I think we have an emergency
I think we have an emergency
If you thought I'd leave you, then you were wrong
Cause I won't stop holding on

So, are you listening?
So, are you watching me?
If you thought I'd breathe, then you were wrong
Because I won't stop holding on

This is an emergency, so, are you listening?
And I can't pretend that I don't see this
It's really not your fault
And no one cares to talk about it, to talk about it

Cause I've seen love die way too many times
When it deserved to be alive (It deserved to be alive)
I've seen you cry way too many times
When you deserved to be alive, alive

So, you give up every chance you get
Just to feel new again
I think we have an emergency
I think we have an emergency

And you do your best to show me love
But you don't know what love is
So, are you listening?
So, are you watching me?

Well I can't pretend that I don't see this
It's really not your fault
And no one cares to talk about it
To talk about it

Cause I've seen love die way too many times
When it deserved to be alive (It deserved to be alive)
And I've seen you cry way too many times
When you deserved to be alive, alive

The scars, they will not fade away

No one cares to talk about it
To talk about it

Cause I've seen love die way too many times
When it deserved to be alive (It deserved to be alive)
And I've seen you cry way too many times
When you deserved to be alive, alive
Alive



Lyrics submitted by BrandNew1208

Track duration: 04:00

"Emergency" as written by Hayley Nichole/farro Williams

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Emergency song meanings
Add your thoughts

113 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    Memory:it actually has to do with a musician and entertainer party that happened in a city built on black hole sacred Indian burial grounds. needless to say the party turned quite brutal, everyone walked away with an opinion of what happened, at least those who remembered it at all. paramore sold out to corporate and the military industrial complex probably the biggest backstabbing done at that well. you see, just about all artists that get big funding are all singing about certain circumstances and people relating to the causation of America's current domestic and forign policy situations. it makes their art a little more valuable if it's somehow related to it or to one of it's actors. tossing some names out there for ya, tom waits, heath ledger, paramore, jake white, that dildo lookin english emo comedian guy, a dead whore, a resurrected whore that subsequently has less of one ear, that's about all i can remember atm :) frankly, anyone who actually talks about it, dies. especialy if they do dope unless they're me :) i'm still here just for the hilarity of it all.
    Flag CatBlackon May 05, 2013   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:Even though the right meaning has already been said, i believe that it could have something to do with depression, to me this song spoke about it specially
    "So are you listening?
    So are you watching me?
    If you thought I'd leave then you were wrong
    Because I won't stop holding on"

    when i was talked to because i had suicidal thoughts, everybody seemed to say stuff like this, maybe this song is trying to say to a close friend "I'm here and well get through this together"
    Flag BlkSwan13on August 24, 2012   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning:I know what this songs aboutttttt! :)
    I found this random website on Google and there was an interview with Hayley that was about this song. It was about her seeing love literally die in front of her, this is what she said;

    "This song is about love, and not love in a good way. People have started to abuse love. I mean, it's becoming more and more common and you can see it with the divorce rates, and you can tell it the way people are treated. I see it all around and want to change it."
    Hayley is part of a divorced family, and this song actually talks about her parents' divorce, she also said; "I remember actually walking out the door with my mom that night and standing in between my parents and screaming "Shut Up! Shut up! Shut up!" she recalls, adding that songs like "Emergency" from the
    band's first album were inspired by her parents' disintegrating relationship."

    So I hope this helped! This is my favourite Paramore everrrrrr :3
    Flag vickysadanosauron April 21, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:I think this song is about hayley's parents but most of all the world... I think this song is saying that people are getting divorced (love is dying) and people are killing themselves everyday and it seems like no one even freaking cares, she is saying in this song WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY SO WHY ARNT YOU LISTENING!
    Flag inspiredbyparamoreon November 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:I think when she wrote this... It was about a guy, because I feel this exact way with my ex, and it relates to parents being divorced, because both of our parents split up... And it's effected us both.

    When she refers to an emergency, I think she is referring to, that she's falling quickly, and it isn't good, and it's a rush. Like, an emergency viechle. They are fast, and rushing, and loud. It's always something urgent. I feel this way for, my feelings must get across to my ex... because if not I'm afraid he might do something stupid.

    When she said, "If you thought'd leave, then you were wrong, because I won't stop holding on..." means, he thought she'd leave him alone, and move on, like she has to everyone else, and what everyone else does. They just leave him. But she is holding on, and she has hope, but he doesn't believe it.
    "And I can't pretend that I don't see this, it's really not your fault... When no one cares to talk about it", I like this line because, It's like she's saying, she can't pretend to see him hurt, because everything isn't his fault. It was actually the cause of his parents being divorced, that has effected him. No one cares to talk about it with him, and now he's just stopped talking about it, and doesn't like to, but it still hurts him, a lot.

    "Cause I've seen love die, Way too many times, When it deserved to be alive. I've seen you cry, Way too many times, When you deserved to be alive", This means, she has seen her parents love die, and she has seen so many others love die, when they really should of stayed together. She's also saying, she's seen him cry a lot, and he doesn't deserve to cry, because it wasn't his fault.

