Ships have two each because itâs from the perspective of the first character.
Bruce Wayne (Older/The Dark Knight Returns Aligned, referred to as Batman or Bruce Sr): All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
The overall imagery of this song fits with the idea of this variation of Bruce Wayne being a large older figure watching over Gotham in his manor. Think retired Bruce Wayne from The Dark Knight Returns (graphic novel).
"There must be some kind of way out of here"
Said the joker to the thief
âThe jokerâ and âthe thiefâ in this case would be two villains trying to escape the Batman.
"No reason to get excited"
The thief, he kindly spoke
"There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke, but, uh
But you and I, we've been through that
This would be the thief (who I picture as the Riddler) reasoning with the Batman himself. This is about how often the villain will reflect onto Batman and assume they have a lot of similarities (which they often do), because not even Bruce Wayne himself truly knows who he is and what his mask shows or hides.
Outside in the cold distance
Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl
This is a cheeky reference to the previous romance between Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle with the âwildcatâ, the âtwo ridersâ are the next criminals that Batman wishes to take down.
Bruce Wayne (our semi-oc, Bruce Seniorâs eldest son the Robins brother, Batman Unburied Aligned - forensic pathologist verse, referred to as Bruce Jr. Batman does not refer to him.): Blood of the Past - The Comet is Coming.
This song is about death and guilt, specifically how both sink into everything. Every single thing has some tie to both of these, and for Bruce they plague his every waking moment.
There is a scar on the soul of the world and it needs you to look
The blood of the past is here, it remains
The blood of the murders, the bodies like sacks leaking brain
This is about how Bruce is fuelled and pushed forwards by the murders heâs witnessed, and how that showed him the horrors and corruption of Gotham. Every death in the city to Bruce sinks into the stone, their blood, souls, and minds are still there, no matter what.
All stacked, chest aback on the planes, it remains
To acknowledge without guilt, to accept without condition
And to listen when other people tell you how you have behaved
Truth is, it's for us to feel and be moved
This is about how dedicated Bruce is to being perfect, he constantly moves forward and strives to better himself trying to fix as many things and people as physically possible.
But I hear the clatter of bone against steel, it is coming
It will not be stilled, it is there
This is about his profession as a forensic pathologist and how this is where he channels all that pain and guilt regarding the deaths that ransack Gotham.
Also - Pale Moonlight by Dayseeker:
This song cheekily references Batman (1989), and I think it fits really well with this Bruce in particular.
If you wanna see how I run right back to killing myself, taking my time
Dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight
At the end of every dream
There's a demon saying I didn't need help to ruin my life
Dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight
Dance with the devil, slave 'til the end
Pray for the dead when they find you in a coffin
This is about Bruceâs relationship with the Joker and his dealing with facing the death of his parents at such a young age. Itâs about how as a forensic pathologist death has become such a huge, intrinsic part of his existence. ïżŒ
Richard Grayson: Flight of Fancy - Interpol
This is about how intrinsic to Richâs identity acrobatics are. They are something he was born into that he struggles if he does engage with regularly, especially the aerial kind. The song itself is about dedication and obsession with something, and for Rich flight is ironically his flight of fancy.
And a custom vagrancy of mind
This is about how much it fits with who Rich is and how much he adores flying through the air. The effect it has on him is like magic (âmake believeâ and âsleight of handâ), in a way that makes him feel almost manic.
This is about how for Rich itâs almost an addiction, itâs something he feels sick mentally and physically if he doesnât get enough of.
You reach out to be consumed
There's a part of you starving
There's a part of me that over blooms
This is about how it gives him a sense of freedom he thinks others donât have, even if it does cause him to have negative effects (injuries of varying severity), and even if the mania is almost scary to others⊠Itâs worth it.
Richard Grayson (Nightwing Era): Are We The Waiting? - Green Day
This is about Richâs experiences with both Gotham and Bludhaven as Nightwing.
Starry nights city lights
Skyscrapers, stargazers in my head
Growing up and training as an acrobat is in Richâs blood. He now trains in the city skyscrapers, alone in both Bludhaven and Gotham. The lonely, all engulfing darkness of the lights and black void being a chilling, despairing, but oddly calming environment.
