Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: emo
Song Meaning of “Julian the Onion” by mewithoutYou
The song ‘Julian The Onion’ by mewithoutYou offers a nuanced exploration of the idea of knowledge and self-realization. Specifically, the songdiscusses the idea that we all carry within us a multitude of hidden depths and understandings, and it is only when we peel back our own layers like the skin of an onion that we can truly discover who we are and what understanding we can obtain.
The opening of the song, in which lead singer Aaron Weiss speaks of a butterfly that “sought to know the vastness of life,” sets a tone of exploration and seeking of knowledge that carries throughout the track. Lyrically, the track is filled with metaphors pointing to this idea, referring to Julian as “hundreds of layers deep,” and suggesting that Julian is a character struggling to break away from the illusions of life and discover the true nature of reality when Weiss sings “as his eyes washed of this life you could see his truth unveiled.”
The chorus, meanwhile, features an upbeat melody and hopeful lyrics as Weiss repeats “All will come to know the same fate, surely sooner or later, when the tears of its hourglass sifts the sand.” Here, Weiss appears to be suggesting that it is only through shedding of emotion that true understanding can guide us—that it is only through willingly allowing ourselves to feel the depths of sadness and joy that we can unlock the secrets of the universe.
Overall, ‘Julian The Onion’ offers a powerful musing on self-discovery and knowledge, exploring how hurt and pleasure can play into our journey of understanding and identification. Through startlingly beautiful metaphors and imagery, the song encourages us to explore the depths of our own being and rid ourselves of illusions of life, and its lyrics serve as a moving reminder of how pain can be an important and integral part of gaining understanding and wisdom.