Elysium
02-Portishead Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

No one has said what the truth should be
And no one decided that I'd feel this way
If you felt as I
Would you betray yourself?

But you can't deny how I feel
And you can't decide for me

No one should fear what they cannot see
And no one's to blame, it's just hypocrisy
It's written in your eyes
And how I despise myself

But you can't deny how I feel
And you can't decide for me

It's your heart that's so wrong
Mistaken, you'll never know
Your feathered sacred self

But you can't deny how I feel
And you can't decide for me

And you can't deny how I feel
And why should you decide for me?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Elysium" by Portishead delve into themes of personal truth, self-betrayal, hypocrisy, and the individual's right to feel and decide for oneself. The song starts by expressing the absence of a prescribed truth or an external source determining how one should feel. The singer questions whether someone else, if they shared the same emotions, would also betray their own true selves. This suggests a desire for validation or solidarity in their feelings.

The subsequent lines highlight the inability of others to deny or dictate the singer's emotions. It emphasizes the importance of personal agency in determining one's feelings and decisions. The lyrics seem to challenge the idea that someone else can fully comprehend or control another person's emotional state.

The song then shifts to addressing fear and blame, dismissing them as forms of hypocrisy. The singer suggests that these elements are visible in the eyes of others, and despises their own reflection in those eyes, perhaps feeling judged or misunderstood. There is a clear assertion of individuality and the rejection of outside influence on one's emotions and choices.

The closing lines reinforce this message, asserting that the heart of the other person is mistaken and that they will never truly understand the singer. The use of the phrase "feathered sacred self" builds on the theme of individuality, suggesting that one's essence is a unique and fragile thing.

Line by Line Meaning

No one has said what the truth should be
No one has dictated what the definition of truth should be

And no one decided that I'd feel this way
And no one determined that I would experience these emotions

If you felt as I
If you shared my emotions

Would you betray yourself?
Would you act against your true nature?

But you can't deny how I feel
However, you cannot reject the validity of my emotions

And you can't decide for me
Nor can you make decisions on my behalf

No one should fear what they cannot see
No individual should be afraid of the unknown

And no one's to blame, it's just hypocrisy
And there is no one at fault, it is simply a display of hypocrisy

It's written in your eyes
It is evident from your eyes

And how I despise myself
And how I intensely dislike myself

It's your heart that's so wrong
It is your heart that is misguided