This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Dead as dead can be
The doctor tells me
But I just can't believe him
Ever the optimistic one
I'm sure of your ability to become
My perfect enemy
Wake up and face me
Don't play dead 'cause maybe
Someday I will walk away and say
You disappoint me
Maybe you're better off this way
Leaning over you here
Cold and catatonic
I catch a brief reflection
What you could and might have been
It's your right and your ability
To become my perfect enemy
Wake up (why can't you?)
And face me (come on now)
Don't play dead (don't play dead)
'Cause maybe (because maybe)
Someday I will walk away and say
You disappoint me
Maybe you're better off this way
Maybe you're better off this way
Maybe you're better off this way
Maybe you're better off this way
You're better off this
You're better off this
Maybe you're better off
Wake up (why can't you?)
And face me (come on now)
Don't play dead (don't play dead)
'Cause maybe (because maybe)
Someday I will walk away and say
You fucking disappoint me
Maybe you're better off this way
Go ahead and play dead
I know that you can hear this
Go ahead and play dead
Why can't you turn and face me?
Why can't you turn and face me?
Why can't you turn and face me?
Why can't you turn and face me?
You fucking disappoint me
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
The doctor tells me
But I just can't believe him
Ever the optimistic one
I'm sure of your ability to become
My perfect enemy
Wake up and face me
Don't play dead 'cause maybe
Someday I will walk away and say
You disappoint me
Maybe you're better off this way
Leaning over you here
Cold and catatonic
I catch a brief reflection
What you could and might have been
It's your right and your ability
To become my perfect enemy
Wake up (why can't you?)
And face me (come on now)
Don't play dead (don't play dead)
'Cause maybe (because maybe)
Someday I will walk away and say
You disappoint me
Maybe you're better off this way
Maybe you're better off this way
Maybe you're better off this way
Maybe you're better off this way
You're better off this
You're better off this
Maybe you're better off
Wake up (why can't you?)
And face me (come on now)
Don't play dead (don't play dead)
'Cause maybe (because maybe)
Someday I will walk away and say
You fucking disappoint me
Maybe you're better off this way
Go ahead and play dead
I know that you can hear this
Go ahead and play dead
Why can't you turn and face me?
Why can't you turn and face me?
Why can't you turn and face me?
Why can't you turn and face me?
You fucking disappoint me
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Passive-aggressive bullshit
Lyrics submitted by ab0ve, edited by stringray, fallenwarrior
Passive Lyrics as written by Danny Lohner Billy Howerdel
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I believe this is a more personal song, contrary to the meaning of the whole album. I believe it is about his mother who has been in a coma for 27 years before she died. However at the time this was written (which was before APC was created) she was still alive. I find this song highly emotional and moving.
"Dead as dead can be the doctor tells me" refers to the actual doctor who watched over his mother and the coma she was in. Maynard constantly refers to the coma by telling his mother to "wake up", she "plays dead". He wishes to have a normal relationship with his mother, and he also expresses his feelings about his mothers faith in christianity by saying "you dissapoint me." It may be harsh but it is a common relationship between parant and child to have explosive fights that contain words not really meant such as "you dissapoint me." This is also relevant in many other Maynards songs.
This may or may not be the true meaning but i believe it is.
IF this is about his mother, the line 'maybe someday I'll walk away' actually makes sense because he did walk away from his mother to live with his father because he couldn't stand his step father and the life he gave him and his mother. I think there is underlined guilt in these lyrics.
I may be wrong about this, but I'm pretty sure his mother wasn't in a coma for 27 years. She was crippled and hospitalized a lot, but I don't think she was comatose. Maybe towards the end she was, I'm not completely clear on that part.
@jamesquay wow.... Such a powerful song to begin with and then you add the meaning to it and, just wow...
@jamesquay Judith was not in a coma. She was in an accident that left her crippled. The accident only strengthened her faith, which was baffling and frustrating to Maynard (the song Judith)... but no coma.
@michaelodu She wasn’t in an accident, as such. She suffered an aneurysm and was left paralyzed for 27 years.
People here are taking the first verse too literally. The "passive" person acts almost "dead" because of how he has become due to something. I don't know what, probably insecurity. The person avoids confrontation, and Maynard is wondering if the person is "better off this way", or better off alone.
The first verse is about maybe a friend (the "doctor") saying that the person is "dead" or useless and depressed, and that Maynard should give up on the person. However, Maynard is "ever the optimistic one" and knows what the person "could and might have been". He still believes in the person at this point and wants to continue to help him even though the person won't "wake up and face [him]".
He continues to contemplate whether or not to leave the person when he repeats "maybe you're better off this way". Then Maynard says "you fuckin' disappoint me". I think that he is saying that he has given up on the person. At first, Maynard says the in explicate "you disappoint me" softly like he can still forgive the person and keep trying to help, but this time he yells it and is clearly upset to leave the person because he loves them and wants them to do well.
-The song is so powerful, and the climax after all the build up is truly amazing. I think the song is somewhat overlooked because of the arguably terrible album that it was released on. Passive will always be one of my favorite songs in the world.
