Avoid Things

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a relationship where one person desperately tries to maintain distance and avoid conflict, yet finds themselves constantly drawn back in. The opening lines, "In the morning when you're not with me / I feel you in the depths of mind," immediately establish a persistent, almost intrusive presence of the other person, even in their absence. This internal pull makes the narrator's desire to "avoid things" a futile effort, as the connection seems to be deeply ingrained. The central tension lies in the narrator's struggle to "avoid things" versus the inescapable reality of the other person's influence and the need to "resolve things." The repeated phrase "Now it's onto you" underscores a sense of resignation or perhaps a transfer of responsibility, suggesting that despite the desire for separation, the situation ultimately hinges on the other person. This is amplified by the chorus's plea, "I try to resolve things / Involve you / But you don't want to be sorry," highlighting a communication breakdown where one party is unwilling to acknowledge fault or engage in genuine resolution. A key element of the craft is the stark contrast between the narrator's internal turmoil and the other person's perceived detachment. Phrases like "you're like a cold place" and the frustration of "mind games" reveal the emotional toll. The repetitive structure of the chorus, emphasizing the act of trying to "avoid things," reinforces the cyclical and maddening nature of this dynamic. The bridge, with its repeated "Badman wanna do me, bad man wanna cry," introduces a more aggressive, perhaps defensive, persona, suggesting a history of manipulative behavior from the other person that the narrator wishes to escape. What makes these lyrics hit hard is the raw depiction of emotional exhaustion and the feeling of being trapped in a loop. The narrator's attempts to create distance are constantly undermined by an internal connection and the other person's unwillingness to change or take accountability. The lyrics effectively convey the maddening experience of wanting to disengage from a toxic dynamic but being unable to, leaving the listener with a profound sense of unresolved tension and emotional fatigue.