She came calling

One early morning

She showed her crown of thorns

She whispered softly

To tell a story

About how she had been wronged

As she lay lifeless

He stole her innocence

And this is how she carried on

Well I guess she closed her eyes

And just imagined everything's alright

But she could not hide her tears

'Cause they were sent to wash away those years

They were sent to wash away those years

My anger's violent

But still I'm silent

When tragedy strikes at home

I know this decadence Is shared by millions

Remember you're not alone

For we have crossed many oceans

And we labor in between

In life there are many quotients

And I hope I find the mean



Lyrics submitted by kevin

Track duration: 06:04

"Wash Away Those Years" as written by Mark Tremonti, Scott Stapp

Lyrics © Chrysalis One Music

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Wash Away Those Years song meanings
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29 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:This song to me is clearly about incest " When tradgedy strikes at home" This can go on for years. Hence wash away the years. Silence is a decadence- to not tell someone can seem safer to a child than breaking up a family. This song speaks volumes to me and it is the only song that touches my scars deep down inside.
    Flag Olivegirlon September 01, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I thought about this song while I was talking to Dad today about the thing or rape. I think that this song is not about rape so much as the feeling of raping someone....
    Flag sanTitoon March 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I was thinking about this song this morning when I was talking to my Dad, and I think that a song about rape would not be the 6th or 7th or whatever song on an album but would probably be a B-side or a song like "Rape Me" by Nirvana, which is more to do with rape than this song....
    Flag sanTitoon March 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Great song. Yes, it's about rape.

    Oh, and those of you who only post about your dislike of Creed? Why the heck are you even here? You're wasting you time, posting with no reason nor song meaning besides, "they suck".
    Flag BrittleWingson October 08, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The fact that the song is titled, "Wash Away Those Years" likely means that something triggered his friend's repressed feelings of the rape she experienced long ago. Everything came rushing back and she had to talk about it. "Well I guess she closed her eyes and just imagined everything's alright. But she could not hide her tears 'cause they were sent to wash away those years."

    I wonder if Scott realizes how many he has helped heal through this one song. This song has been a tremendous comfort to me. To know that some men out there understand that the women they love who have been raped need the comfort of knowing they need to talk about it eventually and that they also need to shed a few tears as part of the long road of recovery. Not all men understand that.
    Flag Tonboon January 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Quick Analysis



    She came calling
    One early morning
    She showed her crown of thorns
    She whispered softly
    To tell a story
    About how she had been wronged
    As she lay lifeless
    He stole her innocence
    And this is how she carried on

    (Setting the story for a girl who could have been date raped, "as she lay lifeless, he stole her innocence" some date rape drugs will knock the person out cold so that they don't remember what happened the previous night)

    Well I guess she closed her eyes
    And just imagined everything's alright
    But she could not hide her tears
    'Cause they were sent to wash away those years

    (Now this is a bit different, as it seems like here he's talking about chronic systematic abuse... or perhaps he is talking about someone who has repressed their feelings about an event that happened in their past and now is breaking down and everything is coming to surface... healing in a way)

    They were sent to wash away those years

    (healing)

    My anger's violent
    But still I'm silent
    When tragedy strikes at home

    (can mean many things, could be he was related to the victim)


    I know this decadence Is shared by millions
    Remember you're not alone

    (We live in a wealthy nation, we are able to cover up and hide the scars of our past... but we need reassurance that we're not alone)

    For we have crossed many oceans
    And we labor in between
    In life there are many quotients
    And I hope I find the mean

    (Again here he seems to be in retrospect about the human race, how we've crossed many oceans. We've developed and are developing nations yet with "civilisation" comes all sorts of junk. Eg shipping ports being havens for syphilis, as well as how soldiers treated the native women raping them, abusing them... throughout time, there has always been this corruption in mankind to destroy and pervert.. driven by greed. He's just trying to figure out why... things he may not have thought of now becomes real, as he has some emotional investment in this problem. It's strange how we can distance ourselves from the problems of other people in far away nations yet when tragedy strikes at home we suddenly become VERY AWARE and it brings us closer to people suffering from the problem around the world. Eg. Terrorism, Rape, Abuse, Unfair Treatment, War)
    Flag LostVictorianon March 16, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song, for myself, is very deep. So deep in fact, that I can't even stand to listen to it, I don't hate it.
    It's so deep to me, that it makes me unable to listen.
    Flag Musikaon January 11, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i love this song.
    its so sad to hear that so many people have experienced such a horrible thing as rape and abuse. but i am glad you all find comfort in this song.
    i guess i cannot emotionaly connect with this song as much as some others can. but to me this song is still beautiful and tells a great [although sad] story.
    Flag .sherry.on December 14, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song touched me alot, and I remember that i used to listen to it many times, certainly it's about a girl who was raped, no doubt about it, but I wish to know what the end of the song means. Again it is sad what some people might do.
    Flag Chumplumpon May 13, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:newfoundfinch and myownprison, this site is Song Meanings, not Personal Burning World. Such flaws of man, such violence, such typical of the male gender. However, I am not here to preach.

    This song could be about any wrongdoings inflicted on any person, particularly rape or domestic violence, it has a great message, however I think Scott Stapp sings in too much of a monotone.....his voice is okay, but he always seems stuck in one very, very small octave.
    Flag Scrappy999on April 12, 2005   Link

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