Salt (feat. Oli Sykes)

Daine's song 'Salt,' featuring Oli Sykes, delves into the raw and painful emotions of betrayal and heartbreak. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a relationship that has turned toxic, where the protagonist feels continuously hurt and betrayed by their partner. The opening lines, 'You clean your teeth before you bite / Why is it me you have to spite?' suggest a premeditated cruelty, where the partner's actions are deliberate and calculated. The imagery of a white flag symbolizes surrender, indicating that the protagonist has given up fighting, only to be met with insincere remorse from their partner.

The chorus, 'Pouring salt in my cuts / Tears make up my blood now / Twist the knife in my gut / To break all my trust,' uses visceral metaphors to convey the depth of the protagonist's pain. The act of pouring salt into wounds is a powerful metaphor for exacerbating existing pain, while the tears turning into blood signifies the profound emotional and physical toll of the betrayal. The knife twisting in the gut further emphasizes the sense of betrayal and the destruction of trust, highlighting the ongoing nature of the hurt inflicted by the partner.

Throughout the song, there is a recurring theme of disillusionment and the realization that the relationship is beyond repair. Lines like 'I thought the worst was over / Felt you read me like a lover / Star-crossed in a Midwest summer / Torn apart like a paperwork drama' reflect the initial hope and subsequent disappointment. The reference to being 'star-crossed' suggests a doomed relationship, while the 'paperwork drama' implies a messy and bureaucratic end. The song captures the cyclical nature of the conflict, with the protagonist repeatedly surrendering ('I gave up, my flag's white') only to face more pain. The final lines, 'Drained all the blood from my heart,' encapsulate the complete emotional exhaustion and the sense of being utterly depleted by the relationship.