Turn To Dust

Wolf Alice's 'Turn To Dust' delves into themes of vulnerability, fear, and the human condition. The repeated plea to 'keep your beady eyes on me' suggests a need for constant vigilance and support to prevent the speaker from metaphorically 'turning to dust.' This imagery evokes a sense of fragility, as if the speaker is on the brink of disintegration without the watchful presence of another.

The lyrics explore the concept of fear, stating 'If fear is in the mind, then my mind lives in fear.' This line highlights the pervasive nature of anxiety, likening it to the 'dirty British sea,' a metaphor that suggests something vast, deep, and potentially overwhelming. The sea, often a symbol of the subconscious, here represents the murky depths of the speaker's fears and insecurities.

The song also touches on the idea of different life paths, with lines like 'There's paths to make the heart beat, and paths where I can skip.' These paths symbolize choices and the varying experiences they bring, from joy and lightness to caution and introspection. The imagery of 'treading lightly with the clouds beneath my feet' evokes a sense of ethereal delicacy, as if the speaker is navigating a precarious balance between hope and despair.

In the final verse, the light creeping from the blinds and the phrase 'it rains dead weather' suggest a bleak, almost apocalyptic atmosphere. This juxtaposition of light and darkness, life and death, underscores the transient nature of existence and the constant interplay between hope and fear. 'Turn To Dust' is a haunting reflection on the fragility of the human spirit and the ever-present shadow of fear that can consume us if we are not careful.