    "So you give up every chance you get, just to feel new again", I really like this line too. My ex, he always gives up RIGHT when something gets good. When he is almost at the peak of being happy he just, quits... And it's only to make sure he keeps his mask, or to feel 'new', like, someone new, that everyone loves, because he is afraid of being judged.

    "And you do your best to show me love, but you don't know what love is."
    This explain itself.

    "Scars, they will not fade away. No one cares to talk about it, can we talk about it?"
    This I also like. My exes scars will not go away, they are there and they are there. There's no erasing them. No one ever cares to ask him about it, because of his mask, he doesn't show that side. But I want to talk about it with him, because I've been through it, and I want him to be happy, and I want him to know that he IS wanted, and there is something called 'love', and it's what I feel for him. Maybe it isn't that 'romance' love anymore, but it's still love. I love him.


    Ohboy, I wrote a lot. Anyways, that's what I think this song means.
    Flag HelloAliceon September 26, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love this song because it's honest, and I can relate.
    Paramore pwns.
    Flag Downcast14on December 24, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:so i know someone posted what the actual meaning behind the song is and everyone basically agrees its about broken love or divorce... however i was listening to it and all of a sudden the lyrics "i've seen you cry way too many times when you deserve to be alive" really jumped out at me. and reading the rest of the lyrics, my interpretation is that its being said by a person, either a friend or in a relationship with someone who is maybe very depressed. the "emergency" being the persons state of mind.

    "So are you listening?
    So are you watching me?
    If you thought I'd leave then you were wrong
    Because I won't stop holding on"

    often when people are really depressed they feel alone, abandoned, like they have no one to turn to. The narrator is telling them they are here for them, they dont want to let them go and are willing to fight this battle with them, even if they think they're alone

    "And I can't pretend that I don't see this" - when people are depressed they either try to hide it or they feel as though no one sees or cares... they are telling them they can't just keep looking the other way, pretending like they cant tell this person is hurting.

    "It's really not your fault
    And no one cares to talk about it
    To talk about it" - there is still a big stigma towards depression and mental illness, and people often dismiss it as just being blue or being weak instead of the actual illness it is. which all makes it that much harder for people to realize they're problems and get help, on top of depression itself making you feel like you're not worth it.

    "Cause' I've seen love die way too many times
    When it deserved to be alive
    (When it deserved to be alive)
    I've seen you cry way too many times
    When you deserved to be alive"

    - the first half i think could be still applied towards divorce and broken relationships, but maybe the narrator has seen too many people fall out of love and split up over stupid things, and they dont want this person's illness to tear down the love they have for each other. The second half is basically the narrator telling the person that it hurts them to see someone they love so much be in so much pain, and they are probably scared to lose them, and they're telling them they deserve to be alive, to be happy.

    "(The scars they will not fade away)" - this could mean both the emotional and possibly physical scars of battling mental illness.. the obvious as in scars from cutting or self injury, but more so the deep emotional scars left that can never be shaken.




    even if this song is about divorce I think it can be a very powerful song for someone to hear if they are depressed; it helps me.

    Flag emergency88on November 27, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:And I think it is specifically God talking to Hayley during her parent's divorce..I forgot to add that

    -Cause I've seen love die way too many times
    When it deserves to be alive
    (When it deserves to be alive)
    I've seen you cry way too many times
    When you deserve to be alive
    Alive

    makes sense to me
    Flag MetLHed4GZuson July 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:
    If any of you are aware of this. The members of Paramore are very open Christians. I think this song reflects their faith. It sounds to be a song in the point of view of God.



    I think we have an emergency
    I think we have an emergency
    If you thought I'd leave then you were wrong
    Cause I won't stop holding on (Here God is telling the person that he will never forsake them in thier hard times)
    So are you listening?
    So are you watching me?
    If you thought I'd leave then you were wrong
    Cause I won't stop holding on
    This is an emergency, so are you listening?
    And I can't pretend that I don't see this (God is trying to get the person's attention, and also telling the person that he sees all his/her pain)

    It's really not your fault
    No one cares to talk about it
    To talk about it (God telling the person that the situation is not their fault...possibly the divorce Hayley witnessed that was mentioned by another member)

    Cause I've seen love die way too many times
    When it deserves to be alive
    (When it deserves to be alive)
    I've seen you cry way too many times
    When you deserve to be alive
    Alive (I think this is self explanatory if you look at it in the eyes of God)

    So you give up every chance you get
    Just to feel new again
    I think we have an emergency
    I think we have an emergency
    And you do your best to show me love
    But you don't know what love is (I feel this is a powerful lyric, it is saying that no matter what love we show God it will never match the love he gives to us.)
    So are you listening?
    So are you watching me?
    Well, I can't pretend that I don't see this
    Flag MetLHed4GZuson July 07, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about someone seeing her best friend go through all these relationships and getting hurt and the friend is trying to hide the hurt but the other friend can see it
    Flag crazymousekrystleon July 02, 2010   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain