The Fox and The Wolf by Bring Me the Horizon Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Veiled Allegories of Addiction
Lyrics
But there’s no word of hell on the way back down
You said it’s now or never,
You only live once
Would you be so quick to walk over to my grave?
You said you’ll never be younger than you are tonight
Now I’ve never felt weaker in all my life
You said it’s only a one off, only a line
But now it’s a circle, all of the time
Well, it’s a one man cult and he’s serving his line
It’s a “Lust For Life” but it’s a lifeless wine
He kissed her hand and then he found out her name,
It’s Death and now he can’t seem to wake
You can’t run with the foxes and yet hunt with the wolf
Are you addicted?
Tell me the truth
I think I’m losing my mind
They say the poison’s in the dosage and they must be right
Left with panic attacks and death riding our backs
It all looks so much worse on the way back down
I’m so fucked up since I hit the ground
Revive me
Bring Me the Horizon has always had a knack for exploring the darker corners of the human experience, and ‘The Fox and The Wolf’ remains true to their bold narrative style. The track paints a vivid tableau of temptation, consequence, and the internal struggle of addiction.
This intense song off their 2010 album ‘There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It a Secret.’ delves into the seductive allure of decadence, wherein self-destruction is dressed up in the beguiling garments of pleasure and risk. With lyricism sharp as claws, Oliver Sykes extends a hand into the shadowed world of those enchanted by their own demise.
The Celestial High and Earthly Plunge
The opening lines, ‘You said you can’t get to heaven unless you get high,’ instantly plunge listeners into a dichotomy of elevation and descent. The metaphor is a powerful enticement, an illusory companion positioning addiction next to divinity, only to reveal that the fall, back from these artificial heavens, never mentions a hell – a stark vista into the journey from elation to the abyss.
‘But there’s no word of hell on the way back down’ echoes ominously, foretelling the silent horrors lurking in the shadow of addiction’s descent, a journey often undertaken alone with the gravity of reality mercilessly pulling the addict back to their fallible mortality.
The Dance of Death and Desire
The chorus weaves a tale of caution, ‘You can’t run with the foxes and yet hunt with the wolf.’ Here, the song captures the essence of duality in these beasts, the fox symbolizing cunning and allure, the wolf representing vicious, all-consuming need. It’s an ancient conflict, representing the untenable duality of living with addiction while attempting to indulge in the normalcy of life, ultimately revealing the impossibility of serving two masters.
When the protagonist asks, ‘Would you be so quick to walk over to my grave?’, there’s an invocation of sobering outcome, pondering the willingness of the addict or those around them to face the mortal stakes of their gambles. The line speaks to the brevity of life and the siren’s call to live it to the fullest, yet poses the question of the true cost of such a mindset.
Cycles of Relapse and Realization
‘But now it’s a circle, all of the time’ encapsulates the recurring theme of addiction – the endless loop of craving, indulgence, and regret. This motif is crucial, showcasing the trap that ensnares individuals in a continuous loop, with hope of escape dwindling as the cycle repeats, left powerless to break free from the orbit of their vice.
The diction chosen exhibits a plunge into helplessness and the relinquishing of control. The phrase ‘one man cult and he’s serving his line’ distinctly epitomizes the isolation, the feeling of being drawn into a one-person congregation, worshipping at the altar of addiction.
The Poison’s Paradox and ‘Lust For Life’
The lyric ‘They say the poison’s in the dosage and they must be right’ speaks volumes, addressing the common adage that moderation is key. However, for some, moderation becomes the unattainable myth as the poison has already taken hold. This is the clever paradox of the song: the poison is both the substance and the dosage, implicating that for the addicted, any amount is too much.
Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust For Life’, an emblem of living on the edge, is cleverly twisted in the lyric, ‘It’s a
