The Old Religion Lyrics
[Verse 1]
And the old religion humming in your veins
Some animal instinct starting up again
And I am wound so tightly, I hardly even breathe
You wonder why we're hungry for some kind of release
So tired of being careful, so tired of being still
Give me something I can crush, something I can kill
[Chorus]
A lightning strike, a fallen tree
And I'm afraid, oh, don't let it find me
But you can't outrun yourself, you'll see
And I'm powerless, oh, don't remind me
[Verse 2]
And it's the old religion but the urge remains the same
Freedom from the body, freedom from the pain
And it's your troublеd hero back for season six
When it's at its darkеst, it's my favourite bit
[Verse 3]
And I am wound so tightly, I hardly even breathe
You wonder why we're hungry for some kind of release
Watch me crawl on hands and knees
And scratch at the door of heaven
[Chorus]
A lightning strike, a fallen tree
And I'm afraid, oh, don't let it find me
But you can't outrun yourself, you'll see
And I'm powerless, I know, don't remind me
[Bridge]
And it's the old religion humming in your veins
Some animal instinct starting up again
And I am wound so tightly, I hardly even breathe
You wonder why we're hungry for some kind of release
[Chorus]
A lightning strike (And it's the old religion), a fallen tree
And I'm afraid, oh, don't let it find me
But you can't outrun (And it's the old religion) yourself, you'll see
And I'm powerless, oh, don't remind me
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The Old Religion Song Meaning (Florence + The Machine)
Florence + The Machine — fronted by Florence Welch — have built a career on expansive, ecstatic-themed rock imbued with mythic, spiritual, and natural imagery. From their 2009 debut Lungs onwards, Welch has frequently drawn on the language of love, death, time, faith, and transcendence in her songwriting.
Their sixth album, "Everybody Scream", released on 31 October 2025 via Polydor and Republic Records, arrives amid a pivotal moment: Welch’s recovery from life-threatening surgery in 2023 has cast themes of mortality, reclaiming power, and ritual transformation into sharper relief.
Exploring The Old Religion
Written by Florence Welch and Aaron Dessner, and co-produced by the two, "The Old Religion" occupies a charged space within Everybody Scream — track 8 on the record.
The Lyrical Heart
The lyric opens with an invocation of inherited instinct: "And the old religion humming in your veins / Some animal instinct starting up again." Here the “old religion” is less about institutional faith and more a visceral, primal urge — the body’s pulse, the instinctive hunger for something overwhelming. As Welch sings "You wonder why we’re hungry for some kind of release," she places the listener at the edge of self-control, yearning to break free.
The choruses carry the metaphor of a lightning strike and a fallen tree — sudden, destructive, untamed. "And I’m afraid, oh, don’t let it find me / But you can’t outrun yourself, you’ll see" acknowledges the inevitability of confrontation with the self or the impulse you’ve tried to suppress. The repeated “old religion” becomes a haunting echo of our foundational drives.
In the second verse, the line "And it’s your troubled hero back for season six" nods to cyclical return — the self resurfacing, the same story repeated, with the same shadows. The song invites us to scrutinise our hunger for escape and control: "Freedom from the body, freedom from the pain." Yet that freedom also demands sacrifice.
The third verse depicts the physical toll of this striving: "Watch me crawl on hands and knees / And scratch at the door of heaven." Even heaven becomes a threshold to be forced open, not given. The act of crawling implies humility, submission, but also urgency.
Real-Life Inspiration and Context
While there is no singular published interview in which Welch names "The Old Religion" as representing one specific moment, the broader context of "Everybody Scream" reveals much. The album processes Welch’s recovery from her 2023 health crisis — an experience that forced her to reckon with the fragility of the body and the urgency of embodiment.
Critics note a shift in her work towards ritual, mysticism, and the reclamation of inner power. The track combines solemn, minor-key piano riffs with Welch’s signature vocal intensity, channeling both gloom and transcendence.
What the Song Represents
"The Old Religion" functions as a fulcrum between instinct and intellect — between what we feel grappling in our veins and what we attempt to articulate with voice. It suggests that the most ancient belief system we carry is our own body: its memories, its compulsions, its craving to be freed or to escape. For Welch — and for the listener — the song becomes ritual-rock catharsis.
In the context of her career, this track highlights a continuing exploration of control versus surrender. The line "So tired of being careful, so tired of being still / Give me something I can crush, something I can kill" is a cry for release — to feel something so intensely that the numbness ends. For an audience, it is permission to confront their own “old religion” of habit, shame, and repetition and to demand transformation.
Why It Resonates
In an era when many seek meaning beyond traditional structures, "The Old Religion" offers a metaphorical altar. It points to the inner ceremony of reckoning with your own power, your own hunger, your own fear of being found out by yourself. The song admits that you cannot outrun yourself, making it both personal and universal.
For those who have watched Welch surge from stadiums to near-fatal crisis and back, this track acknowledges the cost and the desire to emerge changed. For listeners, it becomes a mirror: of what we deny, what we crave, and what we might release when we dare.
"The Old Religion" channels the weight of myth and the pulse of survival into rock form and invites the listener to join in the scream.
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FAQ Section
Who sung the song "The Old Religion" by Florence + The Machine?
The song "The Old Religion" was sung by Florence + The Machine.
Who wrote the song "The Old Religion" by Florence + The Machine?
Florence Welch & Aaron Dessner.
Who produced the song "The Old Religion" by Florence + The Machine?
Florence Welch & Aaron Dessner.
Music Video
Song Details
Artist: Florence + The Machine
Album: Everybody Scream
Genre: Rock
Language: English
Released: October 31, 2025
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