Greed by Godsmack Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Raw Truth Behind Desire and Deceit
Lyrics
I feel you crawling under my skin
Sickened by your face
By the way, to think that you’re so fucking kind?
You ain’t!
Hard to find how I feel,
Especially when you’re smothering me
Hard to find how I feel,
Please someone help me
I knew when an angel whispered into my ear,
You gotta get him away, yeah
Hey little bitch!
Be glad you finally walked away or you may have not lived another day.
Hard to find how I feel,
Especially when you’re smothering me
Hard to find how I feel,
Please someone help me
Hard to find how I feel,
Controlling me every step of the way
Hard to find how I feel,
You greedy little baby
Hard to find, hard to find, hard to find
Hard to find, hard to find, hard to find
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!
Hard to find how I feel,
Specially when you’re smothering me
Hard to find how I feel,
Please someone help me
Hard to find how I feel,
Controlling me every step of the way
Hard to find how I feel,
You greedy little baby
In the world of rock, few songs manage to distill the essence of human emotion as poignantly as ‘Greed’ by Godsmack. The track rips into the fabric of deception with a ferocity that is as compelling as it is unsettling. Godsmack, known for their punchy riffs and Sully Erna’s searing vocals, are no strangers to exploring the darker sides of the soul, and ‘Greed’ stands testament to their ability to articulate the shadows with stark clarity.
Peeling back the layers of ‘Greed’, we are taken on a visceral journey through the struggles against facades and the internal chaos wrought by duplicity. This article aims to delve into the lyricism of ‘Greed’, breaking down the angst and rebellion that fuel this Godsmack anthem, and deciphering the universal truths hidden within its raw energy.
The Two-Faced Treachery of Humanity
The opening lines of ‘Greed’ waste no time in establishing the theme of treachery. The phrase ‘Two-faced!’ is a clear accusation aimed at a deceitful antagonist. Erna’s vocals thrum with a kind of disgust that resonates with anyone who has felt betrayed. The idea of someone crawling under the skin is a powerful metaphor for the invasive nature of deceit—the way it gets inside you and festers.
Erna’s reproach to this two-faced individual is damning, pointing out a hypocrisy that feels like a contagious sickness. The portrayal of this insincerity not only showcases Erna’s lyrical prowess but serves as a conduit for the listener’s own experiences with the toxic individuals they’ve encountered, and this shared, almost cathartic, repulsion draws listeners further into Godsmack’s world.
A Plea for Relief: The Cry of the Overwhelmed
Beneath the outward aggression, ‘Greed’ reveals a vulnerable plea for help. ‘Hard to find how I feel,’ repeated like a mantra throughout the song, suggests a struggle to understand one’s own emotions in the face of overwhelming influence. This sentiment likely speaks to anyone who has felt suffocated by another’s control or manipulations—someone whose own feelings have been so overshadowed by another’s greed that they’re rendered nearly unrecognizable.
The reach for assistance is not just a literal request but also suggests a deeper yearning for salvation from a society predisposed to selfishness. It’s a call for authenticity in a world mired by artifice, where someone’s ‘greedy little’ ways are emblematic of a broader societal obsession with taking rather than giving.
From Angel Whispers to Biting Confrontation
An intriguing shift occurs within the narrative as an ‘angel’ is referenced—a spiritual metaphor for conscience or perhaps divine intervention. This angel advises separation from the toxic individual, charged with the potent directive, ‘You gotta get him away.’ This transition from suffering at the hands of another to taking decisive action represents a move toward self-preservation.
The subsequent address, ‘Hey little bitch!’ marks a boiling point, exploding in a moment of unbridled backlash against the personification of greed. This exclamation is more than just an insult; it’s symbolic of reclaiming power from a previously dominant force. The survivalist undertone (‘or you may have not lived another day’) uncovers the life-or-death stakes when one’s identity is endangered by parasitic greed.
The Unyielding Grip of Control
The motif of control in ‘Greed’ paints a psychological prison where the protagonist is a captive to someone else’s will. ‘Controlling me every step of the way’ encapsulates the feeling of being micromanaged and manipulated, creating a near-tangible tension. The song’s rawness portrays not just the physicality of control, but its emotional toll as the victim flounders for autonomy against the relentless tide of the controller’s desires.
The real power of these lines lies in their relatability. Many can empathize with this struggle, as the notion of controlling relationships extends beyond the personal sphere into the societal and corporate realms where greed often prevails over individuality.
Unearthing the Anthem’s Pang of Hidden Meanings
‘Greed’ isn’t just a diatribe against a single villainous figure; it’s a reflection on the pervasive sin of greed itself. The song touches on the universal fight against the exploitation that runs rampant in our consumerist culture. Godsmack harness their trademark grit to sketch a damning critique of the modern zeitgeist, where success is too often equated with the ability to trample over the individual spirit in pursuit of selfish gain.
The hidden meaning teases out the idea that this ‘greedy little baby’ isn’t an individual alone but represents the infantilized aspects of human nature—selfish, voracious, and in constant need of satiation. This song invites the listener to heed the ‘angel’s’ whisper and draw boundaries against the forces of greed within and around us.
