New Low | Middle Class Rut Lyrics, Meaning & Videos

Publish date: 2024-05-08

New Low
Middle Class Rut Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴I have no space
No room to move around
And this box is getting smaller
I'm trying to get out

How did I get so far
From where I was
When did I decide

To lose my way
Who have I become

I've got a new low
All fifty two cards in a row
I see now that I won't let go
No I won't let go

Well who am I?
A cold shoulder left to cry
You feel bad, well so do I
Yeah so do I

I've been right, I've been left
I've been wrong, I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I've been right, I've been left
I've been wrong, I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down

I can not help feeling like
I have so much at steak
So I lock myself inside my head
And I just run in place

So many directions I don't
Know which way to go
I'm so busy doing nothing
I got nothing to show

I've got a new low
All 52 cards in a row
I see now that I won't let go
No I won't let go

Well who am I?
A cold shoulder used to cry
You feel bad, well so do I
Yeah so do I

I've been right, I've been left
I've been wrong, I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I've been right, I've been left
I've been wrong, I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down

I make mistakes
Just like everybody else
But instead I'm letting go of it
I can't forgive myself

Well, I did my time
In the window of this box
Like it or not
All I got now is today
Tomorrow ain't here
And yesterday is gone dead on me anyway

I've been right, I've been left
I've been wrong, I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I've been right, I've been left
I've been wrong, I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I've been right, I've been left
I've been wrong, I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down
I've been right, I've been left

I've been wrong, I've been left behind
I've been up but mostly down


Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Middle Class Rut's song "New Low" seem to be about feeling trapped and suffocated in one's life, and struggling to find a way out. The singer feels like they have no space to move and that their box is getting smaller, perhaps symbolizing a feeling of being stuck and unable to escape one's circumstances. The lines "How did I get so far from where I was?" and "When did I decide to lose my way?" suggest a sense of regret or self-blame for ending up in this situation.


The chorus, "I've got a new low, all fifty-two cards in a row, I see now that I won't let go, no I won't let go," seems to be about hitting rock bottom and feeling like there is no way out. The metaphor of the cards in a row could mean that the singer feels like all their problems or negative experiences have lined up and converged to create an especially difficult situation. However, they have resolved not to give up or let go of this struggle.


The following lines about being right, left, up, and down seem to be about the many different paths and experiences the singer has had in life, but how they still feel like they're stuck in a difficult situation. The verse "So many directions I don't know which way to go, I'm so busy doing nothing, I got nothing to show" suggests a feeling of confusion and stagnation, as though they have been so stuck in one place that they haven't been able to make progress or move forward.


The bridge and final verse seem to be about a realization that the singer has made after their struggles: that they need to forgive themselves for their mistakes and move forward with their life. They acknowledge that they have spent time "in the window of this box," but they are determined not to let that define their future. The final lines, "tomorrow ain't here, and yesterday is gone dead on me anyway," suggest a sense of living in the present and making the most of what one has, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.


Line by Line Meaning

I have no space
I feel trapped and suffocated in my current situation


No room to move around
There is no flexibility or freedom in my life


And this box is getting smaller
My situation is getting worse and feels more inescapable


I'm trying to get out
I am making an effort to escape my current situation


How did I get so far
I am reflecting on how distant I feel from my past self and my goals


From where I was
From a point in time before I got overwhelmed and lost my way


When did I decide
I am questioning the point at which I made a decision that led to my current state


To lose my way
To become lost and directionless in life


Who have I become
I do not recognize the person I have become in my current state


I've got a new low
I am at an all-time low in my life


All fifty two cards in a row
All aspects of my life are going wrong at the same time


I see now that I won't let go
I am holding onto my problems and my negative state of mind


Well who am I?
I am questioning my identity and sense of self


A cold shoulder left to cry
I feel ignored and unsupported when I need help the most


You feel bow-wow so do I
You might think I have everything together, but I am actually struggling too


I've been right; I've been left
I have experienced success and failure


I've been wrong; I've been left behind
I have made mistakes and been left behind by others


I've been up but mostly down
I have had some positive experiences, but overall, my life is difficult


I can not help feeling like
I cannot control the way I feel about my situation


I have so much at stake
There are important things that depend on me being successful


So I lock myself inside my head
I isolate myself and become trapped in my own thoughts


And I just run in place
I am not making progress, even though I am putting in effort


So many directions I don't know which way to go
I am overwhelmed by the number of options I have and do not know which one to choose


I'm so busy doing nothing
I am keeping myself busy, but not making any real progress


I got nothing to show
I have not achieved anything significant despite my efforts


I make mistakes
I am not perfect and sometimes do things wrong


Just like everybody else
Making mistakes is a normal human experience


But instead I'm letting go of it
I am not able to forgive myself for my mistakes


I can't forgive myself
I am struggling to accept and move past my past failures


Well I did my time
I have been stuck in this situation for a long time


In the window of this box
In the limited space that I have been given to live my life


Like it or not
Whether I like it or not, this is my current situation


All I got now is today
I cannot change the past or control the future. All I can do is focus on today


Tomorrow ain't here
The future is uncertain and has not yet arrived


And yesterday is gone dead on me anyway
The past is gone and has no impact on my current situation


Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sean Stockham, Zachary Lopez

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

ncG1vNJzZmirn6O2pLTIrapnm5%2BifLe1w56maIWZmbGtsb58o5qro5SftsCOh5ywl3ykxA%3D%3D