"Always Running" Analysis

[MysteryMachineX]

I don't usually do analyses of the songs in Zombies, but I've liked the songs lately, and I think I have an interesting perspective on this one. So here goes, I hope you enjoy:

"Always Running" by Malukah and Kevin Sherwood

MyAGNdghwrw

Now, I will start off that I believe this song is told from the ghost lady's point-of-view, who I believe to be actually Sarah Faraday. Why? That's for another thread. But for the rest of the thread, I'll refer to her as Sarah. Lyrics are in yellow. My thoughts will not be in yellow. I may or may not be right. Who knows? It is poetry after all. But, I'll try to leave out "I believe" or "I think" all the time, as that would be repetitive.

In this solemn field of silence

I can barely feel the pain

Blind and deaf to all the violence

And I've always felt this way

La

La

La

La

On the wind a smell of misery

Fear and death perfume the air

It begins again in mystery

And I always end up there

Always unsuspecting

so easy to lure them away from

All the angels within

I am running

from something I'm becoming

Unstoppable

And I'm coming from

the something that I'm running from

becoming one

Always Running

Like something might be coming

To follow me

And I'm running from

the something that I'm coming from

Becoming one

I am

Letting go of all I know

From this buried well of consciousness

I can barely hear the rain

Everyone becomes anonymous

All their faces seem the same

Always unrelenting

Descending into our own nightmare

From this twisted fantasy

Falling far away from

The beauty of annihilation

Do the faceless face fear

I am running

from something I'm becoming

Unstoppable

And I'm coming from

the something that I'm running from

becoming one

Always Running

Like something might be coming

To follow me

And I'm running from

the something that I'm coming from

Becoming one

I've become

Something they all run from

I want you to be gone

But I know you've just begun

Why am I numb

To everything I have done

There's no going back for me

Becoming has taken its toll on me

I am running

from something I'm becoming

Unstoppable

And I'm coming from

the something that I'm running from

becoming one

Always Running

Like something might be coming

To follow me

And I'm running from

the something that I'm coming from

Becoming one

I am running

from something I'm becoming

Unstoppable

And I'm coming from

the something that I'm running from

becoming one

Always Running

Like something might be coming

To follow me

And I'm running from

the something that I'm coming from

Becoming one

I am running from

the other ones

and the other ones

I'm running from

and becoming one means

I'm running from

All I am

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, so let's take a look at some of the lyrics.

In this solemn field of silence

The field in question refers to either the town or more specifically the courtyard. It's solemn because of the formal nature of the upperclass, which Sarah was. It's silent because the town has long been abandoned.

I can barely feel the pain

Someone who isn't in pain doesn't say that they aren't in pain. But rather, she's experienced so much pain, she's numb to it now. The pain seems to be deep, emotional, psychological, and physical.

Blind and deaf to all the violence

This is probably referring to how in the game she doesn't actually do anything regarding the zombies whatsoever. However, a deeper meaning may be that she's blind/deaf to her own violence. She may not even realize that the harm she does to the players even exists. Not to mention that "killing" her really doesn't do anything, Sarah may have lost sight of physical pain altogether.

And I've always felt this way

It's not too surprising, but it is revealing. Apparently when Sarah was mortal she turned away from violence as well. A woman in the 1800's, she was probably sheltered from violence her whole life.

La

La

La

La

Not much to go off on, but the dreary, melancholy tune and sad "La"'s are some of what lead me to believe this to be a ghostly song. Also, the break from the more in-depth lyrics may indicate a passage of incredible time.

On the wind a smell of misery

Which leads me to believe this is a while later. It's basically saying, X years later, something awful is amuck.

Fear and death perfume the air

Enter people fighting zombies. The core of the game, the bringers of fear and death. Notice that the verb is perfume, a term relatable to women.

It begins again in mystery

Wait, again? It begins, again? So... multiple times there've been zombies and fear and death? How many people have come to this place?

And I always end up there

Always? So, perhaps these are the "others" Richtofen warned us about? "There" probably is referencing the various apparitions of her that appear when you enter Sarah's domain. Notice how she says it so callously, as if she knows what to expect; she's been through this before.

Always unsuspecting

So it seems any people who come here are confused. Well I guess that makes them like us!

so easy to lure them away from

Curiosity killed the cat. Who didn't play this map and almost instinctively went straight for the ghost house?

