The Past Is Dead

Beartooth's song 'The Past Is Dead' delves into the emotional turmoil of grappling with change and the difficulty of moving on from the past. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of confusion and disorientation, with the opening lines 'Turn the lights down let me think clearly / Everything is such a blur these days' setting the stage for a journey through mental and emotional chaos. The protagonist is caught in a struggle to find clarity and peace, feeling overwhelmed by the rapid changes in their life.

The chorus, 'Well we can’t go back / We don’t know where to begin / All the life drains out / We can’t try making amends,' highlights the sense of helplessness and resignation that comes with realizing that the past cannot be changed. Despite their best efforts, the protagonist feels stuck, unable to move forward or make amends for past mistakes. This sentiment is further emphasized in the lines 'Even though I'm trying my best doing all I can / As you might have guessed / I don’t know how to pretend / I can’t accept that the past is dead,' which reveal a deep-seated resistance to letting go and an inability to accept the finality of the past.

The song also touches on the theme of seeking validation and a sense of aliveness through extreme measures, as seen in the lines 'Diving deeper into madness / Anything it takes to feel alive.' This suggests a desperate need to feel something, anything, in the face of overwhelming numbness and despair. The repeated refrain 'I can’t accept that the past is dead' serves as a poignant reminder of the protagonist's internal battle and the difficulty of coming to terms with the inevitability of change. Beartooth's raw and emotive delivery, combined with the powerful lyrics, creates a compelling narrative of struggle, resistance, and the painful process of letting go.