Scars

Michael Malarkey's song 'Scars' delves deep into the human psyche, exploring themes of resilience, self-doubt, and the cyclical nature of life. The opening lines, 'Do you like scars? The scars make the man?' set the tone for a reflective journey. Here, scars symbolize past experiences and traumas that shape one's identity. Malarkey questions whether these scars are what make him strong or if they are merely wounds that keep him hardened and detached. This duality is a central theme, as he grapples with the idea of being either a defiant fighter or someone who buries his head in the sand to avoid pain.

The chorus, 'Am I too good to be gone? Beginning the ending for too long,' suggests a struggle with self-worth and the fear of being forgotten or irrelevant. This line captures the essence of someone who feels they have been stuck in a cycle of starting over without ever truly moving forward. The song's repetition of 'Have we gone too far? Have we lost our minds? Imitating the seasons and we fall behind' further emphasizes this cyclical nature. The seasons metaphor indicates the natural ebb and flow of life, yet there's a sense of falling behind, of not keeping up with the changes.

In the latter part of the song, Malarkey introduces a more intense imagery with lines like 'When I crossed myself is when I crossed the line' and 'I had my dagger drawn.' These lines evoke a sense of internal conflict and the readiness to fight, not just external battles but internal ones as well. The mention of 'something wicked' coming and the idea of turning 'like a hog on the spit of our lives' paints a vivid picture of the relentless and often brutal nature of personal struggles. Despite this, there's a call to action, a challenge to 'bring it on,' signifying a readiness to face whatever comes next. This resilience, despite the scars and the cyclical struggles, is what makes the song a powerful anthem of endurance and self-discovery.