Muse: Time is Running Out Meaning
Time is Running Out Lyrics
Asphyxiated
I wanna break this spell
That you've created
You're something beautiful
A contradiction
I wanna play the game
I want the friction
You will be the death of me
You will be the death of me
Bury it
I...
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1TOP RATED
cjk Feb 7th 2007, 18:55 report
From my judgment, it seems like this is about a broken relationship. He used to have a friendship with somebody (possibly a romantic thing with a girl) and now she's pulled out of it, and it is torturing him inside. Her lack of interest is killing him, and he is saying that their opportunities for reuniting are running out. They don't have much time left together.
Also, leading up to the refrain, "I won't let you bury it/I won't let you murder it/I won't let you smother it..." The "it" is their relationship, and though she is trying to end it, he doesn't want it to end; he wants to keep it alive.
Sound plausible? -
2TOP RATED
anonymous Sep 4th 2008, 01:15 report
I agree with those of you who think this song is about a relationship. I, however, like to think of this song more as an illustration rather then a specific event. Relationships are great, but at the same time they are vicious. Theres always a constant struggle to keep them alive. They are both the most joyful and the most painful things on earth. (Well, amoung the most painful things on Earth.) Like I said, I like to think of this song more as an illustration of not just Bellany's relationship, but relationships in general and the bitter sweet nature of it all. I'd go more in-depth but I think you guys already said it all.
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3TOP RATED
anonymous Oct 15th 2007, 19:22 report
He treats their relationship like a drug. Though he knows that it is harming him, he is constantly, like a drug addict, drawn back towards it like an addict craving their next fix. It's about the contradiction of knowing what will save him, but being unable to draw himself away from that which will destroy him.
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anonymous Oct 21st 2012, 21:15 report
have you ever think that this is song is about the Illuminati intimidation?
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anonymous Sep 4th 2011, 21:58 report
I believe this song is about the "supposed" end of the world. I believe when the author states "our time is running out" he is addressing the coming of the end, Also when he states "you can't push it underground" I believe he is addressing the fact that civilians along with world governments are building large underground facilities to survive cataclysmic events. Lastly when the author states, "You can't stop it screaming out" Well obviously getting all upset and thrashing about because its the end of the world is not going to do you any good, its going to happen anyway.
When you see the song in this context the rest of the lyrics somewhat fit in with the subject. As to who he is talking to in the song, I believe he is addressing God, some form of cosmic entity, or just addressing the universe itself, crying out in anguish over our fate of doom and gloom. -
anonymous Aug 4th 2011, 15:54 report
Idk why but this song sounds like twilight..even in the book edward sais "you will be the death of me" haha dont hate on this comment lol p.s. Twilight and muse rock!
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anonymous Mar 9th 2011, 23:42 report
Honestly this can be interpreted in more than one way, its not unusual for an author of a book, artist of a portrait, conductor for musical chart etc. to tie in multiple interpretations of similar context or emotion into one.
The one based on how he's referring to drugs, or a relationship to a drug I can see, but it doesn't seem like the full intent from my perspective.But the one about the government and relationship are the ones I agree too.
But after analyzing the verses, I feel like he's relating the Government in wartime from the view of the one in a million Privates/PFC's/Corporals in the military to a girl. The spell being the obligation he is to serve, and the binding emotions to a girl, 2nd verse going into implying the actions of nationalism as beautiful to the happiness of being in love, and how contradictory it is (going into the 3rd and 4th verse) going into how it will be at the sacrifice to his life ("death of me") to the emotional and mental depression and social death after the end of such a relationship which seemed to bring good cause (relates to how the US Gov't seems to bring the idea of "spreading democracy" for war, but at the cost of what? his life). And he knows he's only got so much time before his candle goes out (or to the end of the relationship) and he isn't going to let death (or the termination of love) catch up to him for any cause. and the giving up part meaning not to fall in love, not to re-enlist in war time, the addiction and binding being his contract for re-enlistment/the "high" he gets with being in love.
That's what I feel the interpretation is. May be wrong, may be over analyzed, may be biased because I am pro military (not pro war), but again, every interpretation is different based on each individuals prior experiences, knowledge and such. -
anonymous Mar 4th 2011, 17:22 report
No guys its a about sin. The theme of the album is of an end of some sort, a relationship...life...and in this song of the world...sin is a beautiful thing its a strong addictive drug since everyone abuses it or uses it...but te is running out since the end is near according to the song.
