Ivory Black

Oliver Riot's 'Ivory Black' is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of emotional turmoil and the quest for redemption. The song's lyrics are rich with metaphors and vivid imagery, painting a picture of a soul in distress, grappling with past traumas and seeking solace. The recurring phrase 'Ivory black' suggests a juxtaposition of purity and darkness, symbolizing the complex nature of the singer's emotions and experiences.

The opening lines, 'Crumple my bones, weave like the road / Hold you like gold, cold as a stone,' set a tone of fragility and longing. The imagery of bones crumpling and roads weaving evokes a sense of vulnerability and the unpredictable journey of life. Holding someone 'like gold' yet feeling 'cold as a stone' highlights the contrast between the value of a relationship and the emotional numbness that can accompany it. The repeated assertion, 'I can't deceive what you don't believe / And you don't believe in me,' underscores a sense of rejection and the futility of trying to prove oneself to someone who has already lost faith.

The chorus, 'Suffering sweet like sickness scarred to a laugh / She's my witness startin' to crack / Something save me free of my past / Ivory black,' delves deeper into the singer's internal struggle. The idea of suffering being 'sweet like sickness' suggests a paradoxical comfort in pain, while the witness 'startin' to crack' indicates the breaking point of someone close. The plea for something to 'save me free of my past' reveals a desperate desire for liberation from haunting memories. The phrase 'Ivory black' is repeated, reinforcing the theme of duality and the coexistence of light and dark within the human experience.

In the latter part of the song, the lyrics 'I wanna be loud like white wine after a glass / Warm like the sunshine kissing my back / Drive me crazy, I like it like that / Ivory black' introduce a yearning for freedom and warmth. The comparison to white wine and sunshine evokes a sense of fleeting joy and comfort, contrasting with the earlier themes of suffering and coldness. The desire to be 'driven crazy' suggests a longing for intense, passionate experiences, even if they come with their own set of challenges. The song concludes with the repetition of 'Ivory black,' leaving the listener with a lingering sense of the complex interplay between light and darkness in the singer's emotional landscape.