Addicted to Pain - Lyrics/Meaning

[Timotheus]

I think this would be a good thread to discuss the lyrics and the meaning of the song.

Here are the lyrics Ubik transcribed. Not everything's right though, so I'll edit this post when we find the right phrases.

Tell me how it feels to live a lie
Tell me do you know that it won't ever be the same
You can't deny the house of cards just hit the floor
Don't tell me you can save it in the end
There's nothing you can do cause when it's gone you know it won't come back again
But you don't listen anymore

You're addicted to pain
Too blind to see you're lost in the shadows
Too addicted to face
In time you're gonna lose it all

If only I had said this long ago
If only I had found a way to tell you all the things you should've known
But you were lost right from the start
How the hell are you the one to blame
You've done no wrong you gave it all
So why the hell did you have to change
You broke your back she broke your heart

You're addicted to pain
Too blind to see you're lost in the shadows
Too addicted to face
In time you're gonna lose it all

Cry out
You know it now
She sold you out
You're gonna lose it all

Cry out
You know it now
Just tear it down
You're gonna lose it all

[mental solo]

You're addicted to pain
Too blind to see you're lost in the shadows
Too addicted to face
In time you're gonna lose it all
You're addicted to pain
Sometimes it seems like nothing else matters
You're too addicted to face
In time you're gonna lose it all

Cry out, you know it now
In time you're gonna lose it all
Cry out, you know it now
You don't listen anymore
[x2]

[Ubik]

Last line's not right I don't think but I can't make it out properly, the vocal effects don't help there. "You're nowhere now" might also be "You know it now", hard to tell either way.

[Timotheus]

The first time it sounds more like "Know it now". Not sure about the second time.

Edit: nvm, I really can't figure it out. I listened to the middle section and it sounds kinda the same.

[Harry©]

I think the meaning is about making sure next time you buy orange juice it's got bits in it and it's not made from concentrate.
Also try not to exceed 240g of carbohydrates in a single day and don't eat anything salty before bed because it may dehydrate you.

It's either that or it's about 'hope' or 'loneliness' or 'holding on for the one you love'

[Der_Metzgermeister]

Also, could the chorus say "you're addicted to fate" rather than face or faith? I can't make it out clearly.

[Timotheus]

I think he says "too", though I think he says it in a really weird way. Maybe because it sings more comfortable that way. In the last chorus he clearly sings: "you're too addicted to face"

[Jim]

I think the meaning is about making sure next time you buy orange juice it's got bits in it and it's not made from concentrate.
Also try not to exceed 240g of carbohydrates in a single day and don't eat anything salty before bed because it may dehydrate you.

It's either that or it's about 'hope' or 'loneliness' or 'holding on for the one you love'

[Andy92]

Cry out
You're nowhere now
She sold you out
You're gonna lose it all
[x2]

This part before the solo doesn't exactly repeat. The 2nd time through sounds like the 3rd line changes:

Cry out
You're nowhere now
Just tear it down
You're gonna lose it all

That's what I'm hearing.

[DonHarry]

It's blatently about the relationship of most males lives.

Guy moves heaven and earth for girl. Girl breaks his heart. All the while his friends can see the writing on the wall but no matter what they say he'll follow his heart and get crushed. Good lyrics imo.

[Nick]

It's blatently about the relationship of most males lives.

Guy moves heaven and earth for girl. Girl breaks his heart. All the while his friends can see the writing on the wall but no matter what they say he'll follow his heart and get crushed. Good lyrics imo.

I haven't been able to read too in depth (I shouldn't be on the forum at all because I'm at work shh) but if this it, then I'm pretty disappointed.

[DonHarry]

Well either that or its about an actual pain fettish.

Unless its much deeper than either of those and in fact the woman is a metaphor for something else. The music industry perhaps. Kind of like Eminem did with that song I can't remember the name of.

[Nick]

No, I don't doubt you. Reading it now, it definitely seems to be plainly about a woman. It's just... I don't know, this is pretty personal to me but I can't stand seeing guys whine so much about a girl being the complete problem in a relationship. I can only think I'm not getting the full story. I become really skeptical when anyone demonizes anybody, but especially when a guy demonizes a girl. I want to hear her side.

"How the hell are you the one to blame
you've done no wrong you gave it all
So why the hell do you have to change
You broke your back she broke your heart."

This guy just sounds so defensive and unwilling to take any blame at all. He did no wrong? None at all? Come on. Generally, you should also expect some mutual change when people are in a relationship. A good relationship should change both people for the better. This guy just sounds butthurt because his friend can't hang out with him as much because he got a girlfriend.

That last line is well written though. I like the shifting repetition of the breaking imagery.

[Andy92]

This could be about a specific instance and not just relationships in general. I agree about not being whiny, but we don't really know where these lyrics came from.

[Timotheus]

"This guy just sounds butthurt because his friend can't hang out with him as much because he got a girlfriend. "

[abw1987]

I think these are accurate. Good ears! I hear the same lyrics.

[Ubik]

Cry out
You're nowhere now
She sold you out
You're gonna lose it all
[x2]

This part before the solo doesn't exactly repeat. The 2nd time through sounds like the 3rd line changes:

Cry out
You're nowhere now
Just tear it down
You're gonna lose it all

That's what I'm hearing.

Yeah you're right, I originally wrote them all out but to save space I cut down the bits I thought repeated, twas a mistake on that one!

With the meaning - I think the guy's indignant, but it's not the end of the story. Solace comes later.

[Andy92]

^Yep. Remember, All Ends Well.

[Timotheus]

I changed "So why the hell do you have to change" to "So why the hell DID you have to change". I'm pretty sure he says 'did'.

[Ubik]

I can't hear the second "d", but it's quite easy to drop vocally, so could be. I still think it's "do" based on the context seemingly being present tense and it fitting more with that.

Back to meaning - what I thought initially was mates sitting you down after you've just been given the push and telling you to stop wallowing. You've been going over the mistakes you made enough yourself (first verse), you need to get your self respect back.

[Jim]

The meaning:

I feel it's about overcoming being forced to stay in a relationship with someone who is destructive of themselves and detrimentally; yourself too. The person causing the issue hides the pain and just carries on dragging everyone else down with them in complete ignorance of their misery

The 2nd verse seems to be aimed more towards the person who is suffering, the 1st could be at either..

On the right lines do ya think?