why don't you teach us dying." This isn't a desire for death itself, but a profound yearning for any form of instruction, even the grim finality of it, because any knowledge is better than none. The repeated question "Wanna know how you survive" becomes the ultimate, desperate inquiry, highlighting the raw struggle for existence in a world that offers no roadmap.
This lyrical construction is effective because it mirrors the feeling of being adrift. The simple, declarative sentences and the stark, repeated images of lack create an overwhelming sense of helplessness. The final, jarring request to be taught how to die, followed by the insistent chant of "Survive," encapsulates the core struggle: a desperate, primal need to understand existence and persistence when all other forms of knowledge have been withheld.