So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Whoa
My gears they grind
More each day
And I feel like
They're gonna grind away
Whoa
And the city blocks
They drive me wild
They're never ending
Mile after mile
I just don't know what to do
I'm too afraid to love you
'Cause heaven on earth
Is in her embrace
A gentle touch
And a smiling face
I'm just one wishing
That I was a pair
With someone, oh somewhere
I just don't know what to do
I'm too afraid to love you
All those sleepless nights
And all those wasted days
I wish loneliness would leave me
But I think it's here to stay
What more can I do
'Cause I'm ringin' myself dry
And I can't afford to lose
One more teardrop from my eye
Whoa
I'm too afraid
I'm too afraid
I just don't know what to do
With myself
Thinkin' all the time
Don't know what to do
Don't know what to do
Drivin' me outta my mind
My gears they grind
More each day
And I feel like
They're gonna grind away
Whoa
And the city blocks
They drive me wild
They're never ending
Mile after mile
I just don't know what to do
I'm too afraid to love you
'Cause heaven on earth
Is in her embrace
A gentle touch
And a smiling face
I'm just one wishing
That I was a pair
With someone, oh somewhere
I just don't know what to do
I'm too afraid to love you
All those sleepless nights
And all those wasted days
I wish loneliness would leave me
But I think it's here to stay
What more can I do
'Cause I'm ringin' myself dry
And I can't afford to lose
One more teardrop from my eye
Whoa
I'm too afraid
I'm too afraid
I just don't know what to do
With myself
Thinkin' all the time
Don't know what to do
Don't know what to do
Drivin' me outta my mind
Lyrics submitted by abrahamcomesfromiraq, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Too Afraid to Love You Lyrics as written by Patrick Carney Daniel Auerbach
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
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Can't believe this song only has 4 comments... It's wrecking me right now.
I never even saw the other interpretations (even though they're similar). They make sense, but to me, it's about a guy that can't commit to a girl he really likes. They are (or have been) in a relationship and he is (or has been) on the edge of falling for her, but can't quite do it.
He doesn't go into "why" (we all have our own reasons; and I don't understand any of them =) ) but he just can't do it. I'm currently in this exact situation. I can come up with reasons for "why", but none of them stick.
This song is him going nuts over the fact that he feels so alone without her, but can't just fall in love with her and forget all his fears. In light of that, he feels like he'll always be alone because if he can't figure things out with a girl like her, what chance will he ever have? He's stuck and doesn't see a way out and that's tiring him out on a profound level.
That's what it means to me, probably because I'm projecting my own situation. I practially hear this song in my head when I'm in my worse moods.
Talkies has it: "He's afraid to love her because it then gives her the power to hurt him." GOOD song, but sad. No risk No reward. We'd all be alone into old age if we were who the song is about.
I believe this song is about a guy whose probably fairly shy and has been hurt a lot by girls before, and he wants this girl but he's too scared he'll get rejected or hurt. So he has devoted himself to being lonely
I like that this song is vague because it leaves it open to apply your own meaning to it. For me, it's about understanding that oftentimes the desire to be with someone is greater than actually being with them. I like to think it's from the perspective of someone who's been through the chase before and realized that it's best to keep it there because once you give in and get emotionally invested, it ends up hurting you. He's afraid to love her because it then gives her the power to hurt him.
No matter what it's about, it's still hands-down one of the sexiest songs ever.
Wow, I don't even remember commenting on this song.. hahah. Isn't that terrible? I was just about to comment and say that this song has always struck me the most from the album. Brothers is a masterpiece.
This is my FAVE song right now because I totally relate to it so here is my interpretation of the song. I've been a Model most of my life and I just retired this year and I literally listen to this song like 25 times a day because it is EXACTLY what I feel right now with this guy I really like. He is amazing but he lives soooooooooooooooo far away from me and to make things worse, I have been warned by tons of people about how he sleeps around and stuff and when ALL these people get in your ears, fear is left inside of you right?? So, I just don't KNOW what to do. I'm TOO AFRAID TO LOVE YOU means that if I fall for this guy, I give him ALL THE POWER To break my heart. I've had my heart broken once before. I AM SCARED TO GIVE HIM THE POWER TO HURT ME. That is my interpretation.
This is my FAVE song right now because I totally relate to it so here is my interpretation of the song. I've been a Model most of my life and I just retired this year and I literally listen to this song like 25 times a day because it is EXACTLY what I feel right now with this guy I really like. He is amazing but he lives soooooooooooooooo far away from me and to make things worse, I have been warned by tons of people about how he sleeps around and stuff and when ALL these people get in your ears, fear is left inside of you right?? So, I just don't KNOW what to do. I'm TOO AFRAID TO LOVE YOU means that if I fall for this guy, I give him ALL THE POWER To break my heart. I've had my heart broken once before. I AM SCARED TO GIVE HIM THE POWER TO HURT ME. That is my interpretation.
i created an account just to write about this song. this song literally describes the situation i'm in right now. word for word. i guess Hawkboy is right on the spot
the comments here are quite easily fit in with this song. :). This one is very personal to me with a hint of dismissing infatuation with a woman. Too afraid... the song I think depicts a cowardly man who cannot come to terms what a very intense attraction he feels may actually be in his future with either a certain someone... or it could be the possibility of surrendering to find love.. maybe all exist. I love the sound.
It's easy to indulge in someone's love and heavenly embrace. She is extremely sweetest, or so I think. I need to let her go. I'm lonely so I indulge in her companionship and in turn waste our time. I just don't know what to do. In loving her is to let her go and break her heart. Which will lead to that gut wrenching sense of guilt. Feeling lonely and isolated with her is one thing. Loneliness without her is unimaginable. I just don't know what to do. I'm not ready for that. I'm afraid of loving you and I'm afraid of being alone. The indulging in your love continues, but this isn't right. I just don't know what to do