Meaning of "Oxygen" by Closure

The lyrics of "Oxygen" by Closure depict the struggle of witnessing a loved one becoming entangled in a harmful relationship. The narrator sees the person they care about diving headfirst into a toxic situation where their partner holds them captive with deceitful behavior, causing emotional turmoil and inner conflict. The use of drowning imagery represents the suffocating nature of the relationship, where the toxic partner acts as the only source of oxygen, despite actually causing harm. The narrator expresses frustration and helplessness as they witness this destructive dynamic unfold, knowing that their warnings are falling on deaf ears. The portrayal of the toxic partner as manipulative and deceitful, with a heart of "fool's gold," highlights the facade of the relationship and the emotional toll it takes on the person trapped within it. Overall, the song conveys the pain of watching someone you care about suffer in a toxic relationship and the difficulty of breaking free from the cycle of manipulation and deception.