Lyrics
Start the needle up again as I crawl to the chair
Starting the process of tattooing ("needle") while feeling vulnerable ("crawl to the chair")
Anticipate the pain
Expecting the pain associated with getting a tattoo
Feel the charge in the air, sick fascination
Sensing an intense and twisted interest or attraction toward the experience despite its discomfort ("sick fascination")
Can't wash away this alteration
Unable to remove or erase the changes made by the tattooing process ("Can't wash away this alteration")
Beneath the machine
Expressing the feeling of being under the tattoo machine
Constant noise inside my head
Describing a constant internal noise or turmoil while undergoing the tattooing procedure
Trading blood for ink, into torture I will sink
Metaphorically exchanging blood for ink, willing to endure pain for the tattoo ("torture")
Beneath the machine again
Repeating the experience of being under the tattoo machine
Sometimes a picture to make heads turn
Indicating the impact of a striking tattoo, drawing attention from others
Sometimes a badge of honor earned
Viewing the tattoo as a mark of honor earned
Always a reminder of pain endured
Highlighting the tattoo as a constant reminder of past pain or struggles
Never a way to say these words
Expressing difficulty in articulating or conveying the emotions associated with the tattoo
Beneath the machine
Reiterating the feeling of being under the tattoo machine
Constant noise inside my head
Continuing to describe the ongoing mental disturbance while getting the tattoo
Trading blood for ink, into torture I will sink
Continuing the metaphor of trading blood for ink and the willingness to endure pain for the tattoo
Beneath the machine again
Repeating the experience of being under the tattoo machine
Just remember
Encouraging a reminder that everything is fleeting and temporary, including the pain experienced during tattooing
It's all for time
Emphasizing that the experiences endured are part of life's passage ("It's all for time")
By skin be judged, with my skin define
Suggesting that personal judgments are made based on appearances, particularly one's skin and tattoos
Beneath the machine
Expressing the feeling of being under the tattoo machine
Constant noise inside my head
Continuing to describe the ongoing mental disturbance while getting the tattoo
Trading blood for ink, into torture I will sink
Continuing the metaphor of trading blood for ink and the willingness to endure pain for the tattoo
Beneath the machine again
Repeating the experience of being under the tattoo machine
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