Sleep Token Lyrics – Gethsemane
“Gethsemane” by Sleep Token, released in 2024, is a deeply emotional, alternative/progressive track from the mysterious UK band known for blending metal, R&B, ambient, and pop. The title is a biblical reference to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in anguish before his crucifixion. In this context, it symbolizes emotional agony, betrayal, and transformation in a modern, romantic setting.
Sleep Token’s enigmatic frontman, Vessel, often expresses personal trauma through anonymous storytelling, focusing on emotional surrender and spiritual battles. This song continues their tradition of exploring devotion, heartbreak, and identity through cathartic instrumentation and poetic lyrics.
🎼 Lyrics
[Intro]
I wanted you to know, I’ve learned to live without it
And even though it’s colder now, I no longer feel surrounded
And you never listened to me, and that’s the thing I tell the others
You were my harlequin bride, I was your undercover lover, but no
You never saw me naked, you wouldn’t even touch me
Except if you were wasted
But you were trying your best, and that’s the thing I tell thе others
I was your robot companion, you were my favouritе colour, and, oh
[Verse]
I’m caught up on the person I tried to turn myself into for you
Someone who didn’t mind the push-pull parlour games
Someone who wasn’t always cryin’ on the journey back
Someone who didn’t feel the low blows either way
Thought I was waitin’ for you, when all along
It was you with the countdown kill switch
And it was me with the blindfold on
[Pre-Chorus]
And I was trying my best, and that’s the thing I tell the mirror
I was in love with the thought that we were in love with each other
[Chorus]
What might be good for your heart
Might not be good for my head
And what was there at the start
Might not be there in the end
[Post-Chorus]
Do you wanna hurt me?
Do you wanna hurt me?
‘Cause nobody hurts me better
Do you wanna love me?
Do you wanna love me?
‘Cause nobody hurts me better
[Instrumental Break]
[Bridge]
Came in like a dream, put it down like a smoke
We used to be a team, now we let each other go
Your cigarette ash still clinging to my clothes
I don’t wanna stick around, I just wanna let you know
Came in like a dream, put it down like a smoke
We used to be a team, now we let each other go
Your cigarette ash still clinging to my clothes
I don’t wanna stick around, I just wanna let you know
Came in like a dream, put it down like a smoke
We used to be a team, now we let each other go
Your cigarette ash still clinging to my clothes
I don’t wanna stick around, I just wanna let you know
Came in like a dream, put it down like a smoke
We used to be a team, now we let each other go
Your cigarette ash still clinging to my clothes
I don’t wanna stick around
[Outro]
No one’s gonna save me from my memories
Nothing to lose, but I would’ve given anything
To get closer to you and all your enemies
I’ve got a few of my own
And this throne didn’t come with a gun, so I’ve got a different energy
I still see you when the lights get low
I still hear you when I’m on my own
The parasites in the nightmares calling my name like, “Please just let me go”
This one’s for you and your problems, your good day job
Your bad karma, what are you afraid of?
The same trauma, show me what you’re made of
‘Cause you talk about your constant pain like I ain’t got none
And I’ve learned to live beside it, and even though it’s over now
I will always be reminded (Reminded, reminded, reminded)
📝 Lyrics Rewrite (with clarity and punctuation)
I wanted you to know, I’ve learned to live without it.
And even though it’s colder now, I no longer feel surrounded.
And you never listened to me—that’s the thing I tell the others.
You were my harlequin bride; I was your undercover lover.
But no,
You never saw me naked.
You wouldn’t even touch me—except if you were wasted.
But you were trying your best, and that’s the thing I tell the others.
I was your robot companion; you were my favorite color.
I’m caught up on the person I tried to become for you:
Someone who didn’t mind the push-pull games,
Someone who wasn’t always crying on the way back,
Someone who didn’t feel the low blows either way.
I thought I was waiting for you,
But all along,
It was you with the countdown kill switch—
And it was me with the blindfold on.
I was trying my best—and that’s the thing I tell the mirror.
I was in love with the thought that we were in love with each other.
What might be good for your heart
Might not be good for my head.
And what was there at the start
Might not be there in the end.
Do you wanna hurt me?
Do you wanna hurt me?
‘Cause nobody hurts me better.
Do you wanna love me?
Do you wanna love me?
‘Cause nobody hurts me better.
Came in like a dream, put it down like a smoke.
We used to be a team—now we let each other go.
Your cigarette ash still clinging to my clothes.
I don’t wanna stick around; I just wanna let you know.
