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Once I wanted to be the greatest
No wind or waterfall could stall me
And then came the rush of the flood
Stars of night turned deep to dust
Melt me down
Into big black armor
Leave no trace of grace
Just in your honor
Lower me down
To culprit south
Make 'em wash a space in town
For the lead
And the dregs of my bed
I've been sleepin'
Lower me down
Pin me in
Secure the grounds
For the later parade
Once I wanted to be the greatest
Two fists of solid rock
With brains that could explain
Any feeling
Lower me down
Pin me in
Secure the grounds
For the lead
And the dregs of my bed
I've been sleepin'
For the later parade
Once I wanted to be the greatest
No wind or waterfall could stall me
And then came the rush of the flood
Stars of night turned deep to dust
No wind or waterfall could stall me
And then came the rush of the flood
Stars of night turned deep to dust
Melt me down
Into big black armor
Leave no trace of grace
Just in your honor
Lower me down
To culprit south
Make 'em wash a space in town
For the lead
And the dregs of my bed
I've been sleepin'
Lower me down
Pin me in
Secure the grounds
For the later parade
Once I wanted to be the greatest
Two fists of solid rock
With brains that could explain
Any feeling
Lower me down
Pin me in
Secure the grounds
For the lead
And the dregs of my bed
I've been sleepin'
For the later parade
Once I wanted to be the greatest
No wind or waterfall could stall me
And then came the rush of the flood
Stars of night turned deep to dust
Lyrics submitted by caffeino
Track duration: 03:22
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Physically the story sounds like the people believe she is no longer of any value or they no longer have any use for her. They "melt [her] down into big black armor", like they would with any other junk, perhaps not physically, but the way the treat her may just as well be feel the same. They "lower [her] down to culprit south(the Devil I assume)" but otherwise in her burial plot still in her bed (for the lead and the dregs of my bed). "I've been sleeping" seems like shes been bed-ridden with depression. She continues "lower me down, pin me in, secure the grounds, for the later parade", which I think means to bury her, pack it tight, and then dance or "parade" on her grave. She could even still be alive at this point, buried alive and her grave danced upon. It would make the "pin me in" fit.
The funeral/burial images symbolize giving up on life; it's a resignation to "death" of hope. Death is painted as an inevitable end, but also peaceful (sleeping) and protective (armor) because it's the opposite of life with its hopes & disappointments. She's tired & giving up, when once she felt strong & capable.
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Once I wanted to be the greatest - she had great hopes & dreams for herself
No wind or waterfall could stall me - she felt confidence in herself, able to take on any obstacle to her goals
And then came the rush of the flood - reality hits
Stars of night turned deep to dust - her dreams dissolved in the face of reality
Melt me down
Into big black armor - this is possibly referring to a coffin; it's an armor against life & its disappointments. If you're dead, you cannot feel. This is about a death of hope though; if you cannot hope, then you cannot be disappointed. It's a kind of protection from bad feelings, to go numb.
Leave no trace of grace
suggesting your honor - resignation that she will not be the greatest, that she will not leave any significant mark
Lower me down
To culprit south
Make 'em wash a space in town
For the lead
And the dregs of my bed
I've been sleepin' - the idea of sleeping is peaceful; death is painted as a relief from the disappointments of failing to meet her dreams
Lower me down
Pin me in
Secure the grounds
For the later parade - funeral & burial imagery for the theme of giving up on life
Once I wanted to be the greatest
Two fists of solid rock - she used to feel strong, determined & capable
With brains that could explain
Any feeling - she used to feel smart & able to articulate herself
The rest of the song repeats the funeral/burial imagery.
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how she was just about to realize her dreams when someone very important to her dies. It could even be
a mother or father. She is so sad about their passing that she does not see the reason to go on and she want
to just die along with them. She wants to get in the coffin with her loved one. That's what this song is to me.
My interpretation is very literal line by line:
Once I wanted to be the greatest (the dreams and ambitions of what you want out of life)
No wind or waterfall could stall me (nothing can hold you back)
And then came the rush of the flood (life's unforgiving nature pushed down and stomped out all the hopes)
Stars of night turned deep to dust (all the stars you reached for were never caught and your life ends unfulfilled)
Melt me down (carve my name)
Into big black armor (into a tombstone)
Leave no trace of grace (there is nothing showing your faith)
Just in your honor (except a symbol of faith on a tombstone - cross/star of david etc)
Lower me down (lower your remains)
To culprit south (into the ground)
Make 'em wash a space in town (your grave plot)
For the lead (casket)
And the dregs of my bed (casket being the bed, ground being the dregs)
I've been sleepin' (i died inside before i died physically)
Lower me down (lower me into my grave)
Pin me in (remains are snug in the casket and the casket is snug in the ground)
Secure the grounds (secure the plot and the arrangements)
For the later parade (for the funeral procession)
Melt me down
Into big black armor
Leave no trace of grace
Just in your honor
Lower me down
To culprit south
Make 'em wash a space in town
For the lead
And the dregs of my bed
I've been sleepin'
Lower me down
Pin me in
Secure the grounds
For the later parade
So sad... But, I love the song.