I think this is about someone who realizes they have surrounded their self with people who are bad for them. The first verse "Cold am I, I'm beside myself because there's no one else, Have I grown so blind?" I think is the author reflecting on how he has separated himself from the bad influences he was involved with, and he doesn't know how he did not see it sooner. The next part "Only God could save you, if you knew your way to the light" is the author talking to a loved one (girlfriend, family, best friend, etc.) whom he had gotten wrapped up in his problems. The person he of speaking to is still involved with those negative people or actions, and he is telling them it is hard to realize how far down you have gone without something, or someone, showing you the proverbial "light" so that they can stop lying to themselves about how everything they are doing is fine. Then the prechorus, "So fly away and leave it behind/Just stay awake, there's nowhere to hide," is the author telling his loved one to get away from it all. Also, to stay awake in the sense of keeping themselves on track, and not falling back into old habits; there is nowhere to hide from yourself one you get off track. Now the chorus! The whole thing is the author telling his loved one the he sees them, hears them, and feels them everyday even though he wants to have separation until that person fixes themselves. He needs the person in question back to who they used to be, but the outside forces are "coming to take you away" back to the old habits. The second verse, "Frail and dry, I could lose it all, but i cannot recall it all wrong," is the author saying that watching his loved one spiral downward has weakened his own mind, body, and spirit. Also, that he could easily fall back into those habits with them again, and just look the other way like he used to. But he won't allow himself to purposely recall the past differently than how out actually was, only for the selfish propose of having his loved one back. Then he tells them "Don't cry, clear away this hate, and we can start to make it alright." This is the author opening up about how he feels toward his loved one and their actions, so he asks them to not cry at what he has to say because it's tough love to make them see their faults. He wants then to get rid of their hate and inner demons, so that he can help them get back to who they were before. He is telling then that no matter how far it has gone, he is willing to be there for them, and that he can help them fix their problems like he did. Now for the second prechorus, "So fly away, and leave it behind, return someday with red in your eyes," is yet again the author saying get away from all of this and do what you need to do in order to find your inner self again. Then he tells them to look back on the past, or even physically visit the people who brought them down and look at where they still are. A person who changes dramatically for the better will reflect on that situation with anger toward the people who were bad for them, and/or sadness at the fact that they were once part of said group. Or possibly sadness for those people who are still "lost" in a way. Then the last chorus just reinforces the current situation that is still unchanged, and the authors' hope that the person they are singing to will actually take the initiative to change. That's my take on it.
Who knows what frontmen mean most of the time? John Lennon had a professor of literature and poetry approach him in the 70's with a proposition to have his students try to translate a meaning from one of the Beatles' songs. Then he would have John Lennon come to the class after they had written their essays, and explain the true meaning of the song. The professor picked the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and most people think it is about hallucinating on LSD. (L)ucy in the (S)ky with (D)iamonds being an hidden acronym. Others thought it was about a loved one dying, and watching you from heaven. Everyone was quite wrong. John listened to the classes interpretations, then they asked him what it was really about. He replied "It's not about anything." He explained to them the melody was what was important in that song, not the actual lyrics. The Beatles had no idea what to make the song about, so Mr. Lennon wrote words that flowed well together in a melody with no regard to what the actual words themselves were. He told them there was never a meaning to the song, and the beauty of that is that it can mean anything to anyone. He pretty much told them look how many different ideas everyone had about the song, while the song's writers never put a meaning in it at all. This shows that some songs have no meaning, at which point it can mean anything to you that you want it to. Or even songs that do have meaning, may never have the author's real feelings realized by the listener. That's what makes music beautiful, the same song can be a million different songs to different people.
Breaking Benjamin - Away Lyrics Meaning
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