Achilles Come Down

Achilles Come Down is a profound exploration of suicide, depression, and the philosophical struggle to find meaning in an absurd universe. The song functions as a dialogue—either between two people (a desperate friend talking someone down from a ledge) or a fractured internal monologue within one person's mind (the rational self fighting the suicidal impulse).

The Metaphor of Achilles: The songwriter, David Le'aupepe, uses the Greek hero Achilles not in his moment of triumph, but in his moment of vulnerability. In The Iliad, Achilles is defined by his pride (ego) and his grief over Patroclus. Here, "Achilles" represents the part of the psyche that is proud, isolated, and obsessed with the "beauty" of tragedy. The song critiques the "tortured artist" trope and the romanticization of self-destruction, asking Achilles to "hang up your ego" and accept the messy reality of being alive.

Existentialism and Absurdism: The song heavily references the philosophy of Albert Camus, specifically The Myth of Sisyphus. The French spoken-word sections are direct references to Camus' ideas about suicide being the only serious philosophical problem. The song acknowledges that life is objectively meaningless (absurd), but argues that the correct response is not suicide, but revolt—choosing to live and love despite the meaninglessness. The narrator encourages Achilles to find beauty in the mundane (like "tortellini") and the intellectual ("geodesy"), effectively saying that while life has no inherent meaning, we create our own value through connection and curiosity.

The Battle of Voices: The conflicting vocals dramatize the mental state of a suicidal person. The "devil on the shoulder" (often associated with the deeper or processed vocals and French segments) rationalizes death, while the "angel" (Le'aupepe's raw, shouting vocals) fights for life. The ultimate message is one of radical hope: that survival is an act of defiance and that connection with others ("there is no me without you") is the anchor that saves us.

The song opens with a haunting, repetitive string section that sets a tone of urgent melancholy. A French spoken-word section serves as the introduction, quoting philosophical musings on the absurdity of life and the paradox of why people die for ideas. This sets the scene of an internal or external dialogue about the value of existence.

The English vocals enter with a desperate plea addressed to "Achilles," a figure standing on a roof, contemplating suicide. The narrator begs him to "get up off the roof," admonishing him for seeking a "dark suspended sigh" over living. The lyrics critique Achilles' desire for the "acclaim" of a tragic death, challenging the romanticization of suicide and the ego involved in wanting to be mourned as a tragic hero. The narrator urges him to "hang up [his] ego" and reject the allure of the void.

As the song progresses, the narrator appeals to their shared history and the "pact" of their youth, insisting that "there is no me without you." The lyrics oscillate between the French voice—which represents the cold, philosophical rationalization of the absurd and the tempting call of the void—and the English voice, which represents warm, human connection, love, and the refusal to let a friend die. The narrator acknowledges the pain ("hurt and grieve but don't suffer alone") but implores Achilles to engage with the pain rather than flee from it.

The climax of the song arrives with a swelling orchestral bridge. The narrator fights against the "intrusive thoughts" (represented by the negative voice), shouting that the struggle isn't over. The lyrics shift from a critique of Achilles' ego to a powerful affirmation of life's potential. The narrator begs Achilles to "throw [his] love" into the world, to seek "tortellini," "geodesy," and "mythology"—symbols of the small and large wonders of existence. The song concludes with a triumphant, exhausted plea to choose life, asserting that the most dangerous and brave thing one can do is to continue to love and live despite the suffering.

Released in 2017 on the album Go Farther in Lightness, "Achilles Come Down" was written by Gang of Youths' frontman David Le'aupepe. The song is deeply personal, born from Le'aupepe's own struggles with mental health and a specific suicide attempt. He has described the song as a conversation with himself during a dark period, as well as a tribute to the support systems that keep people alive.

The song was recorded during the sessions for the album, which focuses heavily on themes of healing and finding light in darkness. Le'aupepe wanted to capture the frantic, non-linear nature of a mental health crisis. The track features a prominent string section, which was a deliberate stylistic choice to elevate the emotional weight of the rock instrumentation. The French spoken-word parts were included to bridge Le'aupepe's personal struggle with the existential philosophy he was reading at the time, specifically Albert Camus. The song was not originally released as a single but grew to become one of the band's most popular tracks, gaining a massive "sleeper hit" status years later due to its resurgence on social media platforms like TikTok.

