I know exactly how the guy feels, trust me. What's happened is he's friends with a woman, and they shared a kiss. They both thought it was awkward and forgot about it. Except for that he didn't, and now that she's with another guy, he realises how much he loves her. It's exactly as he describes in this song - just when you go to sleep you imagine what those two are doing at the same time, and it's sickening.

when he's saying "I'm coming out of my cage And I've been doing just fine" i think
he's refrencing that he's finally leaving his home and starting to go out and meet new girls again after spending a period of time grieving over a break up. not going out, just sitten around thinkin about her.
then when he says "gotta gotta be down because i want it all" its like as soon as he's back on the scene he's reminded of her and remembers why hes been so down and out because he wants everything they had again. Then when he says "It started out with a kiss. How did it end up like this? It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss." He's kinda jus like talkin to himself and he's thinkin he had no clue that kissing her and starting a relationship with this person would put him in a situation like this (one where he has a broken heart and he can't get her outta his mind.) Its like he changed his fate with something he saw at the time as just a simple kiss. Then when he says " Now I'm falling asleep. And she's calling a cab. While he�s having a smoke. And she's taking a drag. Now they're going to bed. And my stomach is sick. And it's all in my head. Now he's back at home again and in bed he's either sleeping and dreaming or as i like to see it, he's trying to sleep in that kinda half sleep stage and he's wondering where she's at and what she's doing. And whenevr ur not over a person and u imagine them out you always think there up to no good. so he's picturing her leaving some place with a guy havin a smoke while they wait for a cab together. Then he imagines that when they get to there destination they end up taking things to the bedroom. As he's thinking of this scenario he got that sick nervous feeling because he knows it possible and now all his thoughts are totally consumed with this idea, but at the same time hes trying to convience himself that its all in his head.Then when he says "But she's touching his chest now. He takes off her dress now. Let me go! I just can't look, it's killing me, And taking control. i think he's saying as soon as he tries to convience himself it's all in his head he starts imagining the actuall sexual encounter and how it would happen and its so real and he's so sure that this is what she's up to it's breaking his heart more and more. when he say's let me go i think it has two meanings he's telling his imagination to let him go because the thoughts are consuming his mind and he feels like he's loosing control because no matter how bad he wants to stop thinking about these things he can't help himslelf. I also think he in the midst of thinking about what she could be doing he's like saying aloud let me go. he wishes she would somehow releive him of his feelings for her. Those are my toughts.

For some reason...I have a very weird meaning of this song. And I know why. From experience, you know....parents getting divorced. It happened very quickly for me. I think it's saying:


That he just got out of prison or jail(Coming out of my cage)...and was married or had a girlfriend, who ended up breaking up with him. And he was over it until he saw her with another man,(It started out with a kiss,How did it end up like this,It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss) and it tore him apart. So the woman moved on while he was still in love with her and he was jealous of the other man.....(I just can't look, it's killing me,And taking control,Jealousy, turning saints into the sea) And so he was going pretty much crazy over the girl and the fact they weren't together anymore and he was trying to be 'Mr. Brightside, but it was too hard and painful.(Swimming through sick lullabies,Choking on your alibis,But it's just the price I pay,Destiny is calling me,Open up my eager eyes',cause I'm Mr. Brightside)

I think what i like about this song is for its use of metaphors to add extra meaning. It's possible that this song has more than one meaning. This is my take on it though:

I think this man is clearly depressed over a breakup with his girlfriend. My guess is, deep down he's very immature. That is probably why she broke up with him. This tore him up inside and sank him into a deep depression. In the beginning, when he says he is "coming out of my cage", i think that refers to his depressive episode. Most likely, he shut himself off to women and the world as a result of the breakup. Now he is finally trying to get out and live again. He's trying to meet other women and move on with his life. But every time he tries, he keeps thinking about his ex with other men. This jealousy is all in his head and unfounded, since they aren't together anymore. He realizes that it's unhealthy to keep playing it over in his head, but he can't seem to help himself. Most likely he is an extremely sensitive person and can't deal with this rejection. When he says " Now i'm going to bed and my stomach is sick" I think it is making him physically sick just thinking about her every night when he goes to sleep. He knows that she has moved on with her life and that he needs to do the same.
Going back to the first verse, when he says " Gotta gotta be down, because i want it all"..I think this means that he can't ever be truly happy because he is an all or nothing person. He is either extremely happy, or sad...This is why i think he probably suffers from bi polar disorder...He goes to extremes
I think the last verse sums up his frustrations at not being ale to get past this. He beats himself up over the fact that his ex seems to be able to get over him so easily, while he is still completely miserable.....When he says " I never" four times....i think that is his way of saying to himself that he just can't win...sort of like saying his life is a catch 22. Nomatter what he does, it ends up in failure....
Anyways, i love this song. It has great depth and meaning...I can relate to alot of how the writer feels....I wish there were more songs like this today.

