Song Meaning
The core of this track is a defiant declaration of self-reliance, hammered home by the insistent repetition of "If it is to be, it is up to me." This isn't just a casual statement; it's a mantra against overwhelming external forces. The lyrics paint a picture of a precarious journey, immediately establishing a sense of struggle with the recurring image of a wild gale during a sea voyage. This storm serves as a potent metaphor for the chaotic circumstances that threaten to derail the narrator's path.
The central tension arises from the contrast between the narrator's internal resolve and the external chaos. While the gale rages and the "water" is described with unsettling, almost grotesque imagery ("Yellow as royal piss"), the narrator clings to the singular idea of personal agency. The speech becomes a stammer, lips are too tight to kiss, and even rabbits look scared, all suggesting a breakdown of communication and a pervasive sense of fear, yet the refrain persists.
The writing cleverly uses jarring, almost surreal imagery to amplify the feeling of being trapped. The comparison of the narrator's speed to a "five times champion" rowing fast, only to be caught in "eddies / Between future and past," highlights a desperate struggle that feels futile against temporal and situational currents. The "hurricane / From the Royal arse" is a particularly audacious and crude image, suggesting that the source of this overwhelming pressure might be corrupt or nonsensical authority, further isolating the narrator and reinforcing the need for self-propulsion.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their raw, unflinching portrayal of facing adversity alone. The relentless repetition of the central phrase, juxtaposed with increasingly bizarre and threatening external conditions, creates a powerful sense of a mind determined to steer its own course, no matter how turbulent the waters or how absurd the forces arrayed against it. It's a visceral expression of taking control when everything else seems to be falling apart.