People's eyes say I'm no damn good
shut down and left lonely
only with the maybe we could
I stay inside cause I'm misunderstood
I can't get no release

I'm shell-shocked from some heavy blows
a stranger to the people I know
who used to say "he never had a down day"
now I'm holding on to can't let goes
and silence brings no peace

because another life
went through my window pane
and I don't know why
i've got a will to burn

in attic rooms I just shut my door (shut my door)
for seven weeks maybe seven more (seven more)
it's like I face a seven-headed whore
the fight's knocked out of me

No measure for grief and I can't find it with the sound
Break down, to the great god of the hand me down
Holding the past around wound up at the lost and found
where the colors all turn to grey

wait a minute and

I'm coming of a down day
colorized, the city plays a double feature today
and life is long, and something is wrong
but i want to know what's going on and on

in another life
cause it's good again
and it will never die
I've got a will to burn
to see you again
it's like another life
it's like I'll not get better
a will to burn

oh the time goes by and I realize, that I'm alright
you thought nothing would be the same
but life comes 'round again
quick wits and all curious
all caught up in what you say
and makes me grab the time
before it slips away

I can't stay and I cannot wait
and I'm grateful to whistle past a grave yard gate
the flicker fade is getting stronger
like when the days start getting longer
i got the rhythm down now in the places we warred
the golden gate is like my diving board
and life is pointless
but what's so wrong with that?

cause there's another life
and a sweeter pain
and it will never die
you got a will to burn
to see you again
it's like another life
I feel the whole thing happen
the will to burn

to see you again
it's like another life
I got another life
I got another life



Lyrics submitted by SlickSerpent

Track duration: 04:30


Another Life song meanings
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23 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Great commentary on this song. There is such an incredible depth to Stephan's lyrics. Just a thought re: "the Golden Gate is like my diving board":

    It's possible that this may allude to the theory that the urge to jump actually affirms one's desire to live (assuming the person doesn't *actually* jump). The rest of the verse seems to convey that he is at peace with the past and even with the seemingly random and meaningless nature of life. This may confirm that the image of standing on the Golden Gate bridge actually symbolizes facing his fear/moving on with his life.

    Of course this is just one of many possible interpretations. Such an amazing and thought-provoking song.
    Flag QuestionMarkAndAScaron March 14, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The first thing I thought of when I listened to this song was self-loathing/depression/suicide. I'm surprised no one else posted anything about it. But songs are what you make them.

    "People's eyes... no release" to me shows the self hatred he has, but it's coming from himself. It's not people actually saying he's not good, it's him thinking it and projecting it from other people.

    "I'm shell-shocked... no peace" is the transformation from normal person to depressed.

    Then "because another life.. will to burn" is represents suicide... another life went through my window pane. Jumping out the window - killing himself. And will to burn, killing yourself setting yourself on fire. Might be a stretch for others, but it makes sense to me. And the I don't know why, again that's the depression. Not understanding why he has these overwhelming feelings of sadness.

    "In the attic room.. knocked out of me" is again dealing with the depression. He can't deal with it so he just locks himself away. I think the seven headed whore bit is talking about the devil inside of him.

    "No measure... turn to grey" is about keeping the past to himself and being numb. Grief in this case doesn't mean typical oh someone died grief, it's the grief that comes from depression, losing yourself. Colors to turn to grey is expressing the depression, the dullness of life.

    "I'm coming.. going on and on" he's starting to accept life, life is interesting again.

    "In another life... a will to burn" talks about the struggle while recovering, where you have your good days and your awful days. He wants to live to see her again, in this other life where he's happy.

    "Oh the time goes by... before it slips away" that first line is my favorite part of the song. It's the self acceptance. Then he's talking about the circle of life.. and then grabbing the time, the happy time, before he slips back into depression.

    "I can't stay... but what's so wrong with that?" is the in between when you're thinking about killing yourself.. you don't want to be alive but you don't want to be dead (staying and waiting). He's happy to be alive though. Golden gate is my diving board... hello killing himself by jumping off the golden gate! That was the most obvious line to suicide to me, especially when followed by life is pointless. But there's this acceptance that life is pointless, so he doesn't need to kill himself.

    "Cause there's.... I got another life" has a couple of different meanings to me. The first is that he does stay suicidal and thinks the other life is the after life. He'll see her again in the afterlife. The second is that the other life is life after recovering from depression. It's his new life, and there's a sweet pain - he's no longer in a disabling pain. He can see her again in his life.
    Flag k3eblyon August 30, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Seems to me like he's talking about religion but not about God and heaven, about hell. "a will to burn", the seven-headed whore has knocked the fight out of him, the golden gates in heaven is his diving board to dive into hell, flicker fade =flames, another life= afterlife. But it's great to see others view of the song as inspirational, getting them through their hard times.
    Flag user07on June 21, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i totally disagree with the idea that this song is about christianity. that sort of seems like a stretch. to get religion out of this song i think you need to seriously overanalyze.

