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Song Meaning

The narrator begins by affirming a belief in self-improvement, that one can ascend to greater heights by transcending past versions of themselves, like climbing on stepping stones. This initial conviction, however, is immediately met with profound doubt. The lyrics question the very possibility of finding future gain in present loss or of reaching back through time to salvage meaning from sorrow. This sets up a central tension between the aspiration for growth and the overwhelming reality of grief. The narrator grapples with the idea that the passage of time, represented by 'victor Hours,' might render past love and its resultant loss ultimately meaningless. The fear is that a life defined by love and subsequent loss will be dismissed as simply 'overworn,' a forgotten relic. The most striking element is the shift in perspective towards embracing the very pain that was initially sought to be overcome. The narrator suggests it's 'sweeter to be drunk with loss' and to 'dance with death,' a stark contrast to the earlier, more stoic ideal of rising above one's 'dead selves.' This embrace of darkness and grief feels like a desperate, almost defiant, response to the perceived futility of striving for future betterment. Ultimately, these lyrics resonate because they articulate a deeply human struggle with impermanence and the potential meaninglessness of suffering. The powerful imagery of 'stepping-stones of their dead selves' versus the raw, visceral 'drunk with loss' captures the agonizing push and pull between hope and despair when confronted with profound grief and the relentless march of time.