Endless Hollow

Oceans Ate Alaska's song 'Endless Hollow' delves deep into the emotional turmoil and existential despair of the narrator. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone who feels trapped in a cycle of suffering and hopelessness. The recurring imagery of falling into despair and staring into the abyss suggests a profound sense of loss and disconnection from oneself and the world. The phrase 'dead eyed passenger' symbolizes a state of numbness and detachment, as if the narrator is merely going through the motions of life without any real sense of purpose or direction.

The song's intense language and repetition of phrases like 'stuck in a chokehold' and 'reached a new low' emphasize the suffocating nature of the narrator's mental state. The use of the word 'obsessive' in relation to ascension hints at a desperate desire for escape or transcendence, yet the narrator remains ensnared by their own darkness. This struggle is further highlighted by the lines 'I can’t see through the misery' and 'I can’t take another minute of this agony,' which convey a sense of overwhelming and inescapable pain.

In the chorus, the lyrics 'I feel so lost, I'm so hollow' and 'We’re lost, alone' underscore the themes of isolation and emptiness. The repeated exhortation to 'keep pushing back' suggests a glimmer of resistance, a refusal to completely succumb to despair, even though the narrator feels far from home and any sense of safety or comfort. The final lines, 'Swallowed alive by the darkest part of me, All that I used to be is dead to me,' encapsulate the transformation and loss of identity that comes with prolonged suffering. 'Endless Hollow' is a raw and powerful exploration of the depths of human despair and the struggle to find meaning and hope in the face of overwhelming darkness.