Her voice cuts through the walls
Rings through everything that's hollow
These bitter words recall
All that's left and hard to swallow

She was always good for nothing when the good broke bad
All she's got to lose is everything she never has
(Every back turned to her)

We put her down in a shallow grave
She wears a dress like a body bag every day
And this way she won't have to run away
And she can keep her regrets at bay every day

Her blood runs hot to cold
Always breaking while she borrows
Her favors bought and sold
She lives like she's dead tomorrow

Just another reason looking for the next because
Just another has been wishing that she never was
(Every back turned to her)

We put her down in a shallow grave
She wears a dress like a body bag every day
And this way she won't have to run away
And she can keep her regrets at bay every day

Tomorrow's not a new day
Or time to think things through
As patience starts to fall away
A day can feel like two
When we gave her a new face
The past was out of view
She never fooled us
Because she could never fool herself

We put her down in a shallow grave
She wears a dress like a body bag every day
And this way she won't have to run away
And she can keep her regrets a bay every day



Lyrics submitted by joca13, edited by matmcv

Track duration: 03:47

"Shallow Grave" as written by Sara Taylor, Michael Hanmer, Matthew O'halloran, Michael Rainbow

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Shallow Grave song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:oops!
    for some reason one of my descriptions didn't show up haha.

    "She was always good for nothing when the good broke bad
    All she's got to lose is everything she never has
    (Every back turned to her)"
    - This is just saying that she's sort of worthless. She has nothing, but even then she will lose everything, and she is alone.
    Flag nazipornoon March 13, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I personally think this song is about causing a girl to commit suicide. It reminds me a lot of the book Thirteen Reasons Why.

    "She was always good for nothing when the good broke bad
    All she's got to lose is everything she never has
    (Every back turned to her)"
    -

    "We put her down in a shallow grave
    She wears a dress like a body bag every day"
    - They're saying that they were the cause of her suicide.

    "She lives like she's dead tomorrow"
    - This is talking about the day before she killed herself.

    "Just another reason looking for the next because
    Just another has been wishing that she never was
    (Every back turned to her)"
    - Talking about how everyone hated her and no one ever cared about her.

    "Tomorrow's not a new day
    Or time to think things through"
    - Again, the day before she kills herself. She wont have time to "think things through" (decide against suicide) because she'll already be dead.

    There's a lot more I want to say but it all relates to Thirteen Reasons Why lol.
    Flag nazipornoon March 13, 2013   Link
  • 0
    Song Comparison:Could this song be considered the sequel to "Play Dead" with a different narrator?

    Play Dead: The cliques want me to be as brain dead as they are, but I'm going to ignore them and be an individual.

    Shallow Grave: That freak tried to be different from us, but we managed to beat her into submission (one way or another).
    Flag Castle742on November 08, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:When I first heard the song it reminded me of the movie Mommy Dearest.
    Flag YersiniaPon December 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction:Also from the lyricbook it's "always breaking all she borrows" and "more time to think things through."
    Flag hundredskieson November 10, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:In Chibi's own words:

    "It ends up being sort of a dancy song, but the lyrics are sort of dark and speaking about a character. I remember when I was originally being interviewed I mentioned that it was sort of inspired by a Black Dahlia. It wasn’t specifically about her, but it was sort of a concept. It’s about a tragic character who only achieved fame through suffering or having something horrible happen before anyone really paid attention. That was the case in the Black Dahlia, she was a struggling actress. That is the case for a lot of people. They get their fame and notoriety through the tragedies in their lives, so for me that is where that song comes from."

    muenmagazine.net/2010/08/birthday-massacre-balances-on-pins-and-needles/
    Flag hundredskieson November 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:adding to that, she also mentioned something how it was basically about trying your hardest to get famous and it being for nothing because your got murdered, by society and your killer a like. i wish i could find this interview again lol.
    Flag eizohon November 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:based solely from the lyrics it sounds like usagi is right, but in an interview chibi said that this was based loosely on the story of elizabeth smart (black dahlia), who had nothing to do with prostituion.
    Flag eizohon November 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's...So...Catchy!!! I love it!!! xD
    By the way, I agree with UsagiHell. 100%.
    Flag Asylum306on November 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think I might agree with UsagiHell or she might be being forced to work like a slave.(if that sentence makes sense). Basically, whatever situation she's in, she figures she might as well be dead and so lives like she's going to die tomorrow. She might as well because it really wouldn't make a difference where she is and in fact death might be better.
    Flag maneatingmangoon November 02, 2010   Link

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