I Am A Stone (Lyrics Interpretation)

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According to Demon Hunter lead singer, Ryan Clark, the song I Am A Stone is about remaining steadfast in one's beliefs while living in a culture that is diametrically opposed to their ideals. As a recovering addict, this song speaks to me in a way very few songs ever have. In my eyes, I Am A Stone is the very definition of remaining steadfast on one's path of recovery, even though there are times when it may seem inconvenient to do so. It's lyrics are a reminder that, while recovery is a daily battle, it is possible to emerge unscathed so long as you are willing to remain solid in your resolve to live addiction free--be a stone so to speak. Though it may not be one hundred percent accurate, this is my interpretation of the lyrics:

It’s Hard to Say / That I’m Back / On a Straight Line

In my opinion, the "straight line" symbolizes a person walking the path of addiction recovery. The author has made some poor decisions in life due to drug abuse, which led him to a very dark path. Though he has freed himself of addiction, he's exposing the fact he has made many mistakes since then, hence he's having a hard time believing that he's truly walking a the straight line.

You See My Path / Is In Fact / Just A Fault Line

This brings us to the second line which is adding emphasis to the fact that the author is still very prone to making mistakes. He's telling his loved-ones that, though they may view him as comfortably walking the straight and narrow, there are still many obstacles he needs to overcome; he's not as perfect as they may think.

It’s In My Blood / It’s In My Lungs / And It Won’t Die

This line is a metaphor signifying past use of intravenous and inhaled drugs. The second line, "And it won't die," is a potent reminder that, once you have become addicted to a particular substance, it is extremely difficult to rid yourself of the physical/mental craving for that substance, though some people, addiction therapists for example, claim that you will never rid yourself of these cravings; you will forever be an addict...

I Fight These Words, I Bite My Tongue, So I Don’t Lie / Though It’s Me to Blame, There is No More Shame in Me, In Me…

I, however, disagree with such erroneous assumptions. Therefore, I fight these words, bite my tongue, so I don't perpetuate the lie, to myself and others, that addiction is somehow a permanent end result of certain environmental/emotional factors. The blame for a substance abuse problem rests solely on the addict's shoulders and no one else's. It is through that belief, and only that belief, that I have been able to arrive at the point where there is no more shame in me. ("Shame" being drugs.)

I Just Feel the Same / Immune to All This Pain / And the Scars Don’t Write a Song for Me At All…

This is one of many bold lines that pop-up throughout this song. It tells me that the author has reached a point in his recovery where he is able to cope with the emotional scars of his past in the same way he did while he was using drugs; he is immune to the pain. In the last line, he is proudly stating his refusal to let the scars of his past dictate where he ends up in life...

I Am a Stone, Unaffected / Rain Hell Down Onto Me / Flesh and Bone, Unaffected / Your Fool I Will Not Be

Which is why no matter what happens, no matter what kinds of trials the world tosses his way, he will do his best to remain solid on the path of recovery. When it boils down to it, he is nothing more than flesh and bone, a human being that is more than capable of making mistakes. He knows this, and is prepared for it. However, he is reassuring himself that one mistake he will never make again is placing his faith in a mind-altering substance--your fool I will not be.

I Tried to See and Believe / In the Short Sight / Accept the Burn of A Vein, And A Half-Life

In my eyes, this is the most hard-hitting line of this song. For many, many years, I dedicated my life to the here and now, choosing only to see and believe in the short sight. Ignoring the possibility of a positive future, I dwelt on the negatives from my past, and was content to accept the burn of a needle entering my veins, followed by the half-life of an opiate high. Here, the author is reflecting on his own past shortcomings in a manner which I believe all addicts can relate.

And How You Rest Your Faith In These For A Lifetime / That Hollow Lie Against My Hope That I Won’t Buy

If it were left up to me, I would have rested my faith in heroin for a lifetime; it would have killed me. That was before i discovered the fact that it does nothing more than provide a false sense of well-being; it's a hollow lie against your hope for a better life, a lie I bought into for far too long. In this line, the author is questioning how people can rest their faith in such things, accept the lie until death. He then asserts his position on illicit substances, and states his refusal to buy into the false hope they provide.

I Just Feel the Same / Immune to all You Say / And the Scars Don’t Write a Song for Me At All / No Your Tears Won’t Line A Path for me to Crawl...

This time around, the tone of the pre-chorus changes slightly to one of defiance. He's saying that he is immune to peer-pressure and the cruelty of others, then reiterates that he will not allow his emotional scars to forge his path in life.

The Waters Rise Above My Eyes / I Will Breathe It In and Go Out With the Tide / And When You Think This is The End / You Will Find Me There Where I Have Always Been

The waters rise above my eyes goes hand-in-hand with the line rain hell down onto me. The author is stating that even when adversity reaches the point where it feels as though he is drowning, he would rather die than sacrifice his beliefs. And while others may think (in the case of a recovering addict) that a relapse is imminent, the author is in essence saying: Chill out, I've got this under control. Yeah, times are tough, but on the other side I will be standing firmly where I have always been--walking the path of recovery.

I Am a Stone, Unaffected / Rain Hell Down Onto Me / Flesh and Bone, Unaffected / Your Fool I Will Not Be

I Am a Stone…