Are we we are, are we we are
This applies to Richâs lack of a stable identity, as soon as he was no longer apart of the circus he was Bruce Wayneâs ward, then he was Robin, now heâs gone off on his own and heâs Nightwing. Heâs still finding himself, heâs âwaitingâ for things to change and get better, heâs âunknownâ. The âwe areâ is also interesting, I think it connects to how the Robins always see themselves as being more apart of Gotham (or Bludhaven) than Batman himself.
This dirty town was burning down in my dreams
Lost and found, city bound in my dreams
This I think is how the corruption of Gotham, and then Bludhaven, sticks to everyone in it regardless of their own morality. They canât escape the darkness, itâs in his âdreamsâ no matter how much he wishes it was âburning downâ. He feels âlostâ because of him struggling with who he is, and he canât escape the way Bruce Wayne has tied him to the city.
Rich & Bruce Senior: Iâll Stick Around - Foo Fighters
This is about the issues Rich has with his adoptive father, especially when he grows into an independent adult whoâs values and world view differs so much from his fatherâs.
I thought I knew all it took to bother you
Every word I said was true, that you'll see
How could it be I'm the only one who sees
Your rehearsed insanity? Yeah
This is about when Rich leaves for Bludhaven after facing just what sort of person Batman/Bruce Wayne is and realising that he needs to figure out who he is outside of his guardian. Itâs the moment Rich starts to question what his guardian has told him his whole life, heâs starting to be his own person with his own reality. However, this causes a strong sense of isolation, because so many in Gotham idolise Batman.
I still refused all the methods you abuse
It's alright if you're confused, let me be
I've been around all the pawns you've gagged and bound
They'll come back and knock you down and I'll be free
This is about how Rich views Batman/Bruce Wayne as being too simplistic in his methods, being okay with torture and mutilation but not death. These are the values Rich was raised with but heâs not sure if he wants to treat criminals the way his dad does as Nightwing (âI still refused all the methods you abusedâ and âIâve been around all the pawns you gagged and boundâ). Apart of him wonders how long it will be before the villains get revenge, and apart of him almost wants it to happen (âTheyâll come back and knock you down, and Iâll be freeâ.)
I've taken all and I've endured
One day it all will fade, I'm sure
I don't owe you anything, I don't owe you anything
This is about Rich finally escaping and becoming Nightwing.
Rich x Bruce Junior: Bloom on Demand - Les Savy Fav
This is about how Rich idolises Bruce Junior quite a lot - Bruce doesnât follow his fatherâs orders and become a vigilante or work with Wayne Enterprises. He follows his own path to become a forensic pathologist, this is miraculous to Rich.
He was a rare orchid dealer
Whose dealings were coarse.
The c.i.t.e.s. cited permits
But he could show no source.
So, the ability to do this alongside the fact that Bruce Junior is a member of the GCPD in a sense who doesnât give in to the corruption makes him âa rare orchid dealerâ. The fact Bruce Junior resists the âcited permitsâ from the mobs. The fact that he has âno sourceâ meaning he is doing it because itâs right and no other reason.
Did they bloom in his mouth?
Did they bloom in his hand
Did they bloom in his pocket?
Did they bloom on demand?
This is about how to Rich this seems impossible, he canât understand how to rebel and desperately wants to. The metaphor here is the rare orchids blooming is akin to Bruceâs inner fire.
The doctor who invented anesthesia
Could not anesthetize himself
To the pain and shame he felt
When it wore off on a patient
During his first amputation.
This giving in is wearing thin.
This is the moment Rich first sees Bruce Junior be unable to take care of himself in the same way he does others. Bruce Junior does anything he can for his brothers, for those he loves, and does anything to fight corruption⊠but he canât have that same attitude when it comes to protecting himself. This breaks Richâs heart to watch, to see this weakness and to acknowledge that Bruce Junior isnât as indestructible as Rich always thought he was.
Rich x Jason: Running Red Lights - the Avalanches
This is about Rich trying to save Jason repeatedly - whether itâs to save him from Joker, himself, or Batman/Bruce Sr.
Running, running red lights
I been running red lights
Running, running red lights
Brand new band, running all night
I been running red lights
This is Rich running after Jason (the metaphorical âred lightsâ is Red Hood of course). No matter what Jason does Rich will always be there trying to get to him, especially after Jason is resurrected because Rich isnât going to lose him again.
Ready to burst, like Schrodinger
This is about Rich mourning Jason, even after heâs come back. Because even though he loves Jason as Red Hood, thereâs still a strong sense that the boy Rich knew isnât coming back. The âlike Schrödingerâ part is a reference to how Rich is happy Jason is back but that just rips the wound back open at the same time.