Rhythm and Meter: The song is primarily in 4/4 time, driven by a relentless, pulse-like string ostinato. This constant rhythm mimics a heartbeat or a ticking clock, adding to the anxiety and urgency of the plea. The vocal delivery shifts between a melodic flow and a more spoken, conversational cadence, allowing Le'aupepe to fit dense philosophical concepts into the rock structure.

Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme is irregular and loose, often favoring slant rhymes (e.g., "mothers/others", "opponent/moment") or free verse in the spoken sections. This lack of a rigid, nursery-rhyme structure reinforces the seriousness and conversational nature of the lyrics. However, the chorus relies on strong, repetitive phrasing rather than complex rhyming to ensure the central message—"come down"—is clear and hypnotic.

Musical Techniques:

• Chamber Strings: The song is defined by a relentless, driving cello and violin motif (staccato eighth notes) that creates a sense of ticking time and urgency.
• Dynamics: The track utilizes extreme dynamic shifts, moving from quiet, intimate spoken word to explosive, wall-of-sound orchestral rock crescendos, mirroring the volatile emotional state of the protagonist.
• Vocal Layering: Le'aupepe's vocals are layered with a "demonic" pitch-shifted voice in the background during certain sections, representing intrusive thoughts or the internal antagonist.

Literary Techniques:

• Intertextuality: The lyrics directly reference Albert Camus (The Myth of Sisyphus), Karl Marx, and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, as well as Homer's The Iliad.
• Direct Address: The entire song is written in the second person ("you"), creating an intense intimacy and making the listener feel like the one being saved.
• Anaphora: The repetition of "Achilles, Achilles, Achilles, come down" acts as a rhythmic anchor and a desperate mantra.

While popular in Australia upon its release (reaching #10 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2017), "Achilles Come Down" found a massive global "second life" starting around 2020/2021 on TikTok. It became a staple of the "Dark Academia" aesthetic community due to its classical references, orchestral sound, and themes of existential despair.

The song became an anthem for the "burnt-out gifted kid" trope, resonating with young adults who felt the pressure of high expectations and academic validation. It is frequently used in fan edits for media involving tragic heroes or intense male friendships (such as The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Harry Potter's Marauders, or Dead Poets Society). This viral fame introduced Gang of Youths to a worldwide audience, cementing the track as their signature song internationally and a modern classic of indie rock.

The Roof/Ledge: The physical setting of the song represents the precipice of decision between life and death. It creates a vertical tension—the isolation of the "high" versus the grounded reality of the "low" where life happens.

Achilles: A metaphor for the listener or the singer's ego. Achilles is the invulnerable hero who is actually fatally flawed. By calling the suicidal figure "Achilles," the song acknowledges their strength and potential while critiquing the hubris of thinking one is too damaged or too special to participate in ordinary life.

The Cord/Noose: The line "hang up your ego" plays on the imagery of hanging oneself. It twists the suicidal image into a command to kill one's vanity instead of one's body.

French Language: Represents the intellectualization of pain. The use of a foreign language (for English speakers) and high philosophy creates a distance, symbolizing how depression can make one feel detached and alien from the immediate world.

Tortellini and Geodesy: Specific, somewhat random examples of things to live for. They symbolize the particulars of life—food, learning, curiosity—that ground us against the abstract nothingness of the void.

"Achilles, come down": The central hook. Its repetition shifts from a command to a beg, eventually becoming a prayer. It anchors the sprawling 7-minute track.

"Won't you get up off, get up off the roof?": This phrasing emphasizes the physical action required to choose life. The repetition emphasizes the stubbornness of the suicidal ideation and the persistence required to overcome it.

"You want the acclaim...": A recurring motif that challenges the motive for suicide. It reappears to remind the protagonist that their desire for a tragic ending is a form of vanity that they must surrender.

The Cello Ostinato: Musically, the recurring string riff is the "heartbeat" of the song. It drops out only during the most vulnerable moments, making the silence as loud as the music.