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Dead Inside Lyrics

Dead inside

Reveal a million prayers
And draw me into your holiness
But there's nothing there
Light only shines from those who share

Unleash a million drones
Then confine me then erase me babe
Do you have no soul?
Its like it died long ago

Your lips feel warm to the touch
You can bring me back to life
On the outside you're ablaze and alive
But you're dead inside

You're free to touch the sky
Whilst I am crushed and pulverised
Because you need control
Now I'm the one who is letting go

You like to give an inch
Whilst I am giving infinity
But now I've got nothing left
You have no cares and I'm bereft

Your skin feels warm to caress
I see magic in your eyes
On the outside you're ablaze and alive
But you're dead inside

Feel me now
Hold me please
I need you to see who I am
Open up to me
Stop hiding from me
It's hurting babe
Only you can stop the pain
Don't leave me out in the cold
Don't leave me out to die
I gave you everything
I can't give you anymore
Now I've become just like you

My lips feel warm to the touch
My words seem so alive
My skin is warm to caress
I'll control and hypnotise
You've taught me to lie without a trace
And to kill with no remorse
On the outside I'm the greatest guy
Now I'm dead inside
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Cover art for Dead Inside lyrics by Muse

From Matt: "This is where the story of the album begins, where the protagonist loses hope and becomes 'Dead Inside', therefore vulnerable to the dark forces introduced in 'Psycho' and which ensue over the next few songs on the album, before eventually defecting, revolting and overcoming these dark forces later in the story."

To me though, it also reads like it was written at and about the break up of a relationship.

Cover art for Dead Inside lyrics by Muse

Still very early days for me as i've only listened to the song a few times.... But I wonder if the whole love/relationship analogies are a bit of imagery or a red herring... If you look at the lyrics in terms of two halves of a fractured psyche that're competing for dominance that seems to fit quite well. There's a dominant half that is "bad" but it's confidence, capability and sheer will ensures it is always on top. The protagonist is the cowed, buried half that is "good" but lacks the strength to fight or usurp the "bad" side. By the end of the song the darker half appears to have subsumed the good part entirely, enabling and empowering him/it but leaving him ultimately "Dead Inside" as a result. Thinking of it - schzophrenia is pretty fanciful, maybe depression, anxiety/social phobia would fit the same sort of metaphor... I dunno, just something off the wall from my first few listens.

The lyrics are definitely some song-writing more in line with Muse's earlier, more dexterous work anyway i think (a good thing). A lot of their songs were always open to interpretation i always thought and they lost that over the course of the last couple of albums.... Great to have some good stuff back!!

My Interpretation
Cover art for Dead Inside lyrics by Muse

Matt can say all he wants about this song being about a 'protagonist' but there is no way this isn't about him and Kate splitting up.

Firstly, and I realize this isn't my strongest argument, the woman in the lyric video looks like her. It isn't her, but it looks like her.

'On the outside you're ablaze and alive / But you're dead inside' is all just about how he was trying to be with the woman he loved but it didn't feel like she loved him anymore.

'I gave you everything / I can't give you any more' is him letting go of this relationship because it just wasn't working. I don't know, that's just how I hear it.

I think Matt probably said it was about some sort of storyline to stop Kate from getting pissed off with him.

My Interpretation
Cover art for Dead Inside lyrics by Muse

This song has lots of meanings, but I think the two that fits best are this: Political: a CIA's drone pilot who has been trained to strike from a chair and detach from his/her emotions (kill by remote control... taught me to lie without a trace and to kill with no remorse) then realises the horrible things done and discovered he/she is as death as the CIA. Emotional: a guy has a crush on a girl with several problems, tries to help her and know more about her and her troubles (unleash a million drones) but she has given up (dead inside) and he becomes obsessed with saving her from herself (you like to give an inch while I'm giving infinity... Only you can stop the pain) as she considered suicide (you're free to touch the sky while I'm crushed and pulverised). He realises that he can't help her as she needs professional help and he also surrender (because you need control now I'm the one who's letting go... I gave you everything I can't give you anymore now I've become just like you) so he now detach from his feelings and becomes kind of psychopathic in order to avoid depression (I'll control and hypnotize you've taught me to lie without a trace and to kill with no remorse on the outside i'm the greatest guy now I'm dead inside!)

My Interpretation
Cover art for Dead Inside lyrics by Muse

I think it's about a stealth/covert narcissist who hides herself behind the mask of holiness. The protagonist feels that she is just like him and wonders whether she has empathy or not, because if she doesn't have it then it would mean that he also does not have it.

Cover art for Dead Inside lyrics by Muse

Tbh idk what i think this song i about. But i do know that its AWESOME. Cannot wait for drones to come out.

If i had to guess what its about a breakup and how he loves her but he doesnt think she loves him back. Even tho she is warm and alive on the outside she is dead inside

Cover art for Dead Inside lyrics by Muse

Calling this a "breakup song" might be reductive. My opinion isthat there's more inside these lyrics. There is a common thought that a man, to have more success with women, should act more as the "bad guy". And this thought often come over after the end of a relationship where is she who cheated on him or treated him bad. Well, the song is all about that. After a man has fallen in love with a woman, and she used him without any care for his feelings, he feels "crushed", "pulverized", "bereft". But in the aftermath, he becomes just like her, from now on he will use false words who "seems so alive" to "control and hypnotize" women and to be "on the outside the greatest guy". But this way he is just "dead inside" like the woman who left him "out in the cold".

My Interpretation
Cover art for Dead Inside lyrics by Muse

This song reminds me of the Darren Shan story "The Lake of Souls" where Darren is ablaze and alive on the outside but dead inside because of Larten Crepsley's death by the hands of his half brother/rival/former best friend Steve Leonard. He acts like this for months until Truska tells him that Larten wouldn't want to see him like this. He finally breaks down and cries after he says Larten's name.

My Interpretation

@seeing OMG! Hope you read my comment! Cant believe a darren shan fan over here.. . And totally agree with your comment! Poor Darren. Some part of me also died when Mr Crepsley died that day. :( even in death may he be triumphant

Cover art for Dead Inside lyrics by Muse

It's not a relationship song. Not between two human beings that is. What "unleashes drones" and "confines and erases" people? The answer is not "your girlfriend". It's about the protagonists relationship with a dystopian national government. This is another song along the lines of Uprising. Consider that the "next song", Psycho is about induction into the military.

@Letmein Considered in isolation it sounds like the story of a man recruitment as a spy.

Cover art for Dead Inside lyrics by Muse

I love how they punctuate each 'dead inside!' I don't think they did that for any other song