What’s This Life For by Creed Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling Existential Questions Through Rock Ballads
Lyrics
A child that makes it through
If there’s any way
Because the answer lies in you
They’re laid to rest
Before they’ve known just what to do
Their souls are lost
Because they could never find
What’s this life for
What’s this life for
What’s this life for
What’s this life for
I see your soul, it’s kind of gray
You see my heart, you look away
You see my wrist, I know your pain
I know your purpose on your plane
Don’t say a last prayer
Because you could never find
What’s this life for
What’s this life for
What’s this life for
What’s this life for
But they ain’t here anymore
Don’t have to settle the score
‘Cause we all live
Under the reign of one king
But they ain’t here anymore
Don’t have to settle no Goddamn score
‘Cause we all live under the reign
I said, you know, of
One king
One king
One king
But they ain’t here anymore
Don’t have to settle no Goddamn score
‘Cause we all live under the reign
I said, you know, of
One king
One king
One king
But they ain’t here anymore
Don’t have to settle no Goddamn score
‘Cause we all live under the reign
Of one king
Creed’s anthemic roar, ‘What’s This Life For,’ reverberates through the chambers of our deepest existential questions. Released in the late ’90s, at the helm of the post-grunge movement, the song remains an emblematic outcry that wrenches at the soul of listeners, etching its fiery lyrics into the minds of a generation grappling with purpose.
The track, punctuated by its haunting chorus and Scott Stapp’s evocative vocals, manages to articulate a universal inquest into life’s purpose while grounding its existential angst in highly personal imagery. It is a lyrical vent that reaches beyond Creed’s devout fan base, tapping into the spiritual unease of a culture on the cusp of a new millennium.
The Anthem For Lost Souls and Found Questions
Creed has been synonymous with crafting soundtracks for the soul-searching drifter, and ‘What’s This Life For’ encapsulates this with remarkable clarity. The song asks the titular question again and again, almost mantra-like, each repetition a dalliance with despair against the backdrop of life’s incessant grind.
The harmonic crescendo built around this earworm chorus is a battle cry that resonates with anyone who’s stared into the night sky contemplating their existence. ‘What’s This Life For’ is not just a song; it’s a spiritual siren for those caught in the web of life’s intricacies.
Looking Through the Murky Glass of the Soul
The stanza ‘I see your soul, it’s kind of gray / You see my heart, you look away,’ reveals a fundamental disconnect between internal strife and external perception. The gray soul is a tapestry woven with threads of doubt, fear, and the relentless pursuit for meaning in an oftentimes opaque world.
Creed masterfully touches upon the theme of observed pain, the communal aspect of sorrow, and the inherent solidarity found within acknowledging shared struggle. That heart which looks away is a testament to the band’s grasp of the human proclivity to shield oneself from the pain of others, even as our own battles rage on.
The Hidden Message in the Melody
There’s a subtle alchemy in ‘What’s This Life For’ that fuses melody with introspection. The hidden message lies not only within the lyrics but also in the emotive power chords, the fervent strumming grip, and the striking vocal delivery that could arouse the apathetic from slumber.
It is a musical journey that ignites the introspective voyage Creed embarks upon, enveloping the listener in a soundscape that allows for both communal empathy and deeply individual reflection about the purpose and direction of one’s life journey.
Triumphant Revelations Amidst Tormented Lines
‘But they ain’t here anymore / Don’t have to settle no Goddamn score’ transcends the need for revenge or reconciliation with the past. Creed ardently voices a universal truth – liberation from the burdens we carry and the artificial scores we no longer need to settle.
The song progresses towards a climax that serves as an anthem not of defeat, but of defiant acceptance and understanding. There’s an undercurrent of triumph here, an acknowledgment of shared humanity under the ‘reign of one king,’ a lyrical metaphor harmonizing with the belief in a unified existence.
Memorable Lines That Echo Through Time
‘Don’t say a last prayer / Because you could never find / What’s this life for’ is a haunting line that stirs the soul. The plea to hold off a final prayer accentuates the life-long quest for purpose that Creed suggests might remain elusive even until the end.
It is within these words that lie Creed’s ingenuity; to compose a song so deceptively simple, yet so wildly complex in its dissection of human struggle. This line, like the song itself, has transcended mere verses and cemented itself in the halls of thought-provoking rock hymns.
