Meaning of "Below" by Slaid Cleaves

"Below" captures the bittersweet nostalgia and sorrow of losing a place that held so many memories for the narrator and the community. The imagery of an old village submerged under a lake serves as a metaphor for the hidden depths of loss and the way the past continues to haunt the present. The conflict between progress and preservation is a central theme, with the company's relentless pursuit of profit leading to the destruction of a way of life. The sense of powerlessness and inevitability in the face of change is palpable, as the community fractures and dissipates in the wake of modernization. Despite the destruction, the narrator finds solace in gratitude for the beauty and grace of the valley that once was, even as darkness reigns underneath the facade of progress.