Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of a difficult, perhaps isolating, experience. The opening lines, "Even if you knew / You would not understand," immediately establish a chasm between the narrator's internal state and external perception. This isn't about a lack of information, but a fundamental inability for others to grasp the depth of the situation, underscored by the repeated, almost mantra-like phrase, "Breathing takes time." The central tension seems to revolve around survival and the cost it exacts. The directive to "burn memory / We burn memory" suggests a deliberate act of forgetting, a necessary sacrifice to move forward. This act is repeated four times, amplifying its significance and the narrator's commitment to this painful process. It implies that holding onto the past is too detrimental, forcing a conscious erasure. The imagery of "the cold of blackness" and being "Left to the underground see" further deepens the sense of isolation and descent. The narrator appears to be in a dark, hidden place, both literally and figuratively. The phrase "You are not the only one" offers a sliver of connection, hinting that others share this subterranean existence, yet it doesn't alleviate the profound sense of being misunderstood and alone. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics lies in their raw, unadorned depiction of struggle. The repetition of "Breathing takes time" and "burn memory" creates a feeling of oppressive, ongoing effort. The sparse language and bleak imagery convey a powerful sense of enduring hardship and the internal mechanisms one might employ to simply keep going.