Likewise

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of someone who feels perpetually haunted, seeing "ghosts" wherever they go and feeling like an exceptional, resilient "rat." This narrator claims an inherent toughness, stating, "I recover" and "I am the rat that's like n-no other." There's a sense of being an outsider from birth, bringing a chaotic mix of "radness, sadness, badness, madness" into the world, with a notable absence of "love" and a constant feeling of being scrutinized by authority figures like "cops stare." The core tension arises from the narrator's perceived insight versus the external world's hostility and deception. The repeated phrase "Sick eyes don't glisten" suggests a jaded or corrupted perspective from others, contrasted with the narrator's own "wise" eyes that "see through your disguise." This creates a dynamic where the narrator's awareness is both a burden and a source of strength against perceived threats. The most striking craft element is the insistent, almost incantatory repetition in the pre-chorus: "You got poison in your system / Sick eyes don't glisten." This builds a claustrophobic atmosphere, emphasizing a pervasive corruption or sickness in the surrounding environment. The chorus then pivots to the narrator's defiant response, using "Likewise" not as agreement, but as a declaration of parallel resilience and an intention to "rise / Above your reign of terror." This lyrical approach is effective because it grounds a feeling of being under siege in concrete, if abstract, imagery. The narrator's self-perception as a uniquely tough survivor, coupled with their claim of piercing insight, creates a compelling, almost defiant persona. The song's power lies in this assertion of inner strength and clarity against a backdrop of perceived external decay and malice.