K, well it took me a few years to get my own meaning of this song. This guy likes this girl, that much is obvious. And he has slight jealousy issues. So they must have or had a relationship, and, like I think he's saying he is imagineing all these scenarios in his head, like even the "and she's touching his chest and he takes off her dress now, letting me go" Like, he's "falling asleep" meaning, to me, he is like dreaming or thinking of all this, and its like it's making him feel angry and like he says, "its taking control" like this feeling of jealousy has led him to believe in all these things that MIGHT be going on, but also could possibly not, but his mind has convinced him that it is. I dont know what the rest of you think, but thats my take on it :)

People have already submitted what I think the meaning of the song is, though in slightly different words. Maybe it's worth a different perspective.

This song is an anthem for romantic, furiously jealous guys. And don't look down on us, because every single person knows someone whose girlfriend or boyfriend, or even husband or wife, got stolen away by some persistent admirer or "friend." If you're truly in love, it's only natural to be a bit suspicious, not because you don't trust your partner but because you don't trust other people.

I'm coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all

I see this as the singer "breaking out of his shell" socially. Maybe he was hurt before and now he's recovered, and he's back to playing it smooth, "being down" and popular because he "wants it all."

It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss

He just kissed a girl, and suddenly he became enamored with her. He's annoyed that he could let himself get into a situation where he's torturing himself over some girl, just because they kissed.

Now I'm falling asleep
And she's calling a cab
While he�s having a smoke
And she's taking a drag
Now they're going to bed
And my stomach is sick
And it's all in my head
But she's touching his chest now
He takes off her dress now
Let me go
I just can't look, it's killing me
And taking control

He's laying in bed, about to fall asleep, and he can't help picturing these warped fantasies where the girl he's singing about is with some guy and they're getting in bed together. If you've never had one of these fantasies... lucky you. If you have, you understand what he means. You really don't want to think anything bad or distrust the person you're with, but your mind manufactures sickeningly graphic images of her having sex in every conceivable position with some guy. It's pretty painful, and if you end up being right (like the lead singer was) then you'll probably always have these fantasies about whoever you're with from then on.

Jealousy, turning saints into the sea
Swimming through sick lullabies
Choking on your alibis

Again, he's jealous and his mind and the "sick lullabies" are these images of the girl and the other guy. He'll mentally assail her explanations of where she was and what she did when he sees her again, checking to see if she could be lying and he could be right about her imagined infidelity.

But it's just the price I pay
Destiny is calling me
Open up my eager eyes
'cause I'm Mr. Brightside

This is what makes the song really great in my opinion. Like any hopeless romantic, even if the girl was cheating on him, and even if it happens again and again, he'll keep trying to find love. Sadness, anger, jealousy, fear, all of those feelings are worth it if you can find that one person who "completes you," for lack of a better phrase. The "Open up my eager eyes / 'cause I'm Mr. Brightside" is sort of ironic but also true, and is a great bit of lyrics. In a way, the singer calling himself Mr. Brightside is ironic because he's clearly looking on the darkest possible side, watching his girlfriend hypothetically sleeping with some guy. But it's also overall accurate because he believes that there is someone for him and he just needs to find that person. Romantic people inherently look on the bright side of life, the side where true love exists for every person and they just need to find it.

As a last note, the "I never" is totally open to interpretation, and I don't attach any objective meaning to it. It's a nice way to end the song though.

I've been listening to this song and I have my own ideas about what it could mean or represent.

It reminds me of a fairytale...like a reverse sleeping beauty.

Why reverse?

It started with a kiss that sends him asleep..
Where sleeping beauty has a kiss from a true love that revives her.

He is imprisioned to a life of nightmares. Instead of living hapily ever after instead he will "never"