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anonymous Oct 18th 2010, 21:13 report
my interpretation is that it talks about how 1 guy has fell in love with a girl and they become a couple.Later the girl wants to break up with the guy and the guy knows that this relationship is bad and unhealthy,yet he still is addicted to her and wont let her break up and he knows that time is running out that she will leave
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anonymous May 28th 2010, 18:01 report
No guys its a about sin. The theme of the album is of an end of some sort, a relationship...life...and in this song of the world...sin is a beautiful thing its a strong addictive drug since everyone abuses it or uses it...but te is running out since the end is near according to the song.
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TheRealTruth Mar 4th 2010, 23:16 report
The Song is about a Lesbian falling in love with a man and fighting with the attraction - refusing to let him bury it and murder her identity...I can go on but its pretty self-explanatory if you look beyond first glances.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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MooreMoney Oct 28th 2009, 22:25 report
I think it is about a relationship between a man and a woman who were possibly high school sweethearts but ultimately went there separate ways. The man, realizing that she was the one true love of his life, returns to her only to find that she is in a relationship with someone else. However she feels, in her heart, the same way as he does so they embark in a secret affair but for some reason, maybe she has children with the other man or maybe he has a lot of money and she has a sense of security with him, she will not leave him. The fact that he loves her so much and he knows that she, in her heart, feels the same way is tearing him up inside. There is no way he can ever give up because she is intoxicating like a drug to him and he would rather die than live the rest of his life with out her.
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anonymous Oct 24th 2009, 04:13 report
I think that it is not about a relationship, partly because as far as i know they dont do that kinda stuff. Anyway,
'I think I'm drowning
asphyxiated
I wanna break this spell
that you've created' relates to the government, as they have power and they may not be as good as everyone thinks, and everyone has fallen under their spell, while he knows the truth and is suffocating because he cant do anything about it while it gets worse.
And the next bit talks about how they could be great, but are choosing not to. They want to play the game, as in they want to have war and have the friction of the two sides, but there is only one side and they are dying in it as they cannot rebel. You will be the death of me, is saying they are doing things to people and eventually everyone is going to die.
The next part may be about someone who is trying to tell them that the higher up people are doing great and he is refusing, not letting them smother the truth.
Our time is running out simply means that if no one does something we are all going to die. and you cant push the truth away, or underground and no matter what you do the truth will always be screaming out.
I wanted freedom
bound and restricted
means that he wants freedom, but he is bound and restricted with everything he does.
how did it come to this
is him screaming out how did this happen??? and how did it come so he has to fight. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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anonymous Mar 26th 2009, 23:55 report
I think it's about capitalist society; we're bombarded with the things we don't need.
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anonymous Jan 14th 2009, 15:32 report
I Read That In The Book "In Your World The Story Of Muse" (its a good read btw) that It was about the 9/11 bombings in america and how the end of the humanity is drawing closer because of this (I lost the page in the book but think that's wat it says)
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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anonymous Oct 21st 2008, 22:24 report
Just by looking at it, it seems like it's about a relationship, but from my personal opinion it's about the government, more than anything else.Its Muse referring to an oppressive "big brother" style government, almost as an overbearing girlfriend.
In the first verse, they r referring to whats happening.
In the second one, their talking about how the oppresive government was started. "Your something beautiful": many a corrupt government looks beautiful to begin with. "A contradiction": talking about how, while it looks good to start with, it actually can't be. "I wanna play the game, I want the friction" is talking about the average citizens willigness to go along with a government as long as their creature comforts are kept.
The chorus is someone finally fighting against some occurance that the government doesn't want people to know, so is trying to shush.
The third verse is talking about someone trying to fight back, but failing because they don't know what free will is.
The fourth verse is talking about how the government, knowing they've destroyed all opposition, preparing to take complete control.
The last three verses are very despairing, yet defiant, the speaker knowing he has no chance but still fighting on. -
anonymous Oct 19th 2008, 16:20 report
The Album was written as the band went into self induced opium addiction to better describe the ending of the world. So yes, he was a drug addict, but the relationship thing makes the most sense. Each song describes the end of some world. The relationship ending may be his inner world ending.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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