Common Burn

Mazzy Star's 'Common Burn' delves into the haunting and melancholic experience of shared emotional pain. The song's lyrics paint a picture of a relationship marked by a lingering, mutual hurt that both parties carry. The 'common burn' symbolizes this shared suffering, a bond forged through mutual emotional wounds. The imagery of simple things like an overcoat and beauty still burning the narrator suggests that even mundane aspects of the past relationship continue to evoke strong emotions. This burn is not just a personal affliction but a shared one, indicating a deep, unresolved connection between the two individuals.

The song further explores the theme of displacement and longing. The narrator spends the night in someone else's house, a place clouded by the presence of the other person. This suggests a sense of being haunted by memories and emotions tied to the past relationship, even when physically apart. The phrase 'simple me that you fled' indicates a feeling of abandonment and simplicity in the narrator's perspective, contrasting with the complexity of their emotional state. Despite the separation, the common burn remains, highlighting the inescapable nature of their shared pain.

Mazzy Star's use of metaphors and subtle imagery adds depth to the song's exploration of emotional turmoil. The reference to atoms and the idea of scoring everything but still feeling the burn suggests a deeper, almost existential reflection on the nature of relationships and personal fulfillment. The repeated plea not to lie about being asleep when one is clearly burning someone else underscores the theme of honesty and the destructive impact of emotional deceit. 'Common Burn' is a poignant reflection on the enduring nature of shared emotional wounds and the complex interplay of love, pain, and memory.