Maynard usually likes to write songs about his own personal experiences and share them with other so that they can relate. Of course he does have his way with words, both metaphorically and poetically, able to express so beautifully the emotions and depth of a man's innermost psychi. This song is about rising up and out of depression and self-denial, not about a rose so much as the past tense of the word rise. The first stanza depicts Maynard in a stage of his life where he was frightened by the consequences of his own actions and by the dennial of his own person to the point where it paralyzed him. He had fallen prey to his own anxieties, and they were eating away at him inside, and devouring his true person and his good intentions (the beautiful rose). He believed the only way not to be destroyed by his anxieties immediately (just to hang on to what was left of himself) was to be governed by them, held down and suppressed by them. He feels helpless and defenseless. This is why he says, "compromise what I will, I am." He decides to compromise his will and his person to be held in the grips of his own depression and fear. The second paragraph once again reinforces this round-about lifestyle of always trying to evade yourself, not stand and face yourself, which is the hardest thing to do in the world, I know. I am a firm believer that the only thing most people are afraid of is themselves. The 2nd stanza, like the first, paints a picture of the terrified fawn in the forest, running through the foliage, when it senses danger and tries desperately to get away, quickly and quietly. He finally comes to the realization that this has to stop. He can't run forever. He must face his fears, his anxieties, let loose his anger, his beast. In the next stanza he proclaims, "I am, I will, so no longer
Will I lay down, play dead, play your doe." He realizes who he is is who he is and this will not change and that its a good thing and that he can do whatever he wants. He doesn't have to trap himself in the prison cell of his mind. He no longer wants to be that doe, running away through the forest from something not so real. He continues saying, "[play your doe]...In the headlights, locked down and terrified, your Deer, in the headlights, shot down and horrified." He sees that this paralysis of his mind, like a deer in the headlights, will lead only to an imminennt disaster. He finally recognizes, "when Push comes to pull comes to shove comes to step around this Self-destructive dance that never would've ended till I rose, I roared aloud here I will, I am. The only way to avoid this self-destructive fate is to stop running away, to turn around, and to pit his conscious person against his fears and anxieties. He finds the confidence to finally fend off and suppress these anxieties in order to stop being the prey for once. In the final stanza, he reinforces this revalation of self consciousness by saying, "I am, I will, so no longer Will I lay down, play dead, play this Knee down, gun-shy, martyr, pitiful I rose, I roared, I will, I am." He finally knows who he is and what he wants and is satisfied with this. He know longer has to play the role of martyr to his fears, his anxieties. He will not give himself up to prove a point or to make others feel sorry for him. He will aggressively attack and destroy whatever was holding him back. He will destroy his fears. He will carry on.
Maynard usually likes to write songs about his own personal experiences and share them with other so that they can relate. Of course he does have his way with words, both metaphorically and poetically, able to express so beautifully the emotions and depth of a man's innermost psychi. This song is about rising up and out of depression and self-denial, not about a rose so much as the past tense of the word rise. The first stanza depicts Maynard in a stage of his life where he was frightened by the consequences of his own actions and by the dennial of his own person to the point where it paralyzed him. He had fallen prey to his own anxieties, and they were eating away at him inside, and devouring his true person and his good intentions (the beautiful rose). He believed the only way not to be destroyed by his anxieties immediately (just to hang on to what was left of himself) was to be governed by them, held down and suppressed by them. He feels helpless and defenseless. This is why he says, "compromise what I will, I am." He decides to compromise his will and his person to be held in the grips of his own depression and fear. The second paragraph once again reinforces this round-about lifestyle of always trying to evade yourself, not stand and face yourself, which is the hardest thing to do in the world, I know. I am a firm believer that the only thing most people are afraid of is themselves. The 2nd stanza, like the first, paints a picture of the terrified fawn in the forest, running through the foliage, when it senses danger and tries desperately to get away, quickly and quietly. He finally comes to the realization that this has to stop. He can't run forever. He must face his fears, his anxieties, let loose his anger, his beast. In the next stanza he proclaims, "I am, I will, so no longer Will I lay down, play dead, play your doe." He realizes who he is is who he is and this will not change and that its a good thing and that he can do whatever he wants. He doesn't have to trap himself in the prison cell of his mind. He no longer wants to be that doe, running away through the forest from something not so real. He continues saying, "[play your doe]...In the headlights, locked down and terrified, your Deer, in the headlights, shot down and horrified." He sees that this paralysis of his mind, like a deer in the headlights, will lead only to an imminennt disaster. He finally recognizes, "when Push comes to pull comes to shove comes to step around this Self-destructive dance that never would've ended till I rose, I roared aloud here I will, I am. The only way to avoid this self-destructive fate is to stop running away, to turn around, and to pit his conscious person against his fears and anxieties. He finds the confidence to finally fend off and suppress these anxieties in order to stop being the prey for once. In the final stanza, he reinforces this revalation of self consciousness by saying, "I am, I will, so no longer Will I lay down, play dead, play this Knee down, gun-shy, martyr, pitiful I rose, I roared, I will, I am." He finally knows who he is and what he wants and is satisfied with this. He know longer has to play the role of martyr to his fears, his anxieties. He will not give himself up to prove a point or to make others feel sorry for him. He will aggressively attack and destroy whatever was holding him back. He will destroy his fears. He will carry on.