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Walk Unafraid - First Aid Kit/ REM

This song is called Walk Unafraid, it was originally made by R.E.M and then covered by First Aid Kit for the recent move Wild. I like this because it's about encouraging someone to be willing to make a change, sitting with (or carrying) negative emotion or pain. This is especially in the lines

'If I have a bag of rocks to carry as I go
I just want to hold my head up high
I don't care what I have to step over'

As I see it, this song is about willingness to walk unafraid even in the presence of fear and doubt. The person may be clumsy and fall and trip but she will pick herself up and carry on. Expanding the opportunities open to her and holding her head high. 


As the sun comes up, as the moon goes down
These heavy notions creep around

It makes me think, long ago
I was brought into this life, a little lamb
A little lamb
Courageous, stumbling
Fearless was my middle name
But somewhere there I lost my way
Everyone walks the same
Expecting me to step
The narrow path they've laid
They claim to

[Chorus]
Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold me love or leave me high

[Verse 2]
Say "keep within the boundaries if you want to play"
Say "contradiction only makes it harder"
How can I be
What I want to be
When all I want to do is strip away
These stilled constraints
And crush this charade
Shred this sad masquerade
I don't need no persuading
I'll trip, fall, pick myself up and

[Chorus]
Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold me love or leave me high

[Verse 3]
If I have a bag of rocks to carry as I go
I just want to hold my head up high
I don't care what I have to step over
I'm prepared to look you in the eye
Look me in the eye
And if you see familiarity
Then celebrate the contradiction
Help me when I fall to

[Chorus]
Walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold me love or leave me high

[Chorus]
I will walk unafraid
I'll be clumsy instead
Hold me love or leave me high

[Outro]
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

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