Desire Lines

Lush's song 'Desire Lines' paints a vivid picture of emotional disconnection and the struggle to find one's place in a world that feels both alien and overwhelming. The opening lines, 'It's raining in this room / And it's so hot outside this room,' set a tone of internal conflict and discomfort. The rain inside the room could symbolize a sense of sadness or melancholy, while the heat outside represents external pressures or chaos. This juxtaposition highlights the protagonist's feeling of being trapped in an uncomfortable emotional state, unable to escape to a more pleasant environment.

The lyrics continue to explore themes of isolation and the search for connection. 'I don't know no one here I don't want to be here' suggests a sense of alienation and a desire to escape from an unwelcoming or unfamiliar situation. The mention of holding 'parties in our sleep' and filling 'ourselves up in our sleep' could be interpreted as a metaphor for seeking solace and fulfillment in dreams or fantasies, rather than in waking life. This idea is further emphasized by the line 'I'll heal you when you're ill / Though it's hard keeping still,' which speaks to the difficulty of maintaining emotional stability while trying to support others.

The imagery in the final stanza, 'Pries the hair out of her mouth / While the circus is heading south,' evokes a sense of chaos and confusion. The circus heading south could symbolize a decline or a loss of control, while the act of prying hair out of one's mouth suggests a struggle to speak or express oneself. The lines 'While we search in the sand / Don't ask them to understand / Why they cover up their hands / And their mouths' further emphasize the theme of miscommunication and the difficulty of being understood. Overall, 'Desire Lines' captures the complex emotions of feeling lost, disconnected, and misunderstood in a world that often seems indifferent.