"Stripmining" by James is a song that explores the feeling of losing one's sense of familiarity and the pain that comes with it. The lyrics talk about how when the world consumes everything you have known and there are no recognizable landmarks, you start searching for something precious and everlasting, something that will not decay with age. The song suggests that we often put our trust in transient things like material possessions, relationships, or external factors, and when these things inevitably fade away, we feel the pain of loss. These things may include death, depression, or any other form of reliance that we believed would provide stability. The lyrics also touch upon our lack of understanding when it comes to our own needs, philosophy, and mortality. We often don't comprehend the true nature of life and what truly matters, so we continue to put our trust in things that rust, or things that are temporary and fleeting. As a result, we experience the pain of loss repeatedly. The overall message of the song is to reflect on our choices and the things we put our trust in. It encourages listeners to seek out deeper meaning, to focus on the things that truly matter in life, and to find stability and fulfillment in something that will not fade away with time.
