Damocles Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Well, I’ve been waking up under blades, blue blossom days
If only Damocles would hit me back
No alabaster carvings or faces on a farthing
Would prevent my head from fading to black
[Pre-Chorus]
And it feels like falling into the sea
From outer space in seconds to me
And I play discordant days on repeat
Until they look like harmony
[Chorus]
When the river runs dry and the curtain is called
How will I know if I can’t see the bottom?
Come up for air and choke on it all
No one else knows that I’ve got a problem
What if I can’t get up and stand tall?
What if the diamond days are all gone
And who will I be when thе empire falls?
Wake up alonе and I’ll be forgotten
[Verse 2]
Well, I know I should be touring, I know these chords are boring
But I can’t always be killing the game
No golden grand pianos or voices from the shadows will do anythin’ but feel the same
[Pre-Chorus]
And it feels like falling into the deep
From somewhere way up over the peaks
And I play discordant days on repeat
Until the tape runs out on me
[Chorus]
When the river runs dry and the curtain is called
How will I know if I can’t see the bottom?
Come up for air and choke on it all
No one else knows that I’ve got a problem
What if I can’t get up and stand tall?
What if the diamond days are all gone
And who will I be when the empire falls?
Wake up alone and I’ll be forgotten
[Bridge]
And nobody told me I’d be begging for relief
When what is silent to you feels like it’s screaming to me
Well, nobody told me I’d get tired of myself
When it all looks like heaven, but it feels like hell
[Chorus]
When the river runs dry and the curtain is called
How will I know if I can’t see the bottom?
Come up for air and choke on it all
No one else knows that I’ve got a problem
What if I can’t get up and stand tall?
What if the diamond days are all gone
And who will I be when the empire falls?
Wake up alone and I’ll be forgotten
Summary of this Song Lyrics
_______________________________________
Sleep Token “Damocles” song explores the emotional weight of personal struggle, self-doubt, and the fear of being forgotten. The artist describes waking up in a bleak mental space, referencing the myth of Damocles to symbolize constant anxiety and looming danger. Despite external expectations and past success, they feel lost and disconnected, unsure how to move forward when their inner world is in turmoil.
The chorus reflects a crisis of identity—what happens when everything they’ve built or believed in collapses? They question their ability to rise again, haunted by the thought that their best days might be behind them. The act of “coming up for air” only results in choking, symbolizing how even attempts at recovery feel overwhelming and isolating.
In the bridge, the artist expresses frustration at being misunderstood—how their silent suffering is invisible to others but deafening to themselves. The song closes with repeated doubts about their future, ending on a note of loneliness and the fear of fading into obscurity.
Overall, it’s a raw, introspective look at burnout, mental health, and the emotional cost of chasing dreams, masked beneath a polished surface but filled with unresolved pain and existential fear.
[Note: Every song Summary we share or publish in this website only depend on lyrics analysis, not from Artist own perspective.]
Damocles (MV)
Audio Credits & Details
Artist : Sleep Token
Album : Even In Arcadia
Lyricists : Vessel1, Vessel II
Musicians : Carl Bown
Label : RCA Records
Genre: Rock
Date: April 25, 2025