Let's Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and to Be Loved)

The song is about a awakening Conor had nearly eight years ago after suffering alcohol poisoning. From the time the song was written not even a year had passed since he was rushed to the hospital for it. As the song reveals, Conor was at a point in his life where he would allow the anxieties of life drive him out of his mind. While driving under the influence, he saw a world so hopeless, led by a man with no compassion for human life. Conor was under alot of scrutiny at the time and felt discouraged with the way things were in his life (Next time he will not aim so high...neither will I). He saw himself a selfish person...only looking after his own interests, yet argues his reasons for being that way...one major reason being how it is useless trying to make a difference in a world that is doomed. He also argues how the government a major reason for this discouragement. So he has "the blues." However, after an incident where his life is almost lost, he realizes that things could be a lot worse...he could be dead. He also realizes that there are people that ginuinely love him (his father) and return his love, a contrast to the false love he speaks of throughout the album. The entire album continually explores the idea of what it means "to love and to be loved," and how millions spend their entire lives searching for love that is real; Conor finally discovers it towards the very conclusion of the album. He hopes this "love" is enough to keep him going and that it will allow him to look past the millions of things that bother him in society. The song overall has a positive message to it, if you look past all the discouraging truths he brings up.

"here we go can I get a goddamn timpani roll? lets start this goddamn song tonight heres a goddamn song for all you goddamn people" Does anyone else have this intro. I love it! haha

"to love and to be loved, let's hope that is enough"

"Well the animals laugh from the dark of the wilderness A baby cries hard in an apartment complex As I pass in a car buried under the influence The city's driving me out of my mind"

Of course this is talking about how humans should try to act a bit more like animals. Animals are laughing away in the forest while he we are with all our conflicts and issues. The animals are laughing at us and our stupidity, I think.

"I've seen a child he's caught in the sad trap of gravity He falls from the lowest branch of the apple tree And lands in the grass, and weeps for his dignity Next time he will not aim so high Yeah next time neither will I"

That is amazing songwriting, right there. That deserves so much more attention then its getting. Isaac Newton first noticed gravity when he saw the apple fall from the apple tree. Think about what Conor did here, its just so amazing and clever. I really don't think that was coincidence, Conor definitely put that like that on purpose. He's comparing the apple to the boy. Which is.. just... wow. Thats a line that really should be cherished. Its just so clever. And its also talking about too high of hopes, but it ties in with the apple and gravity so perfectly, that it has to do with society and expectations. I can't perfectly explain what I mean, but god, its amazing songwriting. I think I'd go as far as to say that that part is better then even most of Bob Dylan's songwriting (Don't kill me! I'm a huge fan of Bob Dylan, I love him).

"Now a mother takes loans out, sends her kids off to colleges Her family's reduced to names on a shopping list While a coroner kneels beneath a great wooden crucifix He knows there's worse things than being alone And so I've learned to retreat at the first sign of danger I mean, why wait around, if it's just to surrender? And ambition, I've found, can lead only to failure I do not read the reviews No, I am not singing for you"

This is also just so amazingly written. Theres that line directed at religion. And the line about the college and shopping list is an extremely clever way to say whats he's saying, even if its obvious. And I must point out the last two lines... That right there? Thats Bob Dylan. I just have to say it, thats definitely very similar to Bob Dylan. Its so simple, and yet that lyric just gets me every time. "I do not read the reviews, No I am not singing for you" More bands and singers should be like Conor.

"Well, I stood dropping a coin into the pit of a well And I would throw my whole billfold if I thought it would help With all these wishes I make, I should buy something real At least a telephone to call home Well, my teachers, they built this retaining wall of memory All those multiple choices I answered so quickly And got my grades back, and forgot just as easily But at least I got an A And so I don't have them to blame"

Yet another beautiful part of the song. The part about the A is just so true. People sometimes care too much about things that shouldn't matter, such as perfect grades. I've been there, I've definitely been there. And the wishes part is also very clever. Saying that wishing is going to do us any good anymore, wow, he says things in such a amazing way.