its about coming of age and struggling to come to terms with the harsh realities and pain of falling in love and, I believe the role of alcohol in young men's lives. Imagine that a young man has been unleashed from his childhood (safe but with no freedom) and enters adulthood ("coming out of my cage") with the opinion of himself that his life has been on track and he's "been dong just fine". He gets drunk and kisses a girl, maybe for the first time ever. He drinks too much, is incapacitated by alcohol and lies in a bed at a party, knowing that she is still out there among other guys and he cant help but imagine that she is going home with one of them. The whole point is that his thoughts about her being unfaithful are irrational ("and its all in my head") this is fueled by alcohol. The effect that this alcohol induced jealousy has on him is profound. "Turning saints into the sea" i.e he has till now, been young, innocent and pure (saintly) in the safe and familiar world of childhood. Suddenly his life's direction has been changed and he faces the vast unknown of the sea. OR he saw the girl as a saint ( perfect and good) and now she has become something frightening and unknown and treacherous "Swimming through sick lullabies" i.e the disorientation of being drunk, head spinning and music playing. "Choking on her alibi" i.e She left because he got too drunk, her excuse for leaving, her alibi is alcohol which he is now choking on, i.e vomiting. "this is just the price i pay, destiny is calling me" he is just becoming a man in the tried and tested way, through the haze of alcohol, men get drunk and mess up their relationships. They start drinking to open doors and break down barriers, but then often use alcohol to escape from reality and the associated anxieties of reality "open up my eager eyes, cause i'm mr brightside" He is asking to be shown a better way. He doesn't want to be Mr Brightside. He doesn't want to have to be.

If you can take the video to be a representation of what the song means, I think the singer met a girl and they had a kiss, and he felt like it would lead to something more meaningful, but then she just goes off and flirts with other guys and then leaves with one of them. He goes home alone and lays in bed thinking about what the girl and the other guy are doing and his imagination runs wild. He recognizes that the anguish he is putting himself through is the price he pays for getting carried away after that first kiss and tries to convince himself that his destiny lies with someone else, so he wants to look on the bright side. At least that's my interpretation based on the music video. Great song though.

Hes obviously jealous of a girl hes attracted to, they had something then she got bored, so she went off with another guy, then he got jealous.

It's a break up song...like all relationships, there's a first kiss, and thats where it starts, always...with just a kiss. Now he asks how did it end up like this, comparing the exciting feeling of having a first kiss with someone you like, and then the bitter taste thats left when it all goes wrong. And, yea, she's moving on, in a very obvious way, and he's just not there yet, so he gets all those horrible fears and worries in his head, and he's doin his best to be "down" with that but it's really killing him watching her move on.

It's the hook that makes it such a good song though...despite in the shitiest of places, he bites the bullet, "its just the price I pay" for falling for someone, but destiny is on his side, and he's gonna be positive about his future, he's eager to get on with life, and he knows that the ONLY way to get there it to focus on the brightside. Brilliant song!!

That's my take it on it anyway...Lemme know what ya think!:)

i think the songs about not doing anything...
the way i relate to it is he likes a girl, but he feels powerless to build on his feelings or lacks the courage to make her his, while she feels free to move on and it hurts him.
"coming out of my cage" is a description of his personallity requiring a change to fit his ambitions ("cause i want it all"), "jealousy, turning saints to the sea" kinda feels like her actions are having an effect on him and "Mr Brightside" represents the irony as he can only pretend to be happy for her as she moves on while inside he wants her for himself.

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truly one of the best songs this decade!

I think "Mr. Brightside" is a sarcastic title, because with his paranoia, he is always thinking the worst.

i think this song is about a guy who met a girl and had a one off fling with her and nothing else. He then falls in love with her. He hides his jelousy hence ( Mr brightside ). this means to others he seems to alwayz look on the brightide of things but deep inside its killing him .. my interpritation

I personally love this song soooo much and this is what i think it could mean:

So he's friends with a girl who has a boyfriend but then it goes further ("It was only a kiss") and it destroys his friendship with her so he's saying it was only a kiss like he is regretting it happened. The "Coming out of my cage" refers to the fact that he was trapped in his feelings like a bird in a cage and he came out of it by kissing her.

He's lying awake torturing himself with the thoughts of what she is doing with her boyfriend when he's not there.

Its like a true love song.

It made me cry when i saw them live.

x

ok so this is wat i think the song means.

"coming out of my cage and i've been doing just fine" this implies that he used to be caught up in something (his cage) and he got out of it and was doing fine. i think his cage was being involved with prostitutes and being a player and things like that. he got out of it and is now doing fine.

then he decides to get into a serious relationship. "it started out with a kiss. how did it end up like this?" at one point they kissed and ended up having sex.

"now im falling asleep and shes calling a cab" this means she is cheating on him (calling a cab to go to her other man) while he is "falling asleep" so he doesnt know it and at the same time falling deeper in love with her.

"while hes having a smoke and shes taking a drag" taking a drag is slang for taking one smoke from a cigarette. this is about the girl and her other man. hes smoking and she takes a drag of it. "now theyre going to bed and my stomach is sick" he realizes what she is doing but still loves her. thats were the jealousy comes from and why he "just cant look its killing me" when he confronts her about it she ends up "choking on your alabis"

thats just what i think

okay...here is my take on the song line by line

I'm coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
this girl breaks up with him and he's been depressed for a long time, but he's finally getting over it.

