Underwater Love
Faith No More
The Depths of Desire: Exploring 'Underwater Love' by Faith No More
Faith No More's 'Underwater Love' is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of longing, desire, and the complexities of love. The song uses the metaphor of being underwater to convey a sense of being overwhelmed and out of place in a relationship. The opening lines, 'Looking down into the water / It's hard to make out your face,' set the tone for a narrative where love feels distant and elusive, almost as if it's drowning. This imagery of water and drowning is a powerful metaphor for the suffocating nature of unfulfilled desire and the struggle to connect with someone who seems just out of reach.
The lyrics 'Bubbling up to the surface / Are you getting a breath of fresh air?' suggest moments of clarity and hope, but these are fleeting. The protagonist is 'forever longing to make you mine,' yet feels trapped by the gaze of their beloved, unable to escape the emotional grip. This tension between desire and entrapment is further emphasized by the lines 'Liquid seeps into your lungs / But your eyes look so serene,' portraying a paradox where the object of affection appears calm and perfect, while the protagonist feels like they are drowning.
The chorus, 'Hold me closer, keep me near / My underwater love,' encapsulates the yearning for closeness and intimacy, despite the suffocating circumstances. The repeated plea to 'hold me closer' underscores a desperate need for connection, even if it means staying in a state of emotional turmoil. The song's closing lines, 'Touch me from below / I'll never let you go,' reinforce this idea of an inescapable bond, where the protagonist is willing to endure the depths of their underwater love, no matter the cost. Faith No More masterfully blends poetic lyrics with evocative imagery to create a song that resonates with anyone who has experienced the complexities of love and longing.