I've been listening to hollow alot recently.
To describe the vibe of the song I'd call it calm, relieving, but somehow melancholic. I noticed the lyrics and I didn't quite understand the meaning.
At first, I thought the lyrics was about life. I interpreted 'hollow' as the way to exist for a short time. Just like a shooting star, that just shines for the moment. A shadow that eventually will be forgotten . A life in which everything you do, archive, and all all your hard work go to vain. Nothing in this world lasts and so will you and your life. A ephemeral moment or just a shadow.
As I digged deeper into this. There was another meaning: the lyrics is telling a story
The lyrics hits really hard as it tells a story full of disappointment. Hollow - emptiness.
Carve the words from your tongue
It's so vague to clearly identify the situation unlike the message: a deep dissatisfaction with the honesty of someone. Words from someone. Words from a trusted person that ends up backstabbing and taking away your happiness. So the writer tells to spare him from those unfaithful words, so that person may fall into the same misfortune they put the writer into. In other words, tasting their own medicine.
Was to crawl into your arctic
The lyrics speaks for itself: A promise is nothing but words. The one to blame is the person that spoke every words as if they were sincere. A person that broke your faith, when all you wanted was to hold them close and safe.
"Hold the air in your lungs
To hold your breath. In other words, keep all those told and untold lies. Keep them to yourself. Lies that left a huge scar filled with sorrow and regret. Which leads to mistrust as the truth unravels. Confronted with all that the way they used to look in your eyes changes. A person you thought was filled with innocence, just to stumble upon their true face.
The secrets you've been guarding
Time will leave you starving
Personally, this part hits me the most. It's about to 'swallow' all the pain and sorrow. During the whole lyrics you get to see the pure hurt of a person that was truly loving. But eventually it came to an end and now it's time to start healing. It's time to accept everything and go one.
All the "secrets you've been guarding". Things or memories you kept to yourself. Things you won't tell anyone else anymore. "Time will leave you starving". And as much as you try. Something will always be missing