Rich & Tim: Past Self - Sleep Token
This is about Robin working with Tim for the first time and the surreal feelings that brings up. He had a new younger brother, but it feels like Jason is being replaced. Thereâs also him seeing his old self in Tim which makes it even more visceral and strange to him.
Well, are you gonna dance on the line with me?
You know it's not a game or a fantasy
And I don't even know who I used to be
But nothing is the same and some things have to change now
This is about when Rich as Nightwing first works with Tim Drake as Robin, Rich is forced back into the position of Robin next to Tim. The first line refers to the act of vigilantism that Tim is beginning alongside Rich, the next line is Rich being worried that Tim might not take it as seriously as he should. Then the last two lines is about Rich having issues figuring out who he is alongside Jasonâs death. Rich agrees Bruce/Batman needs someone new, even if it hurts.
Clawed out of my woodwork
Bolts out of my blue depths
The first line is about how Tim is going into Rich and Jasonâs place. The second is a cheeky little Nightwing reference.
In and out of my dreamscapes
Double take on my cash flow
Apologizing for shit that frankly
I stopped thinking of years ago
This is about how strange it is for Rich seeing his old life through his younger brother, seeing Tim go into the same role Rich had, and how this drags up painful feelings that Rich thought heâd dealt with.
Jason Todd: Top 10 Statues That Cried Blood - Bring Me The Horizon
This is about Jasonâs death and resurrection, both literally as well as him transforming from Robin to Red Hood.
Are just born with tragedy in our blood
It's just basic chemistry
Or maybe all these open wounds
Is how the light gets into you
'Cause I'm starting to realize
After coming back from the dead, Jason believes he is just damned deep in his soul rather than him being a victim. Thats what âtragedy in our bloodâ refers to. However, he can make that some kind of strength, the light that hits his wounds is what allows him to free himself and become Red Hood.
No one's gonna come and rescue me
The scars have got too deep
These lines are about how Jason had to literally drag himself out of his grave, he had to do it himself because no one else would.
And no amount of love could set you free
The fight's inside, I'll take myself to hell and back
This is about how he almost doesnât care that Bruce Sr, Bruce Jr, and Rich loved him, because they didnât fight for him. So now he has to do everything himself, he has to take the fight to Joker and not trust anyone to help.
Jason Todd (Red Hood era): Agitated Screams of Maggots - Dir En Grey (translation)
This is about Jason as Red Hood, the mob boss and occasional antihero who wants to make the streets of Gotham run red with the blood of those who deserve it.
I'm killing the haughtily fly
I'm gonna slash your wound just like mine
This is about the anger inside of Jason. An example of it is him threatening Tim in order to try and force Batman/Bruce Wayne to kill the Joker. At its heart Jason wants Bruce to hurt like Jason hurts, he plans to hurt Tim and needs to see him as an insect in order to do it.
I can't hear the voices of society anymore
I don't understand. You're all fine hypocrites
Your song's drenched in blood and it's full of shit
You can't shoot the silver bullet into me
This is about how Jason is too far gone to be fully reasoned with, heâs not Robin anymore heâs Red Hood. Heâs not a force of good, heâs not a villain, he doesnât fit into this binary heâs just Red Hood now. He thinks Batman/Bruce is actually a monster who causes harm but doesnât have the strength to actually kill someone. The final line is about how Jason canât and wonât die.
Jason x Rich: Kingdom of Cards - Bad Omens
This is about how Jason and Richâs relationship has changed after Jason returns to Gotham and becomes Red Hood.
I made my way through hell again, I paid for my mistakes
Next time I think, I'll stay awhile and pour myself a drink
When I return, I'll look for you, so listen for your name
If you can make it out above the roaring of the flames
This is about how Jason made it out of hell - literally and figuratively, but Rich is still trapped in Jasonâs other form of hell - under Batman/Bruceâs thumb. However, the use of again shows Jason isnât actually free at all because he keeps going back. He goes back to look for Rich who insists heâs cut the chord to Batman but all Jason can see is the strong grip Batman has around his neck.
If it's the mask you want, then it's the mask that you will get
But when I take it off, remember that you asked for this
I tore myself apart to give you all that I could give
Don't think that I will let it go, don't think that I'll forget
This is about how Jason had no choice but to become Red Hood, he couldnât go back to being Robin. That led to his death and caused him too much pain before he was killed. And he can never forgive Batman/Bruce for it.
