Fall Out Boy – The (After) Life of the Party

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  My Interpretation:This is just my interpretation, but I've always figured it to be a love song about a relationship that will never work. Maybe it's a relationship with an old love that's been tried time and time again and failed, or maybe it's one that hasn't been given a chance yet, but to me this has always sounded like longing for another person.
  
  I assume that 'a stitch away from making it' means that this person holds the key to getting over his fears and, if it were to work with them, those fears and scars of the past would fade away - however, 'a scar away from falling apart' to me seems like he feels as if he couldn't handle losing this person and so is reluctant to try. 'Blood cells pixelate, and the eyes dilate' shows to me that he feels faint and euphoric around her, and his eyes dilating are a reflection of his attraction to her. The full moon is often a reference to insanity, so it suggests to me that when he thinks about her he feels like he is losing his mind over her, and is crazy in love.
  
  The second verse seems to be about the things holding them back - 'put Love on hold, young Hollywood is on the other line' seems to be stating that his fame and the band are driving a wedge between the two of them, making it difficult for him to sustain any form of relationship while in the spotlight and touring. 'Death's in a double bed singing songs that could only catch the ear of the desperate' - the fact that Death is lying in an otherwise empty double bed, a bed made for two people, seems to reflect his loneliness and desperation to be with this girl, or else it seems that life is hardly worth living. 'Kiss away all these thrills and kills on the mouths of all my friends' suggests that instead of confessing his love for her, he hides his feelings in the mouths and beds of other people to attempt to block out how he about her feels, to no real avail as he is still in love afterwards.
  
  The chorus seems to simply be him watching her from afar, probably at a party with lots of other people (hence 'The (After) Life of the Party - perhaps this is his train of thought once he has left the party and is alone with his thoughts), and possibly watching out of jealousy at his inability to talk to her himself, wondering whether the two of them could ever work.
  
  But, like I say - I could be way wrong. I can also see how this could be a song about struggling with fame, or drug abuse ('stitch away from making it, scar away from falling apart', 'blood cells pixelate and the eyes dilate', 'a nose runs ruby red, Death's in a double bed... ear of the desperate' all can be linked to substance abuse and the affects it has on both body and mind). So maybe we’ll never really know what they were thinking about when they wrote this song. One thing I love about Fall Out Boy is the depth and intensity of their lyrics, and how they can be interpreted in so many different ways.

  Flag dannisauron February 17, 2013   Link

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  Lyric Correction:*Cut it loose.

  Flag lumosupthedarkon March 27, 2012   Link

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  My Interpretation:Ok, I could be wrong but when I first listened to this song, I thought it was about a romantic relationship, either a couple has broken up and one wants to get back togehter or a guy wanting to be with a girl.
  
  Here's the first one. The guy has gotten to the point where if he doesn't do anything, he'll fall apart or if he does manage to get together with the girl, then he'll make it in time. Something about his heart beating faster whenever he thinks of her and the realization is there.
  
  The second one I like more. The part about "Blood cells pixelate" and "Eyes dilate", I always thought it meant is whenever he sees her, either he's falling in love with her all over again or he realizes that he was always in love in with her. In order to make himself not think about this all the time, he does other things to occupy himself.
  
  The "Cut it loose, Watch you work the room" part, I have a feeling it means he sees her from a distance and knows what she's been through and how she's living her life. All he wants to do is help. He loves her alot and wants her to see that.
  
  So, that's my take on it. I've also read the other intepretations and they're pretty sound.

  Flag mickeymouselalalandon November 01, 2011   Link

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    I have more to add.
    
    When I first heard this song, I thought it was "Could it last" instead of "Cut it loose".
    
    If it were "Could it last", it would also make sense. Going with the second interpretation I thought of, he's wondering if she can really keep up with what she's doing with her life. He's not trying to mean or anything, rather he's just wanting to know how long it will take her to realize that she doesn't have to alone anymore.
    
    But since it's "Cut it loose", I've explained it already but there's more. He wants her to tell him the truth, lay it out on the table, don't hold back...etc.

    Flag mickeymouselalalandon February 02, 2012  
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  Song Meaning:deaths in a double bed, singing songs that only catch the ear of the desperate
  it sounds like he's describing suicide as if death is calling to those who r desperate
  enough to kill themselves

  Flag BellaBlack113on May 24, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:It sounds like full moon peels (as in the night is calling them out onto the street)
  To me, it sounds as if they are describing the drastic measures people take when they have fallen into
  depression etc.
  This song really gets to me each time i hear it because it sounds so much like he is describing the thin line
  you walk on between normality and helplessness when suffering from depression, mental health problems etc.
  (as you can probably tell, I suffer from depression (as well as anxiety))

  Flag BellaBlack113on May 24, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:It sounds like full moon peels (as in the night is calling them out onto the street)
  To me, it sounds as if they are describing the drastic measures people take when they have fallen into
  depression etc.
  This song really gets to me each time i hear it because it sounds so much like he is describing the thin line
  you walk on between normality and helplessness when suffering from depression, mental health problems etc.
  (as you can probably tell, I suffer from depression (as well as anxiety))

  Flag BellaBlack113on May 24, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:i think the "death's in a double bed" might connect to the "ruby red" (kinda like the song slowmotion by third eye blind) could refer to dying of an overdose in a hospital bed.
  
  

  Flag paisleywickeron January 12, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:to work a room means to go around and socialize or to watch everyone in the room. and what is he cutting loose? it sounds like whenever he says cut it loose hes talking about the previous thing. thats just my opinion.

  Flag therealmeDXon July 24, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:Isn't it:
  
  Couldn't it last
  Watch you work the room
  
  

  Flag tectonicsandtorporon April 23, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:if this song aint one of the most amazing songs youve ever heard you mustve went deaf years ago...
  
  its so deep..... fuckin lovely....
  

  Flag djhoustonon February 13, 2009   Link

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