Plane Vs Tank Vs Submarine

Tigers Jaw's song 'Plane Vs Tank Vs Submarine' delves into the emotional turmoil and disillusionment that comes with betrayal and the loss of trust. The opening lines, 'Lie to me like you used to / Tell me everything is how it should be,' set the tone for a narrative steeped in deception. The speaker is grappling with the realization that the assurances they once believed in were false, and this acknowledgment brings a sense of futility, as expressed in 'Because in the end it never matters what I think.' This line underscores a feeling of powerlessness and insignificance in the face of lies and manipulation.

The imagery in the song is poignant and evocative. The line 'I can barely tell the sky from the shoreline' suggests a blurred sense of reality and confusion, while 'I can see myself reflected in your eyes' indicates a deep, albeit painful, connection with the person who betrayed them. This duality of connection and betrayal is further explored in the chorus, where the speaker reflects on the past with a sense of nostalgia and regret: 'And this was all a dream / And it's coming back to me.' The 'portrait in grey scale' symbolizes a once vibrant relationship now reduced to a monochrome memory, highlighting the stark contrast between past happiness and present sorrow.

The song's climax reveals the profound impact of the betrayal on the speaker's sense of self. 'I can't even breathe with this weighing on my chest' conveys the suffocating weight of emotional pain, while 'You knew me at my best / Now I can't even stand on my own' illustrates the devastating loss of identity and self-worth. The speaker's struggle to regain their footing after such a betrayal is a powerful testament to the enduring effects of broken trust and the difficulty of moving forward.