Second Coming

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of desperate, cyclical struggle, trapped in a loop of mental anguish and a yearning for escape. The opening lines immediately establish a sense of being overwhelmed, with thoughts "run around my head" to an almost eschatological point, "until the second coming." This isn't a peaceful waiting, though; it's accompanied by physical decay, "my veins collapsed," and exhaustion from the constant internal battle, "I'm sick of running." The arrival of "chemical faces" and being "strapped down" suggests a forced or involuntary experience, perhaps medical or psychological, where the narrator is merely enduring time, "chasing the days." The core tension lies between this suffocating present and a remembered or imagined past of profound peace and liberation. The chorus offers a stark contrast: lying in "long grass," passively observing clouds, and dreaming of a flowing "journey" from river to ocean. This imagery evokes a sense of natural flow and boundless possibility, a complete antithesis to the confined, chemically-induced state described elsewhere. The repeated vision of being "saved from destruction" through the "breaks in the waves" hints at a spiritual or existential salvation, a moment of clarity and rescue within a larger, overwhelming force. The shift from "second coming" to "second savior" in the second verse is a subtle but significant alteration, suggesting a desperate search for any form of deliverance, even one that feels less divine and more immediate, perhaps even artificial. The "chemical faces" are no longer just approaching but "here to stay," solidifying the permanence of the narrator's current predicament. The repetition of being "strapped down" and "chasing the days" reinforces the feeling of being stuck, with the only hope residing in the idealized memory of natural peace and salvation found in the chorus. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics stems from their visceral portrayal of being trapped and the potent contrast between a suffocating reality and an idealized, natural escape. The cyclical nature, bookended by the phrase "Run around my head until the second coming," emphasizes the feeling of being caught in an inescapable loop. The simple, evocative imagery of the chorus provides a powerful emotional anchor, making the narrator's desperate longing for peace and salvation palpable and deeply resonant.