    this song definitely seems like it's about stephan getting over his breakup, or whatever other hard times he was facing then. but no matter the cause, he was hurt and life seemed to lose it's luster. it was like nothing would ever get better and everyone looked at him differently because of his depressed behavior. but soon "another life" came along, and with time he was willing to accept this new life. he's willing to start over when he "sees [her] again" and willing to start living again, even though he recognized that there will always be a "sweeter pain." i just interpret this as meaning that you can always start new, but you will always get hurt again. you just have to be willing to accept that and make peace with it. he has "a will to burn." maybe this means that he's willing to face pain again, or maybe it just relates to the old "i live my life like burning man" (burning man from 3eb's self-titled) concept that to live is to burn. either way it makes sense to me.
    i just think this song is really uplifting even though it faces pain head-on. pain is a part of life, but life still goes on. and maybe this cycle is completely pointless, "but what's so wrong with that?"
    this song is realistic and doesn't try to lie to anyone. it's a no bullshit way of viewing things and i completely agree with it. i love this song so much, it helps me when i'm down. starting life up again, even when you know that pain will be part of it, is courageous.
    Flag emilyhalinaon May 23, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Stephan is not an atheist, and that is extremely obvious with his lyrics and his mind set and he has even said he believes in God in interviews. I actually also think this song is about once having God and losing him, because we all know how easy it is to lose touch down here.

    People's eyes say I'm no damn good
    shut down and left lonely
    only with the maybe we could
    I stay inside cause I'm misunderstood
    I can't get no release

    I'm shell-shocked from some heavy blows
    a stranger to the people I know
    who used to say "he never had a down day"
    now I'm holding on to can't let goes
    and silence brings no peace

    I think this is explaining how he got here, how he is a loner and really has no one, so he is generally angry with life and therefore bringing him farther from Christ.

    because another life
    went through my window pane
    and I don't know why
    i've got a will to burn

    Saying that there is nothing he feels he can do about it and his "after life" is being taken away from him, He feels that he has no faith anymore. He feels he deserves to burn. (in hell)


    in attic rooms I just shut my door (shut my door)
    for seven weeks maybe seven more (seven more)
    it's like I face a seven-headed whore
    the fight's knocked out of me

    No measure for grief and I can't find it with the sound
    Break down, to the great god of the hand me down
    Holding the past around wound up at the lost and found
    where the colors all turn to grey

    wait a minute and

    I'm coming of a down day
    colorized, the city plays a double feature today
    and life is long, and something is wrong
    but i want to know what's going on and on

    Going more into detail on why he feels helpless. For those who don't know a Seven Headed Whore is another term for Satan, so there's another reference to religion.

    in another life
    cause it's good again
    and it will never die
    I've got a will to burn
    to see you again
    it's like another life
    it's like I'll not get better
    a will to burn

    Wondering what's going on in another life. In the after life. What God is thinking of him perhaps? Saying that another life will never die, because it doesn't, I got a will to see you again, to see God again, to grow back in touch.

    oh the time goes by and I realize, that I'm alright
    you thought nothing would be the same
    but life comes 'round again
    quick wits and all curious
    all caught up in what you say
    and makes me grab the time
    before it slips away

    I can't stay and I cannot wait
    and I'm grateful to whistle past a grave yard gate
    the flicker fade is getting stronger
    like when the days start getting longer
    i got the rhythm down now in the places we warred
    the golden gate is like my diving board
    and life is pointless
    but what's so wrong with that?

    Doubting Himself, confusion, possible falling into a deeper slump.

    cause there's another life
    and a sweeter pain
    and it will never die
    you got a will to burn
    to see you again
    it's like another life
    I feel the whole thing happen
    the will to burn

    to see you again
    it's like another life
    I got another life
    I got another life


    The closing chorus doesn't leave to much closer to the song but it manages to get the point across. "A sweeter pain" in my view is saying that it's really hard to do what's right and have a constant connection with God. It's almost painful at times, because sin is oh so sweet, but it's a sweeter pain because of the reward at the end, a reward that will never die, Another Life. As God revels this to him, He feels the whole the happen, and he knows he is saved, He has another life.

    That would be my view... I think that it's somewhat obvious though I do give lyrics major thought being that I'm a musician and writer myself. Don't make someone someone he's not, you can just make up stuff like "he's an atheist" just because it's what you want, but I'm not one to judge. This is just my view. Very inspirational song for me cause I can relate for sure.
    Flag musicismyfavorite777on April 20, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the best part of the song is

    "time goes by and realize that i'm alright
    you thought nothing would be the same
    but life comes round again"

    it's about getting over something you spent so long trying to get over. a once positive person was completely brought down by a "heavy blow" aka getting dumped, and can't deal with it. in the chorus he realizes that he has the will to keep going and move on.
    Flag 3egoocabon April 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:And Doldrums nailed it also. Pretty much the perfect outline in his explanation.
    Flag akburtonon April 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Pretty positive what this song is about. OSUBuckeye got the meaning. The song is basically about second chances, or "another life." Most likely Stephen wrote it after a big breakup, when he felt like he would never get another person like he had. Everyone has had that feeling that your life will never really be the same or as good again, but in reality, everything will turn out better eventually and you will get a chance at another life.
    In a way this song relates to a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche: "Amor fati: let that be my love henceforth! I do not want to wage war against what is ugly. I do not want to accuse; I do not even want to accuse those who accuse. Looking away shall be my only negation. And all in all and on the whole: some day I wish to be only a Yes-sayer." Armor Fati is the love of fate. Anything bad that happens MUST be partially good.
    Anyways, a really clever, well written song. Certainly not about "drugs" or "finding god."
    Flag akburtonon April 13, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:It's not "quick wits and all curious"

    It's "Equipped with set off prurience"
    Flag 3EB1821on February 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i love this song i have "and life is pointless, but what's so wrong with that?" tattooed on my wrist!
    Flag annieyokoon October 18, 2008   Link

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