Lyrically Sound: Mantra

Purpose. That existential threat that looms over the lives of every human being on this planet.

Some create it, some find it, some tell themselves they’ve found it, some go their whole lives in search of it.  It is pesky and malleable, but so completely necessary to anyone who has lived for any large number of years.

This is the theme behind Bring Me the Horizon’s song, “Mantra,” and it is used to convey how fickle humanity can be in their pursuit to find purpose for their lives. Told through the eyes of someone starting a cult, depicted in it’s opening lines,

 “Do you want to start a cult with me? I’m not vibrating like I oughta be. I need a purpose, I can’t keep surfing through this existential misery.”

It is a powerful song. Not only because it is telling people to “wake up”, but the fact that it also attempts to remind people to seek out truth above all else. It tells us you can only find real purpose when you start to open your eyes to that truth. It seems like a contradiction, and yes I may be looking too hard into it, but that is the beauty about interpretation. So, let me explain this possible, accidental brilliance.

The song in its entirety speaks out about blind faith and those who follow others without fact or reason. Trying to find purpose is hard and some people tend to get impatient, bending to the beliefs of another because they think it might help them understand. This can be seen in the “believer” character in this song. They are someone who is putting their trust in a cult leader who is saying things like.

“But if I choose my words carefully, Think I could fool you that I’m the guru?”

 and manipulating them into doing what they want.

“It’s time to tap into your tragedy” Think you could use a new abuse. Close your eyes and listen carefully.”

 Even though the person responsible for the misguidance isn’t the brightest person.

“Wait, how do you spell epiphany?”

The believer will still listen in hopes the end will justify the means.

From Verse 1- 2 and even the bridge, it is all read in a way to criticize the believer and anyone who easily trusts someone offering them purpose by showing how easy it really is to do so to others. But then you get to the chorus, and things start to change.

The chorus states,

“Before the truth will set you free, it’ll piss you off. Before you find a place to be, you’re gonna lose the plot. Too late to tell you now, one ear and right out the other one cause all you ever do is chant the same old mantra.”

using an “outsider’s” perspective to simultaneously rebuke and give hope to the two lost characters (believer and cult leader) in the story by telling them that their way of thinking is wrong, and that if they change they will be able to open their eyes.

The two characters in this song fall into two categories. The believer who is unwilling to see the truth, and cult leader who is unwilling to seek it. They are the same even if they come from two different perspectives. Those unwilling to see the truth already know it but aren’t willing to change because of it. Those unwilling to seek it have yet to know it and are afraid to know it because it threatens their way of life. Both don’t want to change, because they are content with the way things are, “chanting the same old mantra” as if saying it will somehow give them purpose.

It makes you wonder. What is real and what is not? Does the outsider really have all the answers? I don’t know, but if you are not open to change then you will never find out. Because all you will ever be doing is following the same old mantra.

But then again I could be wrong. The lead singer Oli Skyes has also gone on record saying that this is also a metaphor for a relationship because getting into one is like joining a cult so who is to say?