All the angels within

The angels are within the town, since the town is enclosed. However, "angels" is not literal. So, what would Sarah consider to be like an angel? Is it the zombies? Does Sarah consider the undead to be angels? Does she envy them? Or, perhaps, is it Richtofen and Maxis who are like angels, lacking physical form? Or, perhaps is she referencing what truly is the truth behind the myth of the angels, the Vril-Ya, the long lost residents of Agartha that Maxis seeks?

I am running

from something I'm becoming

Unstoppable

And I'm coming from

the something that I'm running from

becoming one

Always Running

Like something might be coming

To follow me

And I'm running from

the something that I'm coming from

Becoming one

These two verses are repeated very often. Sarah is saying that she is becoming something, something she does not seem to know or understand, and she is fearful of it. But whatever it is, it is "unstoppable". Yet, she is coming from it. This "unstoppable" thing that she is becoming she has been once before. What was it? Also note that she says "becoming one", meaning that there are others.

I am

Letting go of all I know

This may be referencing how she is ethereal and not of this realm. Or perhaps it is referencing the line from "Where are we going?" that says something very similar. What could this mean? I don't know.

From this buried well of consciousness

This is clever. The town is buried, and within the town resides consciousness, specifically Richtofen, Maxis, and Sarah. Perhaps even the big guy could be included.

I can barely hear the rain

Sarah is trapped within her mansion. She cannot leave to go see the rain. She doesn't have that option. She is forced to just barely hear it. However, is water even plentiful in what remains of Earth? Was it even water that she heard? Or was it just her imagination?

Everyone becomes anonymous

Death. To Death, everyone is anonymous. So, everyone who ventures into the town dies. Not a very hospitable place, huh?

All their faces seem the same

This reiterates the above line. Although to note they are not actually the same, they just seem the same, as in, they all die, and likely in the same fashion.

Always unrelenting

Unrelenting dead people? Ohhhh, they're zombies. More zombies. Everyone becomes anonymous, faceless, zombies.

Descending into our own nightmare

Sarah is just observing how people drown in this nightmare. Zombies, a creation of mankind, turns mankind into more zombies.

From this twisted fantasy

Not only were zombies a creation of mankind, but they zombies were proliferated by mankind. People like the Nazis and Richtofen fantasized about what zombies would do. And this... came of it.

Falling far away from

The beauty of annihilation

Sarah is just lamenting how far this has gotten. How out of hands things have gotten since 1945. The beauty of annihilation is a reference to "Beauty of Annihilation" and World War II, where Tank, Nikolai, Takeo, and Richtofen were fighting zombies in Der Riese. You see Sarah staring out of the windows of her house. She's observing. It's all she can do.

Do the faceless face fear

Who do we know that are faceless? Maxis and Richtofen. Sarah has seen them toy with countless people. And for what? For control? Notice how the sentence is plural, yet the word face is singular. That's because in fighting over control, they are actually fighting over the Aether, actually fighting over the MPD, actually fighting over Samantha's body. They share a face. Yet they have none.

I've become

Something they all run from

Sarah is in a ghostly state, and she strikes fear into anyone that approaches.

I want you to be gone

But I know you've just begun

This is why she'll say contradictory lines. She'll say things like "This is my house". She doesn't want you there. But at the same time, she'll say "You'll stay here forever" simple because she knows you will. Even if you die, you will still be there, undead. Also, it is a reference to "Abracadavre", where Samantha said the same thing to Tank, Nikolai, Takeo, and Richtofen.

Why am I numb

To everything I have done

This is reiterating the statement earlier that she is numb to physical pain. She hurts you but doesn't recognize your pain.

There's no going back for me

Becoming has taken its toll on me

This is it. This last line here tells us what becoming is. What is she becoming? Human. She was once human. But she died. Now she is back, but she isn't human. She's on her way to becoming human, but she's stunted, she halfway. She's a ghost. Sarah is coming from what she's becoming. And she's running from becoming one because she sees what happens to all the humans in the town. The humans, what good are they? They caused this. They become zombies. And, they are unstoppable. They will destroy the entire planet if you let them. She may not like her afterlife, but it's better than being human. Sarah is tired of being in this half-state. She just wants to lie down; Sarah just wants to die.

