Raf Duran – Mortified

Melancholic time capsule

With ‘Mortified’, Dutch artist Raf Duran deliv­ers anoth­er power­ful and highly emo­tion­al song that really grabs me. It's more of a slow burn­er and may not ignite imme­di­ately on first listen – you have to give it space to unfold. But if I take a little time, a mel­an­chol­ic­ally beau­ti­ful work reveals itself.

The line ‘Years go fast, days go slow’ in par­tic­u­lar sticks in the mind and per­fectly cap­tures that oppress­ive feel­ing of grow­ing older and the ‘test of time’. Those who embrace the gloomy real­isa­tion of wak­ing up in a body they barely recog­nise will find a pro­found synth pop gem here that lingers long after listening.

Listen to "Raf Duran – Mortified" on Spotify

Listen to "Raf Duran – Mortified" on Bandcamp

Lyrics of "Raf Duran – Mortified"

I woke up halfway through the fall
In a body I don't recall
The mirror’s bent, the frame is thin
This must be the age I’m in

Photographs won’t bring me back
Lightness is a skill I lack
Faces of names I used to know
Years go fast, days go slow

Days go slow, days go slow

It used to stretch, hori­zon wide
Now it folds, dis­solves and pulls inside
A year today, oh it feels pre­cisely like
A lazy morn­ing rush­ing into the night

I'm mor­ti­fied
Almost afraid to be alive
Oh, I'm mortified
Almost afraid to be alive

Oh, to be alive

Are these my hands
Are these my eyes
I'm failing
The test of time

I'm mor­ti­fied
I'm mortified
I'm mortified
I'm mortified

Oh, I'm mortified
Almost afraid to be alive
Oh, I'm mortified
Almost afraid to be alive

Oh, to be alive

Faces of names I used to know
Years go fast, days go slow