By Michaela Maxey

Most of us have been there, and by ‘there’ I mean that weird aftermath of finding out your significant other has not been all too honest with you (to put it lightly). We struggle with this, knowing we should leave but fighting with the conflicting emotion of not wanting to. Somehow, Amos captures all of this with her soft piano melody and relatable lyrics that seem as inescapable as our own feelings.

The lyrics of the song brings us through the tale of the other showing up at the door and everything that follows, including “It won’t be fair if I hate her”. And she’s right that it wouldn’t be fair, but it would be real. As much as the narrator is trying to direct her anger/hurt to the correct person, it’s definitely a struggle that’s easier said than done.

Yet, there’s this strange sort of lyric that unsettles the listener and hints towards something more personal for Amos when she says, “Leave me with your Borneo”. While on her Little Earthquakes Tour, a man came to Amos backstage before one of her performances and wanted her to leave with him for four days to Borneo. This man remains frustratingly nameless, but many fans of Amos do speculate that it’s Anthony Kiedis from Red Hot Chili Peppers as he spent much of his time in Borneo in 1994. Although the two had previously met, it is left unknown whether they had any sort of relationship afterwards.

Nonetheless, whether this song is about Kiedis or someone else, Amos transports this whirlwind of feeling into a song that everyone can relate to. With piano melodies and lyrics that are cyclical, Amos truly gives us the impression of being entrapped by both the other and ourselves in a beautifully heartbreaking song.

By Michaela Maxey

As soon as the drums and guitar open the song I immediately start nodding along. I never nod to anything, so this is a huge moment already. The beats are quick and consistent, making it super easy to get lost in just the instruments of the song. As the chorus comes closer, and by this point I’m full-on head-banging, all members of the band join together sounding almost choir-like. It is super easy to join in and sing with them.

Then a surprising silence from the instruments as Greg Graffin sings, “and the obituaries”. Although I was lost in the instrumental of this track, it is impossible to not focus on the lyrics at this point. It may sound like  “cockroach naps” and “rattling traps” are just fun words to say, but they actually delve deeper into the bizarre world that is our own.

The lyrics critique all aspects of society, from child abuse, drugs, murder, suicide, and depression. The band does not censor anything, resulting in a pivotal song that aims to bring about change. Although my original thought may have been, “This song is nothing short of an epic sing-along with your friends”, the song definitely works as a major wake-up call to society that maybe things are not going as smoothly as it seems.

So why have such an upbeat tone to underscore such dark lyrics? Well, if you can sing along easily you can spread the message easily. Despite being released in 1994, it’s shocking that the lyrics still hold true to today’s society. We cannot ignore the message that Bad Religion and many other bands both old and new attempt to give, that is something needs to change because what we’re doing is not working.

The most unbelievable aspects of our society, our truths, really are stranger than fiction.