A recovered anoretic’s interpretation
of Ana’s Song, by Silverchair (©1999 SC).
Please die Ana
For as long as you're here we're not:
Ana is the personification of Anorexia Nervosa. He doesn’t want to be controlled by his eating disorder. He knows that as long as Anorexia has control, he won’t be himself. He cannot exist at the same time that the eating disorder dictates his every action. ‘Ana’ has to die in order for him to live.
You make the sound of laughter:
I think this line refers to the fact that eating disorders often make the victim feel completely in control of his life. If anorexia was an actual entity dwelling in the back of one’s mind, it would be laughing at the misconceptions of the suffering individual.
And sharpened nails seem softer:
When deep within the grips of malnutrition and emaciation, normal stimuli can pass unnoticed to a body gone numb to the pain it’s being subjected to. Pain is often dulled until one barely notices what’s happening.
And I need you now somehow:
Once one becomes accustomed to the habits and lifestyle of Anorexia, it’s hard to give up the addiction or weight loss and control. Victims almost always believe they need their eating disorders in order to be themselves.
Open fire, on the needs designed, on my knees for you
Open fire, on my knees, desires, what I need from you:
He is giving ‘Ana’ permission to destroy his body and his mind; he is giving himself over to her, because he’ll be lost if he doesn’t.
Imagine pageant:
In the mind of an anoretic, every second of every day is a competion and endless comparison with the rest of the world, even if it only exists in their minds.
In my head the flesh seems thicker:
Distorted body image is one of the symptoms. Victims see themselves as larger than they actually are.
Sandpaper tears corrode the film:
One’s skin often becomes sandpaper-like and extremely translucent after extensive lack of nutrition. It can easily be torn and damaged. However, I believe this line refers more to the effects Anorexia has on one’s life. The side effects of this disease can cause one’s entire world to seem corrupt, whether through depression or apathy induced by lack of brain activity.
And you're my obsession
I love you to the bones:
Anorexia is an addiction; an obsession. Victims depend on it and even come to love their eating disorders. They protect their victims from a harsh reality and an uncaring, unsympathetic universe full of busy people and countless potential failures.
And Ana wrecks your life
Like an anorexia life:
The syllables in "anorexia" are similar to those in "Ana wrecks your life." That’s exactly what it does. It has the highest mortality rate of any other mental illness. Even for those who survive, Anorexia leaves a permanent stamp on both body and mind for the rest of their lives.
total: 489 words
original work: 391 words (80%)
copyrighted material: 98 words (20%)
CST Approved