I thought I wanted legacy, I thought I wanted fame
I didn't know I'd lose all my loved ones in exchange
Left 'em all behind, and, yeah, for that I am ashamed
But that's the price I'm paying till I'm buried in my grave
This is about how Jason desperately wanted to go after and kill the Joker but he failed, he lost all of his âloved ones in exchangeâ. When Jason came back he tried to pulling himself away from all of his loved ones (unwillingly in some circumstances), which ended up causing more pain.
Jason x Bobbie: Am I Cool Enough For Your Love? - Danny Denial
This is about how Jason feels like heâs lost so many relationships because of his death. Such as his relationship with Bobbie/Oracle.
I know i'm dead on arrival
But i think you'll like me
This is about how Jason assumes people donât like him, even those who really, really like him. So Jason assumes itâs better for Bobbie if Jason isnât around, especially since itâs been so long since they last saw each other since he had been deemed âdead on arrivalâ.
Trade in my broken record for a hit
A new aesthetic from a hexagon
Do i get another chance to be your failed
Phenomenon, I promise you it's worth the trip
You'll never get a second senior prom
This is how despite everything Jason still wants to be around and with Bobbie, even if theyâre another reminder of what Joker can and will do. Jason feels like heâs failed them, and that heâd just be taking more time away if he actually got into a relationship with them.
Jason x Tim: RE: CONCERNS - Jhariah
This is about the anger Jason experiences when he looks at Tim, and the affection, love, and care he has makes it twisted up and makes Jason more determined to kill Tim⊠which is what eventually becomes a close relationship in a weird way.
I'll kill Cain's bastard twice as a sacrifice and
Curse the ground if I'm able
To pull the spikes or my wasted time
From this useless blue-eyed Jesus Christ
This is about how Jason feels replaced and rejected, and he fully intends to use that feeling to kill Tim, which he says is to ensure Jokerâs death but is actually all about upset and revenge.
Oh, you've done it again, bled patience bare from another friend
Feels like mine's always high in demand, vampire needs my light in the end
This is about how no matter what Jason tells himself he has to let Tim in in the end, as much as he wants to be the sort of man to kill him.
In the end, it'll bend (It'll break)
You're a leech (And a snake)
You're the dirt to my name
I'm the dirt in your grave
This is about the mutual love-hate, up-down nature of their relationship⊠mostly because Jason thinks Tim is the most like him.
Jason & Bruce (Older): I KNOW IâLL SURVIVE - Execution Day
This is about the pain and rejection Jason feels knowing that Batman/Bruce didnât save him or try to avenge him.
It's crushing me under the weight
Under the weight of a thousand suns
Just to feel you by my side
But to know you never tried
It's like the tip of a loaded gun
That's being held by the only one
That I thought was on my side
But I know you never tried
This verse is about how Jason assumed Batman/Bruce would always have his back, Jason didnât expect much from him but the fact he ânever triedâ, to kill the Joker is what hurts the most. It feels now as if Batman/Bruce was never on Jasonâs side at all.
I'm chasing shadows, but I'm dancing in the light
The place I left behind before you stole my fire eyes
It's like the tip of a loaded gun
It's like the bull that you can't outrun, no
Sometimes the bridges burn so you make it out alive
This verse is about the pain and destruction Jason engages in when he returns to Gotham, because he is so filled with anger and upset that he needs everyone else to feel that way too. He wonât let Batman/Bruce forget him, heâs determined to be the âbull that you [he] canât outrunâ.
Jason & Bruce (Junior): Call Me Little Sunshine - Ghost
This is about how Jasonâs actual parent is Bruce Junior, heâs the one who cares and looks after him, who defies Batmanâs militaristic parenting. So, when Jason returns to Gotham, he can rely on Bruce Junior far more than Batman.
Call out in the middle of the night
For when else would I hear you?
Fall out in the cold starlight
You will never walk alone
You will never ever walk alone
So this is regarding how after Jason returns as Red Hood, he doesnât want to see the people he loved before because itâs too hard. But Bruce Junior is always waiting for him, heâs there for him, desperate to protect and help Jason however he can.
