Strike me down
Give me everything you've got
Strike me down
I'll be everything I'm not

Count the questions on one hand you don't ask me what I planned
Strike me down
Should have asked me what went wrong
Strike me down
Should have stayed away too long

Strike me down
Give it everything you've got
Chance me now I'll be everything I'm not
Hope's the child of what luck brings

Points the faith in higher things
Ask me now fire at everything at once
Strike me down
Take it anyway you want

Strike me down
Better left it all unknown
Strike me down
Should have left it all alone

Wash the questions off my hands
I'm the fate in no-one plans
Strike me down
Give it everything you've got
Strike me down
I'll be everything I'm not


Lyrics submitted by Feast

Lightning Field Lyrics as written by Ira Gershwin George Gershwin

Lyrics © Raleigh Music Publishing LLC, DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Lightning Field song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    I don think this song is a song at all, I think is more an anthem for the ones like me that deserves everything from the other peoples, but at the same time will take what destynis brings them.

    hateuon April 03, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I've always kind of wondered if this song is a portrayal of the death of Christ. The imagery's certainly there.

    kumokasumion January 28, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "wash the questions off my hands, i'm the fate in no one's plans"- i think it's about not seeing no future for yourself, about being rejected by the one you love, being confused at times when the reality is too cruel to comprehend.

    latentiaon March 02, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Hard to stomach

    Sirius1on March 18, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this song is about how people undermine others. Like how someone always is voicing their opinions but is beaten down by other people for it and that person just takes that abuse.

    Well at least that's my interpretation.

    calmingdeepblueon December 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think that this song is about hating yourself so much that you come to desire your own destruction. I think it is about wanting to change every single aspect of yourself. (‘Strike me down/ I’ll be everything I’m not).

    This theme carries on through the song; the subject of the song has such low self esteem that they feel that their existence is an infringement on other peoples’ lives. The subject feels that they do not deserve any responsibilities, and that all decisions that they make will be wrong. (Wash the questions off my hands/I’m the fate in no-one’s plans.)

    Thanks for reading my interpretation…please bear in mind that I think that Sneaker Pimps’ music is bordering on perfection, and that nothing in this comment is intended to be offensive.

    the alternativeon April 26, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this is about being attacked, dismissed or tossed aside, whether by another person or by society as a whole.

    The narrator seems extremely hurt, but so far gone that he's responding with almost demented defiance. In some places he seems upset, like he's wondering what he did to deserve it, or how he could have prevented it. The lines beginning with "strike me down" seem to be saying that he's already been damaged so much that he doesn't care what happens to him next.

    Chris Corner's voice in this song is one of the creepiest things I've ever heard... the way he conveys the conflicted combination of emotions is perfect. It's like listening to someone who had the experience talk about it minutes after the realization. It's amazing that a song recorded in a studio can be THAT expressive.

    ElleVeeElleon June 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning

    Fascinating song indeed. The song naturally caught my attention but the lyrics eventually caught on even more. He has such an original and interesting perceptive of being “desperately hopeless” or what have you. Most importantly, this is not cynical which is almost what it suggests for him to have such rational conclusions that almost are (?) ridiculous (?) <“hope's the child of what luck brings”/”points the faith in higher things”>.

    Not cynical (like Cake’s “Comfort Eagle” for example) or depressed (like Radiohead’s: “We suck young blood”) or angry (Like Tool’s: “Judith”) or sad (like Tears for Fears’ “Shout”) nor like Siouxsie and the Banshee’s “Painted Bird” even. Maybe the closest would be her “Israel” song.

    It’s like a mother beating the dreams out of a child and him “coming to enlightenment” that how she is destroying his interest in his own autonomy is good or proper. As if he is pleased almost. Like a kid wants to practice the trumpet, but his mom keeps beating him and saying: “No play football” <“I’ll be everything I’m not”> and he assimilates into encouraging the negative feelings. I’m losing my grips on it, maybe the guy is like chemically imbalanced or in a state of psychosis. Learned helplessness? The song seems so rational and the protagonist seems so reasonable, but something still doesn’t seem right about it…

    Fascinating song indeed.

    sapererisinon November 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this is my favourite song at the moment LOVE IT!

    imaginarybeingon April 07, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    For me, the meaning of this song is related to my recent breakup. I think it can also apply to any relationship, ongoing or over, in which you feel that the person doesn't care to really know you, to ask those open-ended questions, to at least attempt to understand you.

    "Give me everything you've got" ---> I wanted you to reciprocate this. I wanted you to try as much as I did.

    "I'll be everything I'm not" ---> I was willing to sacrifice, I was willing to change parts of myself to please him.

    Now this is the lyric that I really resonate with, though it is simple: "Count the questions on one hand you don't ask me what I planned Strike me down Should have asked me what went wrong" It's the anger that they don't ask you questions. You want to spend time with me, to have a companion, but you don't ask me what I plan, what I dream of, what I really think. If you didn't want me to end all of this, you "should have asked me what went wrong." Instead, you make assumptions, you don't care to find the truth.

    "Should have stayed away too long" ---> The wording of this line is interesting, and I think it could be interpreted in many ways. I see it as, stay away from me, I deserve better.

    ollie19on August 15, 2021   Link

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