Surface

Dom Malin's song 'Surface' delves into the emotional turmoil of feeling perpetually on the fringes of society. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone who is always '5 minutes too late,' constantly striving to fit in and find their place but ultimately left with a 'sour taste.' This recurring theme of being an 'outcast looking in' highlights the protagonist's sense of alienation and unfulfilled dreams. The repetition of the lines 'But what am I, what am I / Just words without meaning' and 'A voice without feeling' underscores a deep-seated identity crisis and a struggle to find significance in a world that seems indifferent.

The metaphor of being 'seconds from the surface' but still 'left out' is particularly poignant. It suggests that the protagonist is on the brink of being noticed or achieving something meaningful but is continually thwarted, leading to a sense of drowning in obscurity. This imagery of drowning, repeated throughout the song, powerfully conveys the suffocating feeling of being overlooked and undervalued. The line 'Trying to be noticed / But I’ve already drown' encapsulates the despair of striving for recognition in vain.

The song also touches on the futility of trying to conform to societal expectations, as seen in the lines 'trying to be cool, trying to play the game / But never winning anyway.' This sentiment is further emphasized by the repeated assertion that 'my life, don’t mean nothing,' which starkly conveys the protagonist's sense of worthlessness and existential angst. Dom Malin's 'Surface' is a haunting exploration of the pain of invisibility and the relentless quest for validation in a world that often seems indifferent.