Call me, call me Mephistopheles
Call me when you feel all alone
Just call me Little Sunshine
This I think is Bruce Junior considering himself a demon on his family (âMephistophelesâ being a chief devil from the Faust legend), he sees himself as going against Batman who sees himself as the great leader. Bruce Junior is almost like a demon bringing his brotherâs to the light away from Batman, trying to take care of them. Also Bruce Junior calling Jason little Sunshine is adorable.
Light up in the middle of the day
For how else could you see me?
Ease up to the hunter from the prey
And transform indefinitely
This is about how even though Bruce Junior will never approve of Jason becoming Red Hood, Bruce Junior will never abandon him (âEase up to the hunter from the prey, and transform indefinitelyâ.)
Bobbie Gordon / Oracle: The Hell I Overcame - Bad Omens
This is about how Bobbie recovers after their spine has been broken and they have been raped by Joker.
Oh, did you really think the pain
Would send me to an early grave?
Did you think I couldn't break these chains
After all the hell I overcame?
The âhell I overcameâ is the trauma Bobbie suffered at Jokerâs hands, and whilst some consider them broken they are far from it. They survived that, and they know they can survive anything.
God, please, forgive those who doubt me
Then throw them down into the flames
Well, I am back now and stronger than you think
'Cause when it's dark, the light gets easier to see
This is about how Bobbie gets underestimated because of their trauma and disability, but theyâve climbed right back up afterwards.
They say I sold out and bid my dignity
But the truth is, the Devil sold his soul to me
This is about the photographs and videos that get taken by Joker (the Devil), and how he thinks he broke Bobbie. Of course, they have gotten back up again, and now theyâre going to make the Joker pay for what he did. Heâs gotten another enemy whose grudge will never die, so in this case itâs a twist on the phrase. Instead of it being selling your soul to the devil means becoming evil, it means Bobbie is going to make the Joker submit to them.
Bobbie x Jason: Walk - Foo Fighters
This is about Bobbie as Oracle and Jason as Red Hood are both learning how to be themselves and exist around each other despite the horrific situations theyâve found themselves in.
I believe I've waited long enough
I believe I've waited long enough
This is about the first step towards recovery, for Oracle itâs learning how to use their body again after the trauma of what Joker did to them. For Jason itâs sort of the exact same thing. Oracle learns to use their technical abilities to be their âsuperpowerâ, Jason is figuring out who he is outside of Batman.
To keep alive, a moment at a time
That's still inside, a whisper to a riot
The sacrifice, the knowing to survive
That first decline, another state of mind
I think this is about how Oracle and Jason canât see each other without thinking of what Joker did to both themselves and the other one, and thatâs something that if they can overcome will result in something beautiful and amazing between the two of them. They could set each other âfreeâ, if they figure out how to âsurviveâ just that. I think also the last line of âthat first decline, another state of mindâ is also about how both of them have had such a violent shift in perspective.
I'm on my knees, I'm praying for a sign
Forever, whenever, I never wanna die
I'm on my knees, I never wanna die
I'm running through the fire
This is about the determination and fire both Oracle and Jason show after the horrific trauma Joker inflicted on them.
Timothy Drake: People Watching - 156/Silence
This is about Tim approaching Batman with the intention of becoming the new Robin, and then succeeding. The title itself also connects to Timâs stalkery tendencies. However, the twist is that Tim actually isnât going to be a standard Robin, heâs going to stand on his own two feet.
I could halt the applause with a hollow point too
With a bleaker view, I could speak my truth
Until I'm used to threading my noose
This is about how Timâs expected to be another Richard Grayson or Jason Todd, heâs neither, heâs himself and he sees following either as a way to destroying who he is. That being said, âuntil Iâm used to threading my nooseâ also connects to Timâs more suicidal tendencies.
With a burning fuse around the neck
A wire barbed to fasten it to
This is about how Tim insists on joining Batman despite the risks, in fact the risk probably makes it more appealing than anything else. The barbed wire and burning fuse around Timâs neck is what makes him want to jump for the opportunity. It might not be a direct suicidal action but it definitely shows a lack of self preservation.
Timothy Drake, Red Robin Era: Jesus In A Motel Room - HYUKOH
This is about Timâs own experiences as a queer anxious teenager trapped between two families, especially when you donât feel seen or understood.
This is about how Tim has repeatedly tried to vocalise his feelings since the beginning, often going behind the back of his loved ones and having to force their hands. In a sense thatâs how he became Robin in the first place, and itâs how he becomes Red Robin.
