Owl City - Cave In Lyrics
Lyrics
Please take a long hard look through your textbook
'Cause I'm history
When I strap my helmet on, I'll be long gone
'Cause I've been dying to leave
Yeah, I'll ride the range and hide all my loose change
In my bedroom
'Cause riding a dirt bike down a turnpike
Always takes its toll on me
I've had just about enough of, quote, "diamonds in the rough"
Because my backbone is paper thin
Get me out of this cavern or I'll cave in
If the bombs go off the sun will still be shining
Because I've heard it said that every mushroom cloud has a silver lining
Though I'm always undermining too deep to know
Swallow a drop of gravel and blacktop
'Cause the road tastes like wintergreen
The wind and the rain smell of oil and octane
Mixed with stale gasoline
I'll soak up the sound trying to sleep on the wet ground
I'll get ten minutes give or take
'Cause I just don't foresee myself getting drowsy
When cold integrity keeps me wide awake
Get me out of this cavern or I'll cave in
Get me out of this cavern or I'll cave in
I'll keep my helmet on just in case my head caves in
'Cause if my thoughts collapse or mind framework snaps
It will make a mess like you wouldn't believe
Tie my handle bars to the stars so I stay on track
And if my intentions stray I'll wrench them away
Then I'll take my leave and I won't even look back
I won't even look back
Video
Cave In
Meaning & Inspiration
Owl City’s "Cave In," released on July 31, 2018, stands as a profoundly introspective journey, painting a vivid picture of an individual grappling with overwhelming internal and external pressures. While Adam Young’s artistry often resides in metaphor and whimsical imagery, the raw emotion and urgent pleas within this song reveal a soul wrestling with the brink of collapse, desperately seeking a way out. It’s a narrative about facing personal limitations, the weariness of life’s journey, and the crucial turning point where one must choose between succumbing to despair or finding the unwavering resolve to press forward. This intense introspection, paired with an underlying yearning for steadfastness, opens wide for a powerful spiritual interpretation, reflecting universal struggles that resonate deeply with biblical truths about human weakness and divine strength.
The song immediately establishes a poignant sense of finality and a fervent desire for escape, with the narrator declaring themselves "history" and "dying to leave." This resonates with the transformative call found in Scripture to shed the old self and embrace a new beginning. Just as 2 Corinthians 5:17 promises that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new," the song’s opening lines speak to a longing for severance from a burdensome past, a definitive move away from what has been. The subsequent imagery of "riding the range" and the journey taking its "toll" speaks to the arduous nature of life’s path, mirroring the New Testament’s distinction between the broad road leading to destruction and the narrow path to life, as described in Matthew 7:13-14. Every step on this journey, especially without divine guidance, can be exhausting, depleting one’s spiritual reserves.
A central cry for deliverance emerges forcefully with the repeated plea, "Get me out of this cavern or I'll cave in." This profound expression of vulnerability speaks to the overwhelming sensation of being trapped, both by circumstances and internal fragility. The admission that "my backbone is paper thin" vividly illustrates human inadequacy and the stark reality of our limitations apart from a higher power. This fragility aligns perfectly with the biblical truth revealed in 2 Corinthians 12:9, where God declares, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." The world’s superficial optimism, dismissed as "diamonds in the rough," fails to address the deep-seated fear of spiritual and mental collapse. Even when contemplating cataclysmic events where "the bombs go off," there’s a flicker of recognition that "the sun will still be shining," perhaps hinting at God’s enduring sovereignty even amidst chaos and destruction, a truth echoed in Psalm 46:1-3, which assures us that God is our refuge even when the earth gives way. Yet, the self-doubt, "undermining too deep to know," highlights the human struggle to fully grasp this divine promise when immersed in personal turmoil, emphasizing our need to truly trust in God’s unwavering presence.
The lyrical tapestry continues to weave a sensory experience of the harsh journey, where the "road tastes like wintergreen" with an unsettling bitterness, and the air is thick with the scent of "oil and octane mixed with stale gasoline." This vivid depiction evokes the weariness and unpleasantness of navigating a fallen world, a reality that prompts the whole creation to groan, as Romans 8:22 observes. The struggle to find rest, managing "ten minutes give or take" while "cold integrity keeps me wide awake," points to an internal conflict where conviction or a painful awareness of truth prevents ease. This resonates with the biblical call for spiritual vigilance, urging believers to "watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation," as Jesus instructed in Matthew 26:41, remaining alert in faith in a world that often lulls us into complacency.
Ultimately, "Cave In" pivots from a desperate cry to a resolute declaration of intent. The imagery of keeping a "helmet on just in case my head caves in" immediately brings to mind the spiritual armor described in Ephesians 6:10-18, specifically the "helmet of salvation" which guards our minds against the enemy's attacks. This signifies a profound commitment to protecting one's thoughts and maintaining mental fortitude, understanding that a "collapse" or "snapping" mind would lead to unimaginable devastation. The determination to "tie my handlebars to the stars so I stay on track" speaks to aligning one’s purpose and direction with divine guidance, fixing one's eyes on a higher calling. This commitment is further solidified by the promise to "wrench away" any stray intentions and "take my leave and I won't even look back." This echoes the decisive call of Luke 9:62, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." "Cave In" is a powerful testament to the human spirit's capacity for resilience when anchored by faith, transforming a plea for rescue into a steadfast journey toward deliverance and unwavering devotion, reminding us that even in our deepest struggles, we can find the strength to move forward, protected and guided by a divine hand.