Narcissist (NARC)
True Colors Revealed
Song Meaning:
Some things are not always what they seem. People come and go – sometimes, for the better. On occasion, once someone has gotten their use out of you, they will dispose of you like trash, leaving you wondering where it all went wrong, when really, they were hiding their true colors all along – the colors of a narcissist.
Dictionary: “A narcissist is someone who is extremely self-centered and has an exaggerated sense of self-importance.”
Another definition we thought was fitting: “Someone who is excessively preoccupied with themselves and their own needs. They may have an inflated sense of importance and require constant admiration from others.”
…Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing…
Narcissists may seem caring, compassionate, and such, but they are just disguising their hidden agenda. All they really care about is themselves.
Toxicity and victim culture is something that is all too present in today's day and age, and it seems as though these traits go hand in hand with narcissists.
A narcissist tends to re-direct everything to be about them; for anything bad that happened, they are the victim, for anything good that happened, they want all the credit and admiration - regardless of what REALLY happened. Narcs usually show their true colors most often in a situation where a relationship falls apart.
In their eyes, everything that has happened to them in their lives is someone “not their fault,” and is a result of something or someone else. The narcissist takes the role of the “victim” (aka FALSE victim), and are willing to do whatever it takes to come out as the "victim" or the person who was "in the right" – fitting right in with today’s all-to-present victim culture. A false victim will blame you for their self inflicted downfall, again regardless of what events transpired prior. They fail to look in the mirror or inward and address anything on their side. As they look in that same mirror, they tell themselves, “you are not to blame,” they become the victim and portray you, the bad guy.
They will run their mouths – spewing venom and lies – rally those around them weak enough to follow, and manipulate others to get them to believe their false victimization. Controlling is not out of the question either. Narc’s want full control of their self-imposed false victim-hood narrative (and people they can infect) so they can control their fantasy story of lies. Any chance they get, they will continue to speak ill of the situation to hold onto that misery and hatred as some sort of false victim-hood trophy.
“The Narcissist inside of you
Keeps you further from the truth...”
Instrumental Write up:
Flashback to the 90’s-2000’s alt/hard rock era. Back to our roots as a band in which we drew some much inspiration from.
This song was a tough one to write because we knew we wanted to get back to more of a “mapped out,” more “complex” song format. It was also difficult because we knew the message we wanted to relay in the lyrics and in the atmosphere of the song, but didn’t want it to be an all out gauntlet of aggression. It was also an adjustment as we usually don’t allow much space or breathing room within our songs. This song to us really sounds like something out of the 90’s, where there’s aggression and emotion, but the kind that takes you on an emotional ride, and gives you “goosebumps” in the end; like the kind of songs that made us fall in love with music, and want to become a band. The song took a few arrangement changes to get it to what it is, but it has turned out to be one of our proudest and most personal works yet.
Now, onto the breakdown of the song...
Two cracks of the hi-hat triggers a Seether-like opening riff that drives the song to a single note verse riff.
Subtle vocals but all-too-personal lyrics push the song through the verse.
A simple 2-chord buildup, ends with a shallow sounding background vocal line (referencing an ode to an old song of ours if you listen carefully) followed by our signature killswitch flutters. The smooth atmosphere of the previous buildup bring you to a powerful chorus accompanied by a sharp, tastefully picked, Staind-esque, harmonic line that we’ve had in our bag of riffs for quite some time, and finally found a spot for it.
We transition from the chorus with the straight forward main riff, and the prior sequence repeats – with a few changes in leads and vocals - until we reach a slowdown in the bridge.
A bridge that builds like something out of a Staind song. It starts off subtle and clean, with some megaphone style effects on the vocals, and then slowly builds with dynamics; tribal drumming, lyrical aggression, a gnawing lead guitar buildup, finished off by surprise guttural vocals, all coming to a “chuggier” version of the intro riff.
The song finishes only to be hit with the Chorus once again – this time longer, slightly altered, and with one more jab from the narrator on the lyrics; “Just another memory, turned enemy.”