Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: metal
Song Meaning of “Erised” by Periphery
“Erised” by Periphery paints a picture of someone seeking love and acceptance in all the wrong places, without being able to find it. The individual’s frustration and feelings of hopelessness are reflected in the lyrics, as they express a rarely achieved wish—for true acceptance and understanding—that will ultimately remain unfulfilled.
The song lyrics begin with the narrator, alone in self-reflection narrating their realization of their need for acceptance. The lyrics “Misery, I’m searching for some sort of connection” reflect the narrator’s loneliness and a longing for meaningful connections. Feeling stuck in the same situation and not knowing of any other way to search for acceptance, they comment on their fear of the unfamiliar, “Cause I’m feeling terrified of what I don’t even know”. This fear keeps the individual from being willing to take the risk of leaving their feelings of isolation behind and seeking the life-altering connection they so desire.
The chorus of the song brings the narrator’s feelings of hopelessness to a tipping point. With the lyrics “Do I just want what I see in the mirror, I see it in my eyes but can’t touch it”, they express how, despite knowing the answer, they are desperate to get a glimpse of what could be, yet they can never seem to reach it, always being held back by their own inhibitions.