The Monster They Made You

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LYRICS:
It's better than nothing,
the air in your lungs.
The power in your bones.
Oh, the shade you've become.
You've life left and that's more
than others can say.
You scrub at their blood
but it won't wash away.
You say it's fine.
Truthfully, it's far from it.
You pretend like the best
and you won't tell a soul.
If nobody knows you,
then no one can harm you.
You're capable. You've got it
under control.
So you never speak out,
'cause no one would understand.
And you never reach out,
'cause no one could lend a hand
but
I know who you are.
Under the mask.
You're just a girl
screaming into the void.
Though you've fortified,
you're haunted inside
by watching all that you love
burned and destroyed.
It creeps into your dreams,
infecting your bloodstream.
The monster they made you,
she lurks underneath.
Clench your fists and become her.
A new brand of thunder.
But watch you don't choke the world
with your new teeth.
Over and over you run it
through in your head.
Trying to find a way out
that you've ignored until now.
There's nowhere to go
still you're searching alone.
The alternative's asking for help
and you just can't do that.
After all, someone might
listen to your cries.
What could be worse?
I know the stories you tell yourself.
Like you're the only one,
and you have to do it alone.
Are you so proud you'd
forsake the world?
Just so you don't have to hear...
(oh)
I know who you are.
Under the mask.
You're just a girl
screaming into the void.
Though you've fortified,
you're haunted inside
by watching all that you love
burned and destroyed.
It creeps into your dreams,
infecting your bloodstream.
The monster they made you,
she lurks underneath.
Clench your fists and become her.
A new brand of thunder.
But watch you don't choke the world
with your new teeth.
The tides, everchanging,
they will drag you under
if you step into their pull,
if you let down your guard.
Given half the chance,
they'll tear you asunder.
You're not unbreakable.
Build up the walls of your heart.
If you hope to survive
in this terrible world.
Say it over and over again:
'This is not how it ends.'
It'll all be for naught
if you crumble, if you give in.
I know who you are.
Under the mask.
You're just a girl
screaming into the void.
Though you've fortified,
you're haunted inside
by watching all that you love
burned and destroyed.
It creeps into your dreams,
infecting your bloodstream.
The monster they made you,
she lurks underneath.
Clench your fists and become her.
A new brand of thunder.
But watch you don't choke the world
with your new teeth.

[@Snow.drake1]

I really love the derpy Cyclops cats partying like there is no tommorow after song describing a persons futile fight against the whole world.

[@RachelRoseMitchell]

they're just chilling :)

[@aethersparkle2135]

Recently I realized something about this song that I can't stop thinking about. Listening to it, I always focus on the girl. After all, she’s who the song’s about. It only makes sense. When I'm not focusing on her, I'm thinking about the story. The lore. How it can connect to Carnival. What kind of setting this could be. But then a question hit me that changed how I view this song forever. Who or what the hell is the narrator? You focus on the girl, because every line in the song is sung about her. Except, it’s not being sung about her. It’s being sung TO her. At the start of the chorus and at one point in the second verse they sing directly to her about how they know what her actual deal is. They’re not some omniscient narrator, they’re another character in the story. And knowing this throws the song into a whole new light. Between the threatening subtext in "if nobody knows you then no one can harm you" and making it clear that they know her (though they don't seem to want to do anything to her beyond what they're already doing), and all the focus on things she doesn't tell anyone and the worst things that have happened to her. They're hitting her with everything wrong with her- including things like the nightmares she has and "the stories you tell yourself" which they should have no way of knowing. Have they been secretly watching her for ages and can tell? Can they see into her mind? And then we've got the end of the chorus. Where they encourage her to "clench your fists and become [the monster], a new brand of thunder" which I always interpreted as meaning something along the lines of "go on a violent rampage". So they want her to do this. The question is why. When I first played Which Entity Is This with this album, I was like "yeah there's some Desolation in here" because of her backstory. While I was right, I completely missed that this whole time, this song's been of the Beholding. TL;DR who or what is the narrator of this song, how do they know these things about her, and why are they making her worse.

[@RachelRoseMitchell]

i won't ruin the mystery with concrete answers but i'm living for this level of analysis and creativity in your comment omg

[@boxlessone1046]

I was not expecting the tma in the last paragraph. Bridging my interests all of a sudden.

