by Metric · 2024
This song has been Shazamed over 986,639 times. As of this writing, Help I’m Alive is ranked 149
‘Help I’m Alive’ by Metric is a song about feeling vulnerable, anxious, and alive all at the same time. We’re going to explore what the lyrics really mean and why so many people connect with this track. ⬇️
The song’s atmosphere is tense and electric, like standing on the edge of a cliff with your heart pounding in your ears. Metric crafts a world where fear and courage clash under neon lights, and every beat feels like a survival test.
The chorus is raw and urgent: “Help, I’m alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer.” We hear the panic, the fragility, and the stubborn will to keep going, even when the world feels overwhelming. It’s not just about anxiety—it’s about the strange, paradoxical strength we find in our most vulnerable moments, when we admit “it’s hard to be soft, tough to be tender,” and let someone else feel our pulse racing out of control.
In the verses, Emily Haines peels back more layers: “If you’re still alive, my regrets are few / If my life is mine, what shouldn’t I do?” There’s both defiance and uncertainty here—she’s aware of how fleeting life can be, questioning her limits, daring herself (and us) to seize whatever slivers of freedom remain while the blood still flows. The repetition isn’t laziness; it’s a mantra for survival, a reminder that as long as her heart hammers, she’s not done fighting.
⚡ The pre-chorus and bridge—“I tremble, they’re gonna eat me alive”—add a jolt of danger and self-doubt, a whisper that the world can be predatory, and any misstep might lead to disaster. Yet, through trembling, she survives, pulsing with energy, haunted but unbroken, determined to keep moving forward despite the threat.
️ Metric’s message is that being alive is messy, terrifying, and beautiful—a runaway train where fear and hope crash together, and we measure our existence by the thunder of our own hearts.
Writer(s) of Help I’m Alive:
