Released: 1999
Slipknot’s ‘Wait and Bleed’ is a raw, intense exploration of inner turmoil. It’s about a struggle with hate, pain, and a sense of isolation.
The lyrics ‘I’ve felt the hate rise up in me’ suggest deep-seated anger. ‘Kneel down and clear the stone of leaves’ could mean a futile attempt to cleanse oneself of this anger. ‘Inside my shell I wait and bleed’ speaks to self-imposed isolation and self-destruction.
‘Goodbye! I wipe it off the tile, the light is brighter this time’ might indicate a moment of revelation. ‘Everything is 3-D blasphemy’ and ‘My eyes are red and gold, the hair is standing straight up’ paint a picture of a distorted reality or heightened emotional state.
‘I can’t control my shakes! How the hell did I get here?’ shows confusion and desperation. ‘Is it a dream or a memory?’ underscores the singer’s disoriented state.
‘Get outta my head ’cause I don’t need this! Why didn’t I see this?’ could mean a struggle with intrusive thoughts or self-deception. ‘I’m a victim Manchurian Candidate’ suggests manipulation or loss of control, referencing a film about a brainwashed assassin.
‘I have sinned by just making my mind up and taking your breath away’ could be a regretful acknowledgment of causing harm to others due to one’s actions.
‘You haven’t learned a thing, I haven’t changed a thing’ indicates a stagnant situation or failed attempt at change. ‘The flesh was in my bones, the pain runs always free’ suggests constant pain, as if it’s part of the singer’s existence.
‘And it waits for you!’ at the end might be a warning or threat, implying that the pain and struggle the singer experiences could be waiting for the listener too.