[@Precambrian-Rabbit]

Ooh, Smirkian analysis! Let's go. I've seen themes of "not being willing to show vulnerability, even when doing so would be the solution to your problem" in quite a few of Rachel's songs. e.g.: "You know that if they heard you/ They might just try to help you out." (Light Up) "After all, I've seen the weak spots you're too proud to hide." (Something You Don't Know) "You can only see the way she moves, such poise and style..." (With Me Now) They've all had different contexts for that theme, but they've all resonated quite strongly with me. I have no way of knowing if the subject of this song is the same the subject of, say, Light Up - or even if some of them might be a matter of "giving yourself a much-needed lecture delivered in second person". Unless the author speaks up, that question has to remain up to the listener. (In the mean time, I'll keep using them as inspirational material for vastly different characters who don't have much in common besides "trauma") There's elements of The Lonely, The Web, The Spiral, and potentially even The Hunt in there. But I absolutely agree that such fears belong, first and foremost, to The Eye. It's a fear that I'm acutely aware of, both because I've seen it in a lot of people I care about, and because I've seen it in myself. It can be a REALLY rough position to be in, especially if you have legitimately good reasons for feeling that way. If you start looking for more Eye themes, there's a TON of them - being surrounded by cameras, being obligated or forced to perform for a hostile audience, being constantly subjected to scrutiny, etc. As far as the prize for "Most Beholding-est Song", I nominate "Watch Out You're Being Watched", but the competition is steep. Now to go through all the albums again looking for signs of the other 13 Great Fears. (And now, having typed this wall of text, it occurs to me that this post is, itself, dangerously close to being a manifestation The Eye. I hope that's not a problem.)

[@LordoftheNightWolves]

The line "After all, someone might listen to your cries." Is reminiscent of Light Up

[@SphyeLeMe]

The callback to "Carousel" is so interesting! There are so many ways one could interpret a connection between that song and this one.

[@bookmoth-d1q]

Been listening since "Hey Alice", love your work!

[@alaska2966]

This newest set of music is gorgeous!! I’m loving the vibe

[@ameliastine9232]

the way these cyclop cat things absolutely VIBE to these songs is exactly what I feel when I listen xD

[@speakingwithoutnet]

It's great to hear your new music. Been listening to you since 2014 or so, and your music is great for inspiring my muse.

[@BingoIndigo]

Can anyone else low key hear the melody to Carnival at 4:10 ?

[@RachelRoseMitchell]

it's super intentional and i'm glad people are recognising it haha

[@AngryEyesJustInCase]

God yes I kinda love that bit, it's like an Easter egg. It also kinda fits with the story, since (I think) they're both about a stubborn person who's actively getting worse because they refuse to change for the better

[@Runealin]

THIS IS SO PRETTY OMG I LOVE ALL OF THE SONGS!!!!!

[@_victoria427]

I absolutely love your music! I'm so glad you're still making it! ♡

[@marieb4496]

The connections in this album to past albums 🥹 Edelgard vibes here.

[@sniv_thesnivy_snivson]

Just popping in to say that. First of all this is one of the best songs ive ever heard but also it REALLY fits the main character from Underhero. Just... I know it’s probably a coincidence, especially with how obscure that game is, but I feel like I gotta say SOMETHING. Almost every line in this fits that game PERCECTLY and just. Yeah. Great song, reminds me of a game i love, I could go on explaining every little connection i've made but i dont wanna write a wall. Great work, this song's definitely a favorite.

[@kamic136]

THIS IS LITERALLY SO GOOD??? IVE BEEN REALLY ENJOYING THESE SONGS COMING OUT

[@soapssie]

Loved your music since I was a kid, it's good to be back!!

[@mysterykittymeow9636]

This song lives rent free in my head everyday-

[@asiah.5691]

please come to brazil

[@ishner]

Good cat-sneks! Good song! Bridge is a bit disjointed in the middle Chorus is really solid.

[@Merisu_Sheep]

OH WOW SO EARLY AM I. I'M REALLY LIKING THIS SONGS

[@seandun7083]

Feels very Arcane, though it also makes me think a bit of R.F Kuang's Poppy War series. Love it.

[@Arerona]

Cool!

[@stellunablaze9291]

I've just realized this would probably be a good character theme for Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica

[@bejeweledbat13]

evil Luisa au anyone??? lol

[@Dmol8]

Is this song about Taylor Hebert?

[@robertlewis6915]

I like the brief glissando.