Call this a mess, call me strong.
Call me a mess, call me wrong.
'Cause sick hearts do fine with wasting their time.

Make up some words on the spot for the moment,
acting like its what you meant to say.
Calling true angels cause lonesome,
you don't believe they exist anyway.

I'd rather shut my eyes.

Call this a mess, call me strong.
Call me a mess, call me wrong.
'Cause sick hearts do fine with wasting their time.
(wasting their time, wasting their time)

Lifting my head like the weight of the world,
and it seems I forgot how to smile.
We've been friends with the devil, it's dangerous sad that I don't really have many friends.
(don't have a friend)

I'd rather shut my eyes.

Call this a mess, call me strong.
Call me a mess, call me wrong.
'Cause sick hearts do fine with wasting their time.
Call me a boy 'till I've learned.
Call me the bird or the worm.
'Cause sick hearts do fine with wasting their time.