So honestly not a thing to fix
This is about how Tim will happily ignore his own emotional needs, heâll act in ways he thinks are necessary even if no one wants him to - or actively tries to stop him doing - but theyâre always practical. Heâs very insular with his own feelings, and will brush off and make his feelings smaller for everyone else.
Or you will lose what you got
This is the conflicting sides of Timâs upbringing at odds with each other. He has his birth mother on one side, pushing him to enjoy his life, and on the other we have Batman/Bruce Wayne pushing âvigilanceâ and insisting if Tim isnât constantly on edge heâll lose everything. This results in him being constantly on edge that he isnât living right by either of them.
Then they both tried to warn me
Closed door falls into silence
Iâm drifted too far away
Then it went out of sight and
This is about how being stuck with two families for Tim often feels like not having any at all, in canons were his parents died this is more literal, in ones where they donât Tim is often forced to choose between Bruce and his brothers, or his birth family. Either choice will end up with him losing one of them. In canons were his parents died, itâs about how having a new family pushed his birth parents out of the picture. This creates a huge sense of anxiety and an inability to belong anywhere in Tim.
Tim & Bruce (older): The Pretender - Foo Fighters
This is about Tim proving himself as different from the previous Robins and how he is desperate to create his own mould.
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
What if I say that I'll never surrender?
This is about how Tim is determined to make sure he isnât just treated like Rich and Jason by Batman/Bruce. Ever since the beginning heâs clawing his way into being Robin, and now heâs there he needs to prove his place to Batman/Bruce. He isnât just going to be a copy of whatâs happened before, and Tim proves by how hard he fights to be accepted by Batman/Bruce. How much he is not âjust like the othersâ. He isnât going to be controlled and played in the same way.
I'm just another soul for sale, oh well
We are not permanent, we're temporary, temporary
This is about Tim realising that actually Batman/Bruce isnât going to loosen his grip, and every Robin who doesnât listen to him is disposable (âIâm just another soul for saleâ, âwe are not permanent, weâre temporaryâ and âsame old storyâ.)
I'm the voice inside your head you refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face, mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left, I'm what's right, I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that'll take you down, bring you to your knees
This is about when Tim first confronts Batman about what Gotham needs when he first comes to him, heâs the âface that you [Batman] have to faceâ, and âthe voice inside your head you [batman] refuse to hearâ. This is about Tim forcing Batman to let go and accept another Robin, itâs also about Tim forcing Batman to accept where he went wrong.
Tim & Bruce (junior): The River - Good Charlotte
This is about Bruce Junior accepting Tim as a new little brother with an enthusiasm thatâs definitely got a lot of grief and pain mixed in.
I've seen a vision of my life and I wanna be delivered
I've done a lot of things wrong, but I swear I'm a believer
Like the prodigal son, I was out on my own
Now I'm trying to find my way back home
Despite the fact that Tim forces himself into the life of Bruce Junior, he surprisingly accepts his new brother instantly. The method of acceptance, probably quicker with Bruce Junior than it was with Batman or Rich, is a lot like a baptism for Tim. Itâs the first time heâs ever felt this form of attachment. At first itâs likely because Bruce Junior sees Tim as Jason - a sort of âprodigal sonâ, and maybe Tim is okay with that in some respects (at first).
You're from a small town, you're gonna grow up fast
Down in Hollywood on the boulevard
The dead come back to life
To the praying mother, and the worried father
If they'll come back, they'll come home stronger
And if they don't, you'll know
This is about how worried Bruce Junior is about Tim getting hurt at first, not wanting him to be hurt by Batman or by the brutality of the job of being Robin. However he had to accept that Tim is different, he wonât back down, and he can take care of himself.
Tim x Rich: Nightswimming - REM
This is about how Tim watched Rich from the outside for so long before entering the family, and how he knew him before he knew him. Itâs how Tim was new to Rich but to Tim Rich had always been there.
Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
The photograph on the dashboard, taken years ago
A reference to Timâs stalkery tendencies and how he remembered Rich from a small moment in his childhood and knew he was Robin.
Turned around backwards so the windshield shows
Every streetlight reveals the picture in reverse
Still, it's so much clearer
I forgot my shirt at the water's edge
This is about Tim knowing Rich know and looking back at all his memories of Rich from before Tim joined the family and seeing them in a completely different light. He knows Rich better know and it makes a lot of those feelings bittersweet.
