adhd by slowthai Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking the Emotional Labyrinth of Mental Health Through Verse
Lyrics
Sick as pig, can you help?
Tryna get a grip, fingers slip, then I melt
Sitting in a pit, only me and myself
I can’t deal with the screams only screaming at myself (ah)
Tryna protect, so I project
Deflect and they call it self-defense
Feel the pressure and we all got our reasons
Smile on the out, but inside I keep bleeding
Fun and games ’til you gotta take the blame
And I said it was me ’cause I’ll do it for my mates
Then again, would they say the same?
And it’s all tongue and cheek tryna sweep out the fakes
Love never felt real, the wheels won’t brake
They can’t see the tears, through the rain drops
Tough lad and I always put a face on
Told me already that leopards can’t change spots
Sad songs, a sickness
The passenger, always been a witness
Excalibur, incision
Goodbye is my only decision
Sad songs, a sickness
The passenger, always been a witness
Excalibur, incision
Goodbye is my only decision
Overthink, sink in my seat
Eat, sleep, repeat, what you know about T?
Smoke weed, only way I fall asleep
Same routine, drink ’til I can’t speak
Slave to the progress, I obsess
‘Cause I ain’t got control yet
I’m tryna fly but my wings feel broken
An eagle encaged in a closure
Lowest of lows, decomposing, I’m sober (loner)
I can’t be alone, why I always pick the phone up
I beg you pick the phone up
(Beg you pick the phone up)
Sad songs, a sickness
The passenger, always been a witness (I hope they pick up the phone)
Excalibur, incision
Goodbye is my only decis-
(What’s goin’ on?)
Yo
(Yo, what’s happening?)
Nothing, I just wanted to say, bruv, I love you, man
And I hope you’re doing well
And I miss you every day you’re not around
Feed my deficit, life I’m yet to live
Ain’t no SNM, I just shake my head
You can’t be my friend, living and I’m dead
Caught in Charlotte’s Web, I can’t feel myself
Mind complexity be the death of me
Heavy weaponry at my melon, squeezed
I got tendencies, psycho tendencies
Touch me tenderly, Heaven let me in
I think you got amnesia (‘nesia)
And this stress soon to give me alopecia (‘pecia)
And I’m vexed tryna smile like Mona Lisa (smile)
Feel to exit like I ain’t got a visa
In the pantheon of provocative voices shaping the contours of modern hip-hop, slowthai stands out with a piercing authenticity that cuts through noise and nonsense. His track ‘adhd’ is a raw, unfiltered journey into the psyche of an individual teetering on the edge of self-awareness and self-destruction.
Under the guise of a gritty soundscape, adhd serves as a confession booth—a lyrical dissertation of slowthai’s battle with mental health, punctuated by a haunting clarity that eschews commonplace conversations in rap. This exploration dives deep into the track, uncovering the soul-stirring resonance behind each verse.
Vulnerability in Verse: Embracing the Inner Turmoil
slowthai’s opening lines in ‘adhd’ waste no time as they thrust listeners into the depths of his personal pandemonium. ‘Sick as a pig, can you help?’ is not merely a question but a cry for aid from the throes of distress. We witness an artist grappling with an existence where slipping into the metaphorical pits of one’s own mind is an everyday occurrence.
The evocation of a figure ‘sitting in a pit, only me and myself’ captures the isolating dance with depression, where the screams of inner demons aren’t just audible—they reverberate through the caverns of one’s soul. slowthai’s candor is disarming; it forges an immediate bond with anyone who has felt trapped within themselves, screaming into what feels like an abyss.
Behind the Masquerade: The Paradox of an Outer Smile
The contrast between external appearances and internal warfare is stark in ‘adhd’. As slowthai states, ‘Smile on the out, but inside I keep bleeding,’ he paints a vivid dichotomy of the struggle to maintain a façade when ensnared by inner anguish.
This poignant line delves into the societal pressure to display stoicism, particularly among men. Throughout the song, slowthai dismantles this masquerade, showing cracks in the armor we often don’t allow others—or ourselves—to witness, thus sparking a vital conversation on the validity and urgency of emotional health.
Sidestepping Stereotypes: Facing the Reflections of Adversity
A recurring motif in ‘adhd’ is the subversion of expectations. In the lines ‘Tough lad and I always put a face on / Told me already that leopards can’t change spots,’ slowthai touches upon the archetype of the impervious male, hinting at the limitations and misjudgments that come with societal labels.
Provoking thought, the artist challenges the permanence of identity—questioning whether the patterns that define his character are indeed intransigent, or if the right conditions can catalyze change. This exploration goes beyond the artist’s personal narrative and extends an empathetic hand to those battling to redefine themselves.
The Poisonous Chalice of Repetition: Escape or Entrapment?
The track’s midpoint underscores a toxic cycle with the almost defeatist mantra ‘Overthink, sink in my seat / Eat, sleep, repeat.’ slowthai lays bare the cyclical brutalities of mental anguish, compounded by substance reliance as a false sanctuary.
As he depicts a life ensnared by monotony, ‘adhd’ becomes a metaphor for the brain’s incessant chatter and the desperate, often destructive, routes one might take to silence it temporarily. The detriments of escapism, when it morphs into enslavement, are laid out as poignant lyrical testimony.
The Lingering Echoes of ‘adhd’: An Anthem of the Disenfranchised
Much like a Shakespearean soliloquy, the final stanzas in ‘adhd’ serve both as a climax and a cathartic release where slowthai confronts the most harrowing facets of his journey, ‘Mind complexity be the death of me / Heavy weaponry at my melon, squeezed.’ Foreboding and dark, these lines signify the ever-present battle against self-destructive thoughts.
Yet, in this vulnerability lies a universality that stands as a beacon for listeners everywhere, who find themselves mirrored in slowthai’s introspection. As the song closes with the acknowledgment of an existence teetering on the edge, ‘adhd’ transcends its melodies, transforming into an empathetic hymn for the unheard and an ode to the resilience of the human spirit.
