Lyrics
Only the stubborn leaves are left
Only the resilient and persistent elements remain
The backyard breathes it's morning breath
The area outside the house exhales its early-morning air
And this time of year it wreaks of winter
During this season, it strongly carries the essence of winter
I'm longing for a change of view
I strongly desire a change in my surroundings
Change of pace and faces too
A change in speed and the people around me too
My bare handed construction crew is full of splinters
The team I work with using only hands (without tools) is filled with difficulties
Tear it down now, build it back up again
Dismantle it now, reconstruct it anew
Tell me now, when will I break the chain
Asking when the cycle will be broken
She says, "Why can't you be happy, you got everything you need"
Someone questions why I can't find happiness with what I possess
I said, "Happiness is moments, they come and they leave"
I respond that happiness is fleeting, coming and going
On a sidewalk selling cigarettes, a slight resistance of arrest
Depicts a person selling cigarettes on the street facing slight resistance from authorities
His last words as he's choked to death, "I can't breathe"
Tragically, someone's final words are about struggling to breathe while being choked
Tear it down now, build it back up again
Similar to line 8, a call to break things down and rebuild them
Tell me now, when will we break the chain
Asking again when the cycle will be broken, possibly referring to broader societal issues
It's too late to set it straight, the lines been lost
It's too far gone to rectify or correct, the opportunity has passed
The air is cold and the ground is frozen
Describing a cold atmosphere and frozen ground
The windshields filled with frost
Car windshields covered with frost
I'm thinking back to the early summer, Fourth of July
Recollection of a memory from early summer, possibly a nostalgic moment
A haze of heat and bittersweet explosions in your eyes
Remembrance of intense emotions and memories during a specific holiday
Now the days are long and lonely like the books upon my shelf
Days feel prolonged and isolated like neglected books on a shelf
Everyone's posing for pictures they're taking of themselves
Observation of people posing for self-taken photos
It's a rhyme inside a riddle, a complex code to crack
Describing a situation that is puzzling and intricate
How we always love the people that we know won't love us back
Commenting on the tendency to love those who won't reciprocate
Tear it down now, build it back up again
Repetition of dismantling and rebuilding, seeking a fresh start
Tell me now, when will we break the chain
Reiterating the question of when the cycle will be broken
Comment