Alex Warren – Eternity. Lyrics & Meaning

Alex Warren – Eternity: A Heartbreaking Journey Through Grief’s Endless Clock

Ever had a moment where time just… breaks? One second it’s rushing by, and the next, every tick of the clock feels like an entire hour stretching into infinity. It’s a weird, disorienting feeling, often triggered by something big, something life-altering. You’re just kind of stuck in a single, heavy moment, and the rest of the world keeps moving on without you.

That feeling, that thick, slow-motion molasses of time, is exactly what some songs manage to capture perfectly. It’s a rare thing, but when a song gets it, it hits you right in the chest. Alex Warren’s song “Eternity” is one of those. It’s not just a sad song; it’s a raw, unfiltered look into the heart of someone navigating a loss so profound it has completely shattered their sense of time and self. Let’s dive into what makes this track so incredibly moving.

Diving into the Painful Beauty of “Eternity” by Alex Warren

From the very first line, Alex paints a vivid, almost claustrophobic picture of grief. He’s not just telling us he’s sad; he’s showing us. You can practically see the scene: a quiet room, the only sound being a clock that seems to be mocking him with its steady, indifferent rhythm.

• Alex Warren & ROSÉ – On My Mind: The Beautiful Haunting of a Past Love
• Alex Warren – Eternity: A Heartbreaking Journey Through Grief’s Endless Clock
• Meaning “Burning Down” Alex Warren: Lyric, Quotes
• Meaning “Carry You Home” Alex Warren: Lyric, Quotes
• Alex Warren – Ordinary: Finding Heaven in the Everyday

Hear the clock ticking on the wall
Losing sleep, losing track of the tears I cry
Every drop is a waterfall
Every breath is a break in the riptide

Wow, right? The imagery is so powerful. “Every drop is a waterfall” isn’t just a poetic line; it’s the emotional truth of deep sorrow, where crying isn’t just a few tears but an overwhelming, uncontrollable flood. And “every breath is a break in the riptide” perfectly captures that feeling of struggling to stay afloat when you’re being pulled under by waves of sadness. It’s a physical, exhausting battle.

The Crushing Weight of “Forever”

Then we hit the chorus, and the central theme of the song slams into focus. When we hear the word “eternity,” we usually think of something beautiful, like love lasting forever. But here, Alex flips that idea on its head. For him, eternity is the endless, agonizing present without the person he lost.

But it feels like an eternity
Since I had you here with me
Since I had to learn to be
Someone you don’t know

That last line is a gut punch. Grief changes you. The person you were when your loved one was alive is gone, and you’re forced to become this new version of yourself, a version they would never get to meet. It’s a profound and lonely transformation. He then follows it up with a desperate, heartbreaking question.

To be with you in paradise
What I wouldn’t sacrifice

The “light” here is a gentle, poignant metaphor for passing away. It’s not an angry accusation, but a sorrowful plea. He’s asking the universe why this person had to go to a place—paradise, the afterlife—that is completely inaccessible to him. It highlights the absolute finality of death, a one-way door he can’t walk through.

Walking Through a World That’s Lost Its Color

The second verse sinks even deeper into this hollowed-out existence. It’s about the ghosts of memories and the pain of what could have been, which can be one of the cruelest parts of grieving.

Another glimpse of what could’ve been (Ooh)
Another dream, another way that it never was

“Waking up, rubbing salt in the cut” is such a raw and relatable description. Every morning brings a fresh wave of realization that they’re really gone. The “wilderness” he describes isn’t a forest; it’s the wild, untamed landscape of his own sorrow, a place where he feels utterly lost and alone.

And if you thought it couldn’t get more emotionally bare, the bridge arrives to paint an even starker picture of his internal world. This is the sound of pure desolation.

It’s an endless night, it’s a starless sky
It’s a hell that I call home (Hell that I call home)
It’s a long goodbye on the other side
Of the only life I know

Calling this personal hell “home” shows just how deeply this grief has settled into his bones. It’s not a temporary state anymore; it has become his entire reality. His old life is on “the other side” of this loss, and the goodbye is “long” because he has to live with it every single day.

The Heart Behind the Words

What makes “Eternity” so intensely personal and authentic is that Alex Warren wrote it about the loss of his father. Knowing this adds an incredible layer of weight to every word. This isn’t just a songwriter crafting a sad story; it’s a son pouring his heart out, trying to make sense of a world without his dad. The song becomes a tribute, a memorial, and a cry into the void all at once.

The most important message from “Eternity” isn’t one of happiness or moving on. Instead, its power lies in validation. The song says to anyone who has experienced a devastating loss: What you are feeling is real. This immense, time-stopping pain is normal. You are not alone in this feeling. By sharing his own “hell,” Alex creates a space for others to acknowledge theirs. It’s a reminder that grief isn’t a tidy process with a clear finish line; sometimes, it just feels like an eternity, and it’s okay to admit that.

Ultimately, “Eternity” is a masterclass in vulnerability. It’s a beautifully heartbreaking piece of music that doesn’t offer easy answers or cheap comfort. Instead, it offers something far more valuable: companionship in sorrow. It holds a mirror up to the deepest parts of grief and reflects it back with honesty and grace. What do you think? I’d love to hear how this song resonates with you or if you found a different meaning in its lyrics. Let’s talk about it.