I am running from

the other ones

and the other ones

I'm running from

The "ones" we've established to be humans. She's running from the humans. Notice she says it twice. She's running from more than just some humans. But from all humans. Every group of humans that come there, she runs from them. She runs from becoming human just as she runs from you human. Although perhaps once you enter her territory it is a different story.

I'm running from

All I am

Sarah is a product of her humanity. Growing up, living her life, it made her what she is. What she is now is a twisted abomination of it, but it is still a result of her life. It's her afterlife. Yet she's running from regaining it because it haunts her. She's running from... herself.

[Flaquito90]

I can see now that the ghost has a important role

[mk9008]

Really great analysis, MMX.

In my opinion, It's from the perspective of Misty, realizing that... She is killing people she doesn't even know. Faceless, anonymous people. Realizing she is becoming one, (At the beginning of most Buried games, she says she thinks "this wound will never heal" possibly referring to a bite.) She wants the zombies to be gone, for it to all go back to the way it was. She questions herself about why she's numb to all of the killing. But she knows she can't go back, not after such an experience.

[MysteryMachineX]

Thanks guys.

I suppose Misty is a possibility. I mean, as you can see above, I don't see it that way. But poetry (which songs are) are subjective, so your line of reasoning could be right. :)

[Stop Mocking Me0]

Deep... I can't help but notice that Maluka's songs are sung towards the deceased.... The prisoners in MOTD and Sara now... Perhaps this is not the last we hear of her....

[Electric Jesus]

I want you to be gone

But I know you've just begun

This is why she'll say contradictory lines. She'll say things like "This is my house". She doesn't want you there. But at the same time, she'll say "You'll stay here forever" simple because she knows you will. Even if you die, you will still be there, undead.

This line is a reference to Abracadavre. In Abracadavre (which is from sam's perspective) she says (you want me to be gone, but I have just begun." Since she is referring to herself (an aetherial being) it makes sense that in that corresponding line in "always running" Sarah is directly addressing the aetherial beings of that time (Richthofen and Maxis.)

[MysteryMachineX]

Thanks guys. Thanks Electric, I didn't notice that.

[Delta]

Great work, MMX!

I always love a good song analysis, and the detail you go into is great.

[MysteryMachineX]

Thanks Delta. I just think the repeating verse about running fits perfectly.

I mean, what other than a ghost can be running from something that you're coming from and you're becoming one? You used to exist. You don't want to exist. Yet, you are now beginning to exist.

[EvilHERONeos]

I actually tweeted to Kevin Sherwood about the La La La La part being a reference to Pareidolia, and him making the lyric video, turning it to the Black Ops lyrics font, and he Favorited it. So maybe he meant to reference previous maps in this song. Just a suggestion.

[MysteryMachineX]

Oh really? I didn't particularly care for Pareidolia (not into the metal craze), so I didn't notice that. Thanks!

[Stop Mocking Me0]

He does quote a lot of the Older songs:

Nightmare: Nightmare

Just begun: Abracadaver

Lalala: Pareidolia

Beauty of annihilation: Beauty of annihilation

Becoming "one": The one

"Some thing might be coming": A reference to coming home...

The songs (with words) that are not referenced:

115

Not ready to die

Lullaby for a dead man

Carry on

Carrion

Fall down

Rusty cage

Where are we going?

This some kind of anagram?

Rusty Carrion fall where 115 not ready lullaby? lol

Oh that's gona drive THAT GUY nuts....

Also Pareidolia was not very metal IMO... The end of the song was the most RELAXING piano course I've ever heard.... Oh i could fall a SLEEP to that (in a good way) !!!

[EvilHERONeos]

He does quote a lot of the Older songs:

Nightmare: Nightmare

Just begun: Abracadaver

Lalala: Pareidolia

Beauty of annihilation: Beauty of annihilation

Becoming "one": The one

"Some thing might be coming": A reference to coming home...

The songs (with words) that are not referenced:

115

Not ready to die

Lullaby for a dead man

Carry on

Carrion

Fall down

Rusty cage

Where are we going?

This some kind of anagram?

Rusty Carrion fall where 115 not ready lullaby? lol

Oh that's gona drive THAT GUY nuts....

Also Pareidolia was not very metal IMO... The end of the song was the most RELAXING piano course I've ever heard.... Oh i could fall a SLEEP to that (in a good way) !!!

Teddy's not in this. WHERE IS FEAR TEDDY? :^)