@shnoogums my EXACT thoughts I'd be literally singing it to my drunk husband as he was sitting drunk as shit, and I'd play this song and literally sing it right to his face because it helped me get my frustration out at that time. And as a matter of fact I knew he was better than that, but before I understood addiction as the disease it is I couldn't understand why he kept doing it and feel and look so guilty and upset, and then I would think he's weak! U r better off this way! Needless to say he's now 7 months sober 3 years later, but I always thought I was alone in thinking that the song was referring to situations like these. : ) thanks
when i first heard the lines "Wake up and face me don't play dead, cause maybe someday I'll walk away and say 'you dissapoint me, maybe you're better off this way'" i thought of people who sulk, who refuse to talk to you when they don't get their own way in order to try and manipulate you. it's like apc is saying to this person, 'don't turn your back on me and pretend i'm not here until i agree with you, because maybe when you turn back around i'll be gone, after deciding you're better off alone anyway'. yeah i thought of that in terms of a relationship as well, and although i don't think it fits with the rest of the song it was an interesting way of talking about a very annoying tactic i thought
In my opinion... this song is written about Maynards mom Judith who was in a comma for a long time. After suffering from a brain anuerysm she became paralyzed an then fell into a comma. Maynard is describing his experience of seeing her in a coma after trying to convince her to give up her religion. He talks about the docter saying she is dead but really he is "ever the optimistic one" that she will "wake up" and continue the argument on whether God is real or not, becoming his "perfect enemy". But the problem is that Judith probably never argued with him about God but rather used what seemed to be "Passive aggressive" tactics as in she probably just prayed for his salvation and never became his enemy, which is not what he wanted. This disappoints him so he yells "wake up and face me, don't play dead" and later says "you fucking disappoint me". It seems to fit and makes the most sense to me since his mother is a central theme in his music. Maynard is a fucking genius.
This is a great take on the lyrics. I agree to a point; could definitely be about his mom and her coma and her jump into religious “passive-agressive” forgiveness to God.<br /> <br /> But I also feel like this is his jump into using drugs, because of how he feels about his mother being in a coma, more than his conflict with God. The "perfect enemy" being himself, on drugs he cannot convince himself to stop, so he’s “better off this way.” <br /> <br /> "Leaning over you here <br /> Cold and catatonic<br /> I catch a brief reflection<br /> What you could and might have been<br /> It's your right and your ability<br /> To become my perfect enemy”<br /> <br /> Could be a double meaning for his heroin use (he is destroying his life because her life is destroyed), or visiting his mother in the hospital. Cold and Catatonic describes both situations and could be a merging of the two situations.
I don't know Brendon,<br /> If he wanted to talk about his drug use I think the lyrics would be more inwardly reflecting instead of talking about someone else.
I think this song is about him fighting with himself. Schizophrenia. The doctor is not a doctor in the plain sense, but a psychiatrist. The point of view is the personality on the inside that is now being suppressed. Imagine being the voice in your own head but the other 'you' is blocking you out.
Let's call the one in control of his body TOM and the supressed conciousness TODD. TODD's begging TOM to not believe what the doctor is saying or he'll walk away, when you need him. But he's hurt, and self aware, maybe TOM is better off without him...But that means he'll disappear.
In my opinion the Person talking is talking to himself, in a way. He's saying he's turned into some whos more dead than alive. "i'm sure of your ability to become my perfect enemy" means that he knows he's destroying himself on the inside. "I catch your brief reflection" could mean that he for a brief moment of feeling like himself again and then went back to being depressed. Overall I think this song is about criticizing yourself for not being able to get out of this funk you're in and knowing it's stupid but you just can't stop.
This is exactly what I thought. However, with his history of songs about drug use. I feel this is a “cry out” for help. He is yelling at himself for knowing what is happening but not responding to his inner-self. Being Passive, not doing anything and Aggressive, being angry about his drug use. <br /> <br /> “Wake up and face me (Why can’t you turn and face me)” Is not being able to deal with the fact that he is addicted to drugs.<br /> <br /> “You disappoint me” is being upset with his choices, and “Maybe you’re better off this way” is the drugs telling him that he wants the drugs.
this song reminds me of trying to reason with an angry drunk person.
A Song can be intrepretted by what the artist meant, but its how u apply a song to ur situation. i LOVE this song, and im not quite sure on the meaning maynard has in mind, but if everybody had to listen to music without being able to choose their own meaning, shit would get boring. this song can be political, love based, whatever the hell u want it to be, like most songs. u have to have words with different meanings, write criptically, so more and more people can understand and intrepret this in their own way.
Nice little tune/ good vocals/ getting into it... Listen again and get kicked in the balls by Maynard's distinct rage over "Catching a brief reflection..." and understand I'm hearing my own passive-aggressive relationship with myself. Kicked in the balls and pissed on by my other self?!! $£!%#!! Gotta stop listening to Maynard's lyrics. Maybe I should stick to shallow, bubblegum pop.
Repeat song anyway.
I feel like this is pretty straightforward. His mother had a brain aneurysm when he was eleven, and was crippled for the rest of her life, a shell of what she was before.
The doctor is literally just a doctor. He is straightforward telling him communication is out of her control, and this being his mom, of course he doesn't want to believe it. The part about being his perfect enemy is pretty well documented if you listen to either APC or tool, His mothers faith renewed through her aneurysm is the fire that forged his philosophical views on religion and humanity.
The real emotion in this song is him just letting out all the frustration he feels toward her that she's plagued by this permanent disability, and his anger seeping out, despite the fact that this is his own mother, at her "high road" "passive aggressive bullshit" that she refuses to communicate these things with him.