Song Meaning

The lyrics present a raw, almost primal urge to extinguish anything that shows signs of life or growth, framed by a deeply unsettling internal conflict. The repeated, stark command "If it breathes - Choke it" acts as a violent mantra, suggesting a desperate attempt to suppress or destroy something perceived as a threat. This aggressive directive is juxtaposed with a profound sense of personal suffering, as the narrator questions their own ability to "smile this way" and acknowledges "The fear that starts my day." The central tension lies in the narrator's struggle with an external force or internal state that they feel compelled to annihilate, even as it causes them pain. They ask "What has to happen / To make you see?" and "If nothing happens / Would you feel?" This implies a desire for the object of their aggression to acknowledge their suffering or the impact of their actions, yet the overwhelming response is to "choke it." The phrase "I've stolen this abuse" is particularly striking, suggesting a self-inflicted or internalized cycle of harm. The most arresting element is the stark contrast between the violent imperative and the persistent, almost organic repetition of "You grow, you grow." This growth, whether of the external threat or the narrator's own pain, is met with the same destructive impulse. The "Scars" that remain are the tangible evidence of this ongoing battle, a testament to the damage inflicted and endured. The lyrics create a sense of suffocating dread, where any sign of life is met with a desperate, self-destructive urge to silence it. This writing is effective because it bypasses complex metaphor for a direct, visceral expression of psychological turmoil. The relentless repetition of "If it breathes - Choke it" hammers home the narrator's desperate state, while the questions about seeing and feeling reveal a yearning for connection or understanding that is ultimately crushed by their own destructive impulse. The resulting emotional landscape is one of bleak, inescapable conflict, where the only perceived solution is annihilation.