Song Meaning
The lyrics plunge into a disorienting internal space, a "pitch black water" where self and external reality blur. The narrator feels "fixed to a sun," clinging to a familiar, perhaps limiting, identity, yet simultaneously expresses a fear of leaving it behind. This suggests a profound internal conflict between the comfort of the known and the yearning for a self-defined existence, a space where "all that remains is what I choose to be."
The central tension emerges in the chorus: the realization that growth isn't solely about accumulation, but also about subtraction – "what we can undo." The narrator is actively "parting with a hollow version" of past beliefs or self-perceptions. This act of undoing is framed not as loss, but as a necessary step toward a more authentic state, a shedding of a self that was perhaps constructed or inherited.
The imagery of being "tangled in knots" and "peeling at layers" vividly captures the process of confronting deeply ingrained patterns or beliefs. These are "words stuck in time," a "twisted logic's hold" that the narrator has been living by, preventing them from experiencing true freedom. The desire to "know how it feels to be free" underscores the oppressive nature of these internal entanglements.
Ultimately, the lyrics resonate because they articulate the difficult, often messy, work of self-liberation. The gratitude expressed in the final chorus for being shown "what I can undo" highlights a shift from fear to acceptance. It’s a powerful acknowledgment that dismantling old structures, even those that feel foundational, is the pathway to genuine self-discovery and freedom.