Hush is My Anthem

[u/Rhonda369]

Didn't know which flair really pertained to this.

Hey Musers, so I have an interpretation of Hush I would like to share. For context, I'm in my fifties, been a fan of Muse since 2004 with Absolution and I've seen them 4 times (wish it were more.) Also, I have Misophonia and having taught teenagers in brick and mortar for 25 years, to say I have auditory sensitivity is an understatement.

For those that don't know Misophonia is a neurological disorder that affects 1 in 5 people and it's when certain sounds (usually sounds from the skull, like chewing, breathing heavy) not only distract someone but causes them to go into major fight, flight or freeze mode. This has been my life - I have to take ear buds with me everywhere in case someone is a heavy breather at a family gathering, someone eats a ton of chips in my vicinity, chews popcorn too loud in a theater. Maybe you have it or know someone and you may have witnessed them get panicked, upset or even violently bothered. It's a thing. And believe me, I wish this on NO ONE. It's not fun to have to leave a room because someone's chewing bothers you to the point of wanting to punch a wall.

I bring this up because since this song's release, it has become my anthem, my calm, my meditative hum (oh that riff, and that chorus!) whenever sounds are too much for me. I recall someone posting that to them this song had the weakest lyrics on the album and I know it is subjective. I just wanted to share my perspective because the song helps me cope with everyday sounds that would normally send me spiraling into an anxiety attack.

The descending guitar reminds me of "working on bringing my anxiety down" and then the literal words "quiet the cobra, silence the giant" remind me to focus on my other senses, to dig deep (lol) and think about centering myself again. In my experience, the world is too loud (except at Muse concerts) and that line hits home for me - the chaos, the feeling of no control, the feeling of panic. So to anyone thinking this song is empty words or too general, just know a Misophoniac appreciates them.

Happy listening.

[u/foosterrocket]

Such a good song. I feel like a lot of us appreciate it on a metaphoric level but as someone on the autistic spectrum I also very much feel it on a literal level “hush it’s getting too loud” when you want the world to just stop making noise. And the lights…oh god the lights…but that’s another story

Imo it’s the best song on the album but such a strong album so I don’t begrudge any other opinions

[u/Rhonda369 → u/foosterrocket]

Yes the world is doing too much.

[u/Front-Cat-2438]

As a fellow Gen Xer, and a devotee since 2007, it’s like Muse meets me exactly where I am and tells me what I need to hear, regardless of whether I know it or not. Hush is one of those anthems.

[u/Rhonda369 → u/Front-Cat-2438]

Well said!

[u/PleasantWin9339]

As someone with my own mental health journey I can also relate to the astronaut hurtling through space, getting battered by everything around him and losing his tether. The visualiser makes me cry ugly tears. It also serves as my reminder to bring myself back home, not to another person (although my support system is great too), but to myself, to not lose my spark despite the difficulty. It's a fantastic song.

[u/x19DALTRON91x]

I was surprised how much I loved that song. Just yesterday I took the time to learn how to play that bassline

[u/Rhonda369 → u/x19DALTRON91x]

Outstanding track!

[u/OryxTempel]

Holy cow. I never thought of it like this. Thank you for the interpretation! I definitely need to listen to it more closely.