"Well I should stop pointing fingers, reserve my judgement Of all those public action figures, the cowboy presidents So loud behind the bullhorn, so proud they can't admit When they've made a mistake Well, poison ink spews from a speechwriter's pen He knows he don't have to say it so it, it don't bother him 'Honesty', 'accuracy', is just 'popular opinion' And the approval rating's high And so someone's gonna die"

That whole part is simply amazing and I love how he's talking about 'Cowboy presidents.' This whole part reminds me of Bob Dylan, in a way. Gosh, its just so true. The ink spews from his pen... and he doesn't have to say it.. wow... Its hard to explain my ideas on this, as well.

"Well, ABC, NBC, CBS bullshit They give us fact or fiction, I guess an even split And each new act of war is tonight's entertainment We're still the pawns in their game As they take eye for an eye, until no one can see We must stumble blindly forward, repeating history Well I guess we all fit into your slogan in that fast food marquee Red-blooded, white skinned, oh and the blues Oh, and the blues, I got the blues, that's me! (That's me!) That's me!"

'We're still the pawns in their game' Is another line that Bob Dylan even used before. its just so amazing how Conor reminds me of him. My favorite part of this part is definitely the "As they take eye for an eye, until no one can see, We must stumble blindly forward, repeating history" Because its just such a clever way to describe what happens to humankind and history, and he also connects to ideas, "Take an eye for an eye" and "repeating history" and he connects them in a way that makes so much sense. Very insightful.

"Well I awoke in relief, my sheets and tubes were all tangled Weak from whiskey and pills in a Chicago hospital And my father was there, in a chair by the window Staring so far away I tried talking, just whispered, "So sorry, so selfish" He stopped me and said, "Child, I love you regardless There's nothing you could do that would ever change this I'm not angry, it happens But you just can't do it again"

This part is most definitely about suicide. But I did notice the part about Chicago, which may even be a reference to Laura Laurent since its on the same album? He tends to do that a lot, Fevers and Mirrors is a good example of that. But anyways, I almost want to say this is about how society isn't trying to fix things, at the end he says, "But you just can't do it again" As if the father isn't really trying to help, and wants to avoid the subject.

"So now I try to keep up, I've been exchanging my currency While a million objects pass through my periphery Now I'm rubbing my eyes, cause they're starting to bother me I've been staring too long at the screen But where was it when I first heard that sweet sound of humility? It came to my ears in the goddamn loveliest melody How grateful I was then to be part of the mystery To love and to be loved Let's just hope that is enough"

The part about the screen is very clever, he's talking about a Television Set, and he's talking about how the media and the news disappoints him and he finds its 'bothering' I guess. And also, I just love the 'goddamn loveliest melody' Because it just such a contradiction, and it really makes you think, I guess. And of course, as always, Conor wraps up the song perfectly as he sings, "To Love, and to be loved, lets just hope that is enough" And its hard for me to describe exactly what that means to me, but god, its such a good ending to a perfect song.

Conor is... absolutely... amazing. And this song is obviously a piece of art that has so much meaning I'm still trying to figure out exactly what every lines about, after hearing the song about a million times. Its so deep that some people may not even realize it at first, I didn't the first time I heard it. And then the second time I said, "Wow, what the hell?" and then I just kept listening and listening. And god, this song is simply perfect. I wouldn't fix anything about it, this may be Conor's best example of songwriting, or maybe not, he's got some really good songs. But I hope he makes another song that can compare to this one some time soon, I'd enjoy another masterpiece, but he's got a lot of masterpieces, just some of them I wouldn't say were as good as this one.

i love this song, the contrast in it is brilliant. definatly stand out in my mind.

i think the lyrics have a few desaparecidos overtones to it.

this songs has really warmed up to me...I love the line "honest, accuracy they're just popular opinion"

i think its "multiple choices" instead of "bold, simple choices"... but im not sure, thats just what i hear and what makes more sense to me

i think its "multiple choices" instead of "bold, simple choices"... but im not sure, thats just what i hear and what makes more sense to me

this song and desaparecidos makes me think that conor now just hates the world and not life its self which is reassuring to me that he won't be killing himself anytime soon

i also really LOVE the line ''i don't read the reviews, no i'm not singing for you'' because more great artists like himself need to remember why they are singer/songwriters so they don't sell out