To me, this song represents overcoming the complex struggles of an abusive relationship.
The lines: I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath. Scared to rock the boat and make a mess. So I sat quietly, agreed politely; accurately describe what many women feel in an abusive relationship. The abuser often has an explosive temper, which makes the victim feel as though walking on eggshells, or “scared to rock the boat.” So in order to avoid upsetting her abuser and risking him acting violently, she “sat quietly and agreed politely.”
The lines: I guess that I forgot I had a choice. I let you push me past the breaking point. I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything; describe how many victims feel in abusive relationships. There is a sort of learned hopelessness that occurs. Abusers isolate their victims and tactfully (and gradually) introduce abuse to the relationship. Victims often times “lose their sense of self” because they become accustomed to the mistreatment of their abuser. Victims will devalue themselves over time, and often times endure the abuse, forgetting that they deserve to be loved, valued, and appreciated. “I let you push me past the breaking point” indicates instead of getting out of the relationship, the victim endured the continuous abuse.
You held me down, but I got up. Already brushing off the dust. You hear my voice, your hear that sound. Like thunder, gonna shake the ground. You held me down, but I got up. Get ready ’cause I had enough. I see it all, I see it now; indicates both the physical nature of many abusive relationship in which abusers will physically restrain/hold down/ attack their victims, but also the emotional and psychological nature of abusive relationships in which victims feel restrained and held captive. These lines show the victim gaining her sense of self back and voicing her own opinion and realizing her worth as a human being. Often times, it takes a victim in an abusive relationship a long time to recognize how severe the abuse is and that they need to escape the relationship. The lines “I see it all, I see it now” indicates the victim’s awakening and healing.
The lines: I got the eye of the tiger, the fire. Dancing through the fire. ‘Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar. Louder, louder than a lion. ‘Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar; show that the victim is overcoming the struggle and is championing herself. She is fighting to take her life back from her abuser. She has had enough of the abuse and realizes she deserves so much better.
The lines referencing Muhammed Ali, “Now I’m floating like a butterfly, Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes” indicate she now has the strength to fight. “I went from zero, to my own hero” show her rising up from her depression and helplessness of the abusive relationship.
