Song Meaning
The opening lines of "Something 2 B" immediately drop us into a scene of stark isolation: "Lying in my basement," unable to speak. The narrator confesses to drug use, "Too many uppers / Too many downers," yet quickly dismisses it with a chillingly casual, "I had a problem, but I'm over it now." This immediate denial sets an uneasy tone.
The central tension of these lyrics lies in the jarring contrast between profound trauma and a disturbing, almost lobotomized acceptance. The narrator recounts a visit to the doctor with their mother, where they were "tied me up and took my insides out." This visceral imagery, followed by "clipped my feathers," paints a picture of a forced, dehumanizing intervention, stripping away the narrator's essence or freedom.
This unsettling narrative is punctuated by the repetitive, almost hypnotic chorus: "Being somebody is just something to be." Repeated eight times, this phrase transforms from a philosophical musing into a statement of profound emptiness. It suggests that identity itself has become a superficial, imposed concept, particularly when juxtaposed with the narrator's final, placid declaration after the medical ordeal: "And now I got nothing to worry about."
Ultimately, these lyrics hit hard because of their potent irony and stark imagery. The casual dismissal of severe issues, the violent metaphors for medical intervention, and the hollow repetition of the chorus combine to create a deeply unsettling portrait. It's a disturbing exploration of how trauma, or perhaps forced conformity, can lead to a profound loss of self, leaving behind only a detached, almost robotic acceptance of existence.