Through My Hands

Bad Seed's song 'Through My Hands' delves into the existential struggle against the inevitability of fate and the fragility of life. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person grappling with the harsh realities of existence, where life is fleeting and often feels like an unfair battle. The opening lines, 'I'm hiding from the fates. Because as quickly as life is given it gets taken away,' set the tone for a narrative steeped in the awareness of life's impermanence and the seeming futility of human efforts against it.

The song's chorus, 'The wrath of life is surely conquering me, the righteous will prosper, the meek inherit nothing,' reflects a deep sense of disillusionment. This line suggests a world where moral righteousness does not guarantee success or happiness, and those who are meek or humble are left with nothing. The artist's soul is described as empty, and despite learning from past mistakes, there is a sense of resignation and despair, encapsulated in the line, 'All loss no Gain.' This highlights a nihilistic view where the lessons of life seem pointless because lives are commodified and controlled by forces beyond individual control.

In the latter part of the song, the artist expresses a determination not to let life slip through their hands 'like sand.' This metaphor emphasizes the difficulty of holding onto something as intangible and uncontrollable as life itself. The closing lines, 'When the world is upside down, I won't keep my feet on the ground,' suggest a refusal to conform to a world that feels inherently unjust and chaotic. Instead, there is a resolve to rise above the turmoil, even if it means defying conventional expectations and norms. This defiance against the world's demands underscores a theme of resistance and the quest for personal agency in an unpredictable and often harsh reality.