True friends stab you in the front
Keep you from getting what you want
When one more fix could kill you
They help you realize that

You're more and less than you first had believed
You've so much to give and there's so much you need
Shortcuts through graveyards and a brand new way to breathe
Three thousand miles just to learn,
All that's gold does not all shine
And helping words aren't always kind,
When one more kiss could kill you,
They help you realize that

You're more and less than you first had believed
You've so much to give and there's so much you need
Shortcuts through graveyards and a brand new way to breathe
Three thousand miles just to learn.

How to let my guard down
Accept the fire that has spread among us.
And if you're feeling all right,
You've got to play it again,
You've got to play it again.



Lyrics submitted by Second Self

Track duration: 04:36

"The Beltsville Crucible" as written by Edward Carrington Breckenridge, James Riley Breckenridge, Dustin Michael Kensrue, Teppei Teranishi

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


The Beltsville Crucible song meanings
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52 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I love this song a lot because I can connect with it. Trying to quit habits and trying to get friends to quit some habits.
    This song is definatly about one person trying to get another person to quit. The other person is addicted and the first friend is keeping the second from getting their fix. The second person has become a druggie and has problems and didn't really acomplish what they could. The first friend is kinda doing the whole tough love thing. The second friend doesn't really like it though even though the first is trying to explain it.
    I love the ending the best. It's like the first friend is talking about starting up the habits thinking nothing will happen, but the fire (habit) is controling most of their lives now. The whole play it again part seems like the first friend was telling the second friend that is they hear this and their high (or whatever) that they need to play the song again when their sober. It sounds like Dustin is screaming while crying when he yells out the last line.
    Flag noitigamon January 27, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Actually, the title is about a small town Beltsville,MD. I know because I live in this city and it is on the WikiPedia MD page. Thank you! Sure the song may be about drugs or whatever,but the title inspiration is from the Maryland city. 30 north of DC.
    Flag Redhot84on September 18, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:look, it doesnt mayyer what the artist intended per se. the great thing about music and lyrics in general is that they take on personal meaning and how you hear the song defines your experience. The meaning you find in a song can be totally off from what was intended, but in the end that is what it means to you, that is what you take from the artist, and that in the end is their intention.
    Flag unclaimedbaggageon August 05, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:If you have seen the Documentary on If we could only see us now

    they say that this song is in a way about the album

    the whole recording process and critisism towards band mates and their time recording this specific album

    if you havent seen the dvd BUY IT NOW
    Flag theminustimeson April 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The meaning was discovered on the second page... Good job guys :)
    Flag thestoebzon November 19, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think that everyone is overlooking the real meaning of the album at large. It's called "The Illusion of Safety" and that's exactly what it's about. each song examines a different aspect of life and how safety is really non-existent. This one is about how people take drugs and think nothing will happen, but they cannot be safe there either.

    At the end, however, he says "three thousand miles just to learn, how to let my guard down. accept the fire has spread among us. and if youre feeling alright, you've got to play it again". What dustin means is that he has come so far to learn to live in the absence of safety, but few people can see that "the fire has spread among us".

    then, in a moment of sheer brilliance, he finishes the album with the line "and if youre feeling alright, youve got to play it again", basically meaning that if you listened to this whole album and still feel fine, you missed the meaning, and should go listen to it again.
    Flag mrguy6on October 24, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:besides being about the recording of IOS i think this song is about true friendship and how truly genuine people will always be there for you no matter what hence the line "helping words aren’t always kind" well theres my two cents
    Flag water_is_poisonon August 21, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:if you guys watched one of there dvds nic basically says that this is about them making the record and process sayin true friends stab you in the front.... was sayin that even though it was hard to hear nic and other people told them wat they truly thought of the song or wat he said. all that’s gold does not all shine
    and helping words aren’t always kind is sayin that just becasue he thinks its gold doesnt mean it really is and the words he had to hear to better himself arnt to kind and ect.
    Flag alex907on May 30, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:hahah whoops, never got to seconds page. makes my last post kinda redundant. sorry kids.
    Flag thommcnealyon February 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is hella diamond in the rough. kind of a boring song musically, but the lyrics are fuckin gold.

    from what i understood from lyrics/if we could see us now DVD is that it's more general that ya'll suggest. it's about the concept of having being hurt by a friend, but putting yourself that to save them in the grand scheme of shit.

    brian mcternan (producer of IOS) said that he told dustin somethings that were hard to hear, but came from a good place (verbatim).

    i'm guessing seeing as how he's a producer, he probably was criticizing what dustin came up w/, and dustin was hurt by it (seeing as how musicians are hella sensitive bout their music), and finally he came to and realized that it was for the best.

    anyways, that's how the concept hit dustin. the drug reference/shitty relationship reference is all just different flavors of the same concept of having to hurt to help.

    that's my 2 cents.
    Flag thommcnealyon February 27, 2007   Link

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