It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss
he finds out she is dating a new guy who she kissed.

Now I'm falling asleep
And she's calling a cab
While he�s having a smoke
And she's taking a drag
Now they're going to bed
And my stomach is sick
And it's all in my head
he's imagining what the girl and her new guy are doing right now.

But she's touching his chest now
He takes off her dress now
he's describing the scene...

Let me go
I just can't look, it's killing me
And taking control
he's trying to get the scene out of his head. he wants to let go, but it's "taking control".

Jealousy, turning saints into the sea
Swimming through sick lullabies
is jealousy is turning what used to be a good thing into something worse

Choking on your alibis
apparently, she doesn't want him to know about her affair, so she makes up stories.


and the rest of the song repeats. thats what my take on it is.

okay...here is my take on the song line by line

I'm coming out of my cage
And I've been doing just fine
Gotta gotta gotta be down
Because I want it all
this girl breaks up with him and he's been depressed for a long time, but he's finally getting over it.

It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss
he finds out she is dating a new guy who she kissed.

Now I'm falling asleep
And she's calling a cab
While he�s having a smoke
And she's taking a drag
Now they're going to bed
And my stomach is sick
And it's all in my head
he's imagining what the girl and her new guy are doing right now.

But she's touching his chest now
He takes off her dress now
he's describing the scene...

Let me go
I just can't look, it's killing me
And taking control
he's trying to get the scene out of his head. he wants to let go, but it's "taking control".

Jealousy, turning saints into the sea
Swimming through sick lullabies
is jealousy is turning what used to be a good thing into something worse

Choking on your alibis
apparently, she doesn't want him to know about her affair, so she makes up stories.


and the rest of the song repeats. thats what my take on it is.

I think this song is about his jealousy playing tricks on his mind about his girl. I think that when he says he is Mr. Brightside it is pretty much saying because he is thinking negative in a sarcastic way. I don't get prostitution or anything else out of the song besides being jealous. I know how my mind plays tricks on me with my man being so far away from me.

when i hear this song i usually think of a man that went out w/ this girl or something and then died. And he's watching her as a ghost or w/e idk

Ok...so for me...I have a different look on it. I see this more as a guy is with this girl...He sees her with another guy...and his mind immediately starts to wonder. Because he says
"It's all in my head" right before the pre chorus, so to me, that whole part is just his mind running. And when he says
"I'm Mr. Brightside" for me, that means deep down he knows nothing is going on, but he can't keep his thoughts straight.
"But that's just the price I pay, Destiny is calling me" I see that as a response to how his thoughts wonder.
And the "It started out with a kiss" for me, is how his thoughts start out, really simple but then they start "taking control"

I know this isn't the "right" meaning behind it, but that's how I see it.

This seems to me to be about a guy imagining what the object of his affection is doing with someone else and wishing it was him but he is trying to not think about it and focus on something better.
*sigh* :-(

I've just find it on Yahoo Answers:

Killers guitarist Dave Keuning wrote this about lead signer Brandon Flowers' ex-girlfriend who cheated on him. Flowers recalled to Q magazine March 2009 how he discovered her with another man at the Crown and Anchor pub in his hometown of Las Vegas: "I was asleep and I knew something was wrong. I have these instincts. I went to the Crown and Anchor and my girlfriend was there with another guy." Flowers added that the song was "born" at the Crown and Anchor.
Source(s):http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4840, http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090328231152AA0EfL1

The amazing thing about music is that songs can mean different things to different people. I would like you to imagine this song being sung by a guy who has met the girl of his dreams and he thinks she could be the one for him to marry (this is also the first girl he has ever dated). He used to be extremely introverted and shy but now he's "coming out of his cage" since she is in his life.

But, then he learns about her past relationships with guys and the fact that she did not wait for him. He starts having these images in his head of her with other guys. "Now they're going to be, and my stomach is sick, and it's all in my head."

He sees her and the guy "start out with a kiss" and wonders how it ended up with her giving herself away to this guy she hardly knew and who didn't care about her. It is eating him up inside because he loves her with all his heart but he cannot get these images out of his head.

"But she's touching his chest now, he takes off her dress now, let me go. Cause I can't look now, it's killing me." He can vividly see the intimate relations between his future wife and the guy she has hooked up with. And all he wants is for the images to release him from his bondage but he cannot get over the fact that she did not wait for him.

It is just as important to be faithful to your future spouse before marriage as it is during marriage and this song illustrates the pain it can bring if you choose not to wait.

At the end, we see a glimmer of hope because he is Mr. Brightside and he is trying to put the images out of his said and try to make it work.