Avalanche

Album: That's the Spirit (2015)
Charted: 97
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • After Bring Me the Horizon's 2010-12 There Is a Hell... tour, frontman Oli Sykes was in a really bad place, leading him to self-medicate. It turned out that the underlying problem was ADHD, and this song is about his condition. Sykes told Kerrang!: "It's weird having a doctor tell you that your brain is missing something – but at the same time it was a relief to discover. Finding out that a huge part of my addiction was self-medicating was a massive step in my recovery."

    "The lyrics 'Cut me open and tell me what's inside' describes my frustration with myself, and why I'm always f---ing up."

    The lyric 'My head wasn't wired for this world' is the truth. It's meant to me talking to a doctor, trying to explain how I feel sometimes – hence 'It's like an avalanche.'"

    Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a condition affecting the brain, which affects how people think and act. ADHD sufferers have problems with focusing and processing information. They may also have extra trouble sitting still or being quiet.
  • An avalanche is a fall of a mass of snow and ice down a deep slope. Avalanches occur because of the unstable nature of snow masses in mountain areas. They are often used as a metaphor by lyricists to describe something unstable (often a relationship or someone's emotion well-being), which feels like it is crashing down. Artists that have recorded songs titled after an avalanche include Matthew Good and Nick Jonas while Owl City once sang of a "Strawberry Avalanche."
  • Oli Sykes told The Sun: "I didn't actually know that the song was about ADHD until the end. I just wrote these lyrics and it was almost like the point of view of talking to a doctor and, by the end, I was like, 'I know what I'm singing about now.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Bass Player Scott Edwards

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.

90s Music Quiz 1

90s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

First question: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson appeared in videos for what artist?

Kevin Godley

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.