Still Shows

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of routine and its disorienting effects. The opening lines, "We make our days / As our days make us," establish a sense of passive existence, where daily actions shape the individual as much as the individual shapes their day. This cyclical, almost deterministic, view sets a somber tone for the unfolding narrative. The central tension seems to lie in the contrast between outward action and internal reality, particularly in the repeated, visceral imagery of the chorus. Phrases like "Cutting the rabbit," "Pressing skin," and "Skinning the rabbit" evoke a sense of brutal, perhaps detached, labor. This is juxtaposed with the more abstract and unsettling lines in Verse 2: "In extravagant promises / Mysterious terrors thrive." The lyrics suggest a disconnect between grand pronouncements and underlying anxieties. The most striking element is the persistent, almost uncanny, return of the phrase "It still shows." This repetition, particularly after lines about "scenic affects" and dying judgment, implies that something fundamental, perhaps a past trauma or an inherent truth, cannot be fully obscured by superficial appearances or deliberate actions. The color "Yellow" adds a specific, unsettling visual detail to this persistent trace. This lyrical approach is effective because it uses concrete, almost violent imagery to represent abstract emotional states. The relentless repetition of "Tearing about" and the recurring "It still shows" create a feeling of inescapable consequence and lingering unease. The lyrics don't offer easy answers, instead leaving the listener with the unsettling impression that beneath the surface of making and selecting, something raw and undeniable persists.