Nightswimming deserves a quiet night
I'm not sure all these people understand
The fear of getting caught
Of recklessness and water
These things, they go away
This is about Timâs fear of being in the public eye, of being observed and watched just as he had watched Rich for years before. It likely comes with some guilt, heâs been on both the side of the voyeur who consumes all information about the Waynes and the side of the watched.
Tim x Jason: Mercy Me - Alkaline Trio
This is about the inherent trauma and self hate that both Tim and Jason share, and how that results in violence towards themselves and each other.
I used to long for time alone
I used to long for a place of my own
And I'm losing faith in everything
I'm lost, so lost I'm lost at sea you see
This is about how Tim feels responsible for ripping apart a family, of course he did nothing wrong and he knows that⊠But when he has Jason holding a knife up against his neck, and heâs being held as a bargaining chip it feels like everything is his fault. He used to desperately want this, for Jason to be back so Tim could know his brother, now Jasonâs back and it hasnât fixed anything, itâs so much worse⊠in that moment.
I used to long for broken bones
I used to long for a casket to call my own
I never had a problem facing fear
But I'm done, over and out, my dear and
This is about Timâs lack of self preservation, and how that mirrorâs Jasonâs exact feelings. However, when Tim is with his brothers those feelings get harder to face, when Jason had a knife at his neck Tim didnât want to die. When Timâs with his brothers, itâs okay.
Oh, mercy me, God bless catastrophe
Well there's no way in hell
We'll ever live to see through this so
Drive your self insane tonight
It's not that far away and I just
Filled up your tank earlier today, yeah
This is about the inherent pain and trauma that both Tim and Jason share, and how together they can either heal, or become a fire of destruction aimed at themselves or others.
Damian Wayne: Gondii - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
This is about how Damian feels alienated from a lot of people and thus finds a lot of comfort in animals, as well as being about how he often demonises himself and feels defensive. He has to win, he has to exploit the weaknesses of everyone around him in a parasitic way to justify why heâs in Gotham at all.
Living-murdered feline worshiper
This is a description of Damian, he feels that being taken in by a father he never knew that heâs being treated as a pet (âHuman being domesticatedâ), so the way he deals with this is by fighting with his brothers, proving himself, and sucking the life of anyone who tries to get close to him (âgondiiâs in the amygdalaâ). He considers himself to be the contaminated human, more animal than human in his own mind.
So am I the bird or am I the worm?
Do I have free will? Do I have free thought? Woo!
Am I the chicken or am I the egg?
Have I liberty? Have I my wings?
This is about how Damian symbolically feels as what he considers to be an almost parasitic entity around this family he finds himself in. He feels disliked and hated, he feels like he constantly has to win⊠and thatâs why he doesnât feel like everyone else, he doesnât feel human, he feels like an animal who doesnât even know if he has free will anymore.
You shouldn't fight it or deny it
Just breathe in and embrace it
Symbiotic Gondii choir sings a song of fuzzy minds
So am I the dog or am I the cat?
No, it's neither one, I am the rat, woo!
This is about how Damian grows through this by accepting that itâs apart of who he is.
Damian & Bruce (Older): Rabbit Down The Hole - Billy Talent
This is about how Damian feels regarding being sent to Gotham and thrown into a family he doesnât know in a city heâs never seen when he was raised with the League of Assassins.
Good God, what have I done?
Mother Nature's lonely son
Mother Nature's lonely son
Chase that rabbit down the hole
This is about Damian feeling abandoned by his mother - Talia al Ghul (âMother Natureâs lonely sonâ), but he needs to escape into the unknown and âchase that rabbit down the holeâ. When heâs left with his father he feels lonely and abandoned.
Wander through the open door that leads to nowhere
Who's gonna take away my pain? Take away my pain?
Before you know you're trapped inside the spider's web
You're screaming, "There is no escape! There is no escape!"
This is about how when Damian gets to Gotham and he feels a lot of anger and rejection from a father heâs never really known before. He has to prove how strong he is to everyone around him to stop himself being âtrapped inside the spiderâs webâ.
The invitation's written clearly, you're the one he chose
Until the day you're bitten by the rabbit down the hole
Follow his procession deep into the ground below
This is about how Damianâs taken in by his father, and itâs not that Damian hates him but itâs that when he gets there and his relationship is strained and uncomfortable Damian doesnât know how to deal with that.
