Volcano by Damien Rice Lyrics Meaning – A Deep Dive into the Turbulent Emotional Landscape

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Damien Rice's Volcano at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

Don’t hold yourself like that
Cause You’ll hurt your knees
Well I kissed your mouth, and back
But that’s all I need
Don’t build your world around
Volcanoes melt you down

And What I am to you is not real
What I am to you, you do not need
What I am to you is not what you mean to me
You give me miles and miles of mountains
And I’ll ask for the sea

Don’t throw yourself like that
In front of me
I kissed your mouth, your back
Is that all you need?
Don’t drag my love around
Volcanoes melt me down

What I am to you is not real
What I am to you, you do not need
What I am to you is not what you mean to me
You give me miles and miles of mountains
And I’ll ask

What I give to you
Is just what I’m going through
This is nothing new
No, no just another phase of finding
What I really need is what makes me bleed
But like a new disease
Lord, she’s still too young to treat
Volcanoes melt you down
(She’s still too young)
(What I am to you)
Volcanoes melt you down
(You do not need)
(She’s still too young)
(What I am to you)
Volcanoes melt you down
(She’s still too young)
(She’s still too young)
(What I am to you)
Volcanoes melt you down
(She’s still too young)
(She’s still too young)
(What I am to you)
Volcanoes melt you down
(She’s still too young)
(She’s still too young)
(What I am to you)
Volcanoes melt you down
(She’s still too young)
(She’s still too young)
(What I am to you)
Volcanoes melt you down
(She’s still too young)
(She’s still too young)
(What I am to you)
Volcanoes melt you down
(She’s still too young)
(What I am to you)
I kissed your mouth
I kissed your mouth
I kissed your mouth
I kissed your mouth
You do not need me

Damien Rice’s ‘Volcano’ is a song that, beneath its haunting melodies, carries an emotional weight, rife with vulnerability and the visceral complexity of human relationships. As deceptively simple as a folk tune and as intricate as a symphony, each verse, each line, is a brushstroke in a raw, poignant painting of love, yearning, and the ultimate disillusionment that often accompanies fervent passion.

The track emerges not just as a testament to Rice’s lyrical genius, but as a confessional canvas where the colors of dependency, self-awareness, and the bittersweet reality of unrequited love blend together to create a masterpiece resonating with listeners’ deepest, untold feelings.

An Explosive Metaphor: The Significance Behind the Title ‘Volcano’

The very mention of a volcano conjures images of a natural force that is powerful, unpredictable, and undeniable. In Rice’s sonnet, the volcano symbolizes a relationship that, while seemingly dormant or majestic, harbors the potential for unforeseen destruction. The repeated advice against building one’s world around such an unstable edifice can be interpreted as a caution against shaping one’s life around a volatile romance, one that holds enough power to ‘melt you down’.

This metaphor also accentuates the song’s central theme – the danger of investing oneself entirely in something or someone that is intrinsically ephemeral or flawed. By paralleling romantic engagement with a simmering natural disaster, Rice guides his audience through the arduous journey of loving cautiously in the precarious geography of the heart – a universal struggle that strikes a chord within all who have ever been burnt by the lava of fervent emotions.

Uncovering the Illusions: What Lies Hidden in Rice’s Verses

Damien Rice meticulously crafts a narrative of disillusionment in ‘Volcano’, where the lyrical ‘I’ grapples with the chasm between perception and reality in their emotional connections. ‘What I am to you is not real’ serves as the song’s haunting refrain, shedding light on the mirage of intimacy and the sobering realization that one’s significance in the eyes of another may be but a fragile illusion.

The unraveling of false images continues as the vocalist confronts the truth that what he offers is not needed, and what he feels is not reciprocated. At its core, the song navigates the treacherous terrain of recognizing that love is not universal currency – that what is given may not always be desired or even recognized as worth by its intended recipient. This stark revelation paints an emotionally charged image of mismatched desires and skewed affections that can be as detrimental as they are enlightening.

The Quest for the Unattainable: Miles of Mountains vs. Oceans of Desire

One of the song’s most evocative images arises from the jarring juxtaposition of ‘miles and miles of mountains’ with the yearning for ‘the sea’. This serves as a metaphor for the discrepancy between what is offered by the beloved and what is actually sought by the lover. It reflects a deep-seated human condition – our incessant pursuit of that which seems forever out of reach, our constant craving for what may not quench the particular thirst of our souls.

In this light, ‘Volcano’ becomes an anthem for the seekers, the dreamers, and the ones in love with the idea of love, so much so that they become blind to the incompatibility of the love that stands right in front of them. This lyrical motif is a reminder of the importance of self-awareness and understanding one’s needs as against merely accepting what is offered, irrespective of its capacity to truly satisfy the deeper yearnings of the heart.

Heartbreak in Repetition: The Meaning Behind the Mantra

Damien Rice employs the use of repetition as both a poetic and emotional device, particularly in the verses where he repeats the line ‘Is that all you need?’ and ‘Volcanoes melt you down’. The repetition serves as a mantra, a spell of sorts, which reinforces the message and sentiment of the song in a manner that’s almost liturgical. It lays bare the cyclical nature of the protagonist’s internal struggle and his inability to extricate himself from the dissonance of a tumultuous emotional landscape.

Through these echoing refrains, Rice engages the listener in an almost hypnotic rumination on the cycles of detachment and attachment that define human romance. The repetition becomes a reflection of the inescapable patterns that emerge in relationships and the lingering echoes of intimacy that continue to shape one’s experience long after the initial ‘eruption’ has settled.

The Lyrical Legacy: Phrases That Echo Through Time

Certain lines within ‘Volcano’ have etched themselves into the collective consciousness of Damien Rice’s fans. Phrases such as ‘What I really need is what makes me bleed’ transcend the specific narrative of the song and become universal declarations of the bittersweet truth that often accompanies deep emotional engagement. It brings into focus the paradox that what sustains us can also wound us, and what we desire most is often what leads to our undoing.

In these lyrical gems, Rice taps into the complex wellsprings of human emotion, crafting verses that resonate with an audience far beyond the scope of his usual fanbase. ‘Volcano’ remains a fixture in the soundtrack of human experience, not just as a melody that comforts or a rhythm that entices, but as a series of memorable lines that capture the essence of the heart’s most tumultuous voyages.