(repeats 4x)
No one’s gonna save me from my memories.
Nothing to lose—but I would’ve given anything
To get closer to you and all your enemies.
I’ve got a few of my own.
And this throne didn’t come with a gun,
So I’ve got a different energy.
I still see you when the lights get low.
I still hear you when I’m on my own.
The parasites in the nightmares calling my name like,
“Please just let me go.”
This one’s for you and your problems, your good day job,
Your bad karma—what are you afraid of?
The same trauma—show me what you’re made of.
You talk about your constant pain like I ain’t got none.
And I’ve learned to live beside it—and even though it’s over now,
I will always be reminded.
🔍 Step-by-Step Breakdown
Intro
💔 “I’ve learned to live without it…” – The speaker opens with the pain of emotional detachment but asserts personal growth.
🧊 “Colder now…” – Emotional distance and isolation, yet a strange peace.
🃏 “Harlequin bride…” – A metaphor for an idealized, costumed love—playful yet ultimately not intimate.
🤖 “Robot companion…” – He became emotionally numb and mechanical to cope.
Verse
🎭 “Tried to turn myself into…” – Identity loss in the pursuit of love.
🚗 “Cryin’ on the journey back…” – Emotional baggage and post-conflict trauma.
💣 “Countdown kill switch…” – They were destined to explode; she had the power to end it.
🙈 “Blindfold on…” – He was emotionally unaware or willfully ignorant.
Pre-Chorus
🪞 “Tell the mirror…” – Self-deception and reflection.
💡 “In love with the thought…” – The illusion of mutual love.
Chorus
🫀🧠 Heart vs. head – Emotional needs clashing with mental well-being.
🕰️ “What was there at the start…” – Love fades or transforms.
Post-Chorus
🔪❤️ “Do you wanna hurt me…” – An addiction to pain; love and suffering are intertwined.
Bridge
💨 “Like a smoke…” – A fleeting romance, now just residue (ashes).
🚬 “Ash clinging to my clothes…” – Past love still lingers physically and mentally.
Outro
🧠 “Save me from my memories…” – Trauma is inescapable.
👑 “Throne didn’t come with a gun…” – He rules his world differently—not through violence, but pain.
👻 “Parasites in nightmares…” – Haunting emotional scars.
⚖️ “Your pain like I ain’t got none…” – A confrontation: the speaker acknowledges mutual suffering.
♾️ “Always be reminded…” – The past will forever echo.
📊 Song Details
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Artist | Sleep Token |
| Song | Gethsemane |
| Album | Possibly upcoming or standalone |
| Genre | Alternative / Progressive Metal |
| Length | ~6 minutes (varies live/studio) |
| Release Year | 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Themes | Love, Pain, Identity, Emotional Growth |
| References | Garden of Gethsemane (Biblical allusion) |
🎭 Theme
- Emotional detachment vs. desire for intimacy 💔
- The illusion of love 🫣
- Self-deception and romantic dependency 🔄
- Toxicity disguised as connection ⚠️
- Lingering trauma and growth through pain 🌱
🧠 Meaning
“Gethsemane” is a symbolic lamentation—a tale of loving too much, too long, and losing oneself in the process. The biblical reference evokes betrayal, suffering, and endurance. Vessel confronts not just a past lover, but himself—stripping away delusions of romance to face the raw pain of being unseen and unloved properly. It’s about the bittersweet victory of surviving a toxic bond and the bittersweet ache of still remembering it.
❓ FAQs
Q: Why is it called “Gethsemane”?
🔔 The biblical Garden of Gethsemane symbolizes agony and betrayal, mirroring the emotional betrayal in the song.
Q: Who is the song about?
💬 Possibly a past romantic partner, but also an inner dialogue. Vessel often writes symbolically rather than literally.
Q: Why does the speaker say “nobody hurts me better”?
🩹 It captures the paradox of loving someone who causes the most pain—addiction to emotional intensity.
Q: Is this song about closure?
🛑 Not quite. It’s more about recognition—accepting the past while acknowledging the scars remain.
🧵 Conclusion 🌙💔🪞
“Gethsemane” by Sleep Token is a poetic deep-dive into the psychology of heartbreak, marked by self-deception, dependence, and the search for identity after emotional devastation. Vessel’s lyrical layering and vulnerable delivery make it one of the band’s most emotionally intelligent tracks to date. From haunting memories to fleeting intimacy, it leaves us asking:
💬 What do we sacrifice for love—and who do we become when it ends?
🩶🧠💔✨👁️
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