Barely Alive

Obituary's 'Barely Alive' is a visceral exploration of survival amidst chaos and destruction. The song's lyrics paint a grim picture of a world where violence and treachery reign supreme. The opening lines, 'Parity within sanctions set spread wings of hell endured,' suggest a world where balance and fairness are mere illusions, replaced by a hellish reality. The phrase 'calculated breeding's by words set scribed in stone' implies a predetermined fate, one that is inescapable and unchangeable, much like the words etched in stone.

The recurring theme of being 'buried alive' serves as a powerful metaphor for feeling trapped and suffocated by the surrounding turmoil. This imagery is further intensified with lines like 'violence spread and kings are killed as thieves now rule the land,' indicating a complete breakdown of order and the rise of chaos. The mention of 'ratify the call with a sleight cold blood of hand' suggests a deceptive and ruthless consolidation of power, where decisions are made with cold, calculated precision.

As the song progresses, the sense of impending doom becomes more palpable. The lines 'electrifying static charged with a source to realign' and 'falsify a sentence in his bid to redeploy' hint at a world on the brink of collapse, where even the natural order is being manipulated. The imagery of 'listed in the gates to hell feel the flamed fire burned the dead' evokes a sense of eternal damnation, where the dead are not at peace but continue to suffer. The final lines, 'panic, in a dying world where seaside soles are feed,' encapsulate the pervasive sense of fear and desperation in a world that is barely holding on.

'Barely Alive' by Obituary is a haunting reflection on survival in a world consumed by violence and chaos. The song's dark and intense lyrics, combined with its powerful imagery, create a vivid portrayal of a world teetering on the edge of destruction.