Song Meaning

“Trying” paints a stark picture of collective movement contrasted with individual stagnation. The lyrics open with a sense of shared purpose, quickly undercut by a personal feeling of being stuck. There's an attempt to break free, a “claim” made, and a “fold” ripped up. Yet, the speaker remains “at a snail's crawl.” The central tension here lies between a desire for change and the crushing weight of repeated failure. The initial collective action, “We follow,” suggests a path, perhaps one of conformity or expectation, from which the speaker attempts to diverge. But this divergence is met with blunt defeat, described as being “Shot down / Two more times,” indicating a persistent, almost cyclical struggle against an unseen force or circumstance. The subtle yet impactful shift from “We follow” to “And you follow” in the repeated verse is a masterstroke. It reframes the initial collective action, perhaps suggesting the speaker's realization that they were always observing someone else's path, or perhaps directly addressing a specific individual now. This shift, combined with the insistent repetition of the speaker's slow progress, amplifies their isolation and the enduring nature of their personal struggle, even as others continue to move. These lyrics are effective precisely because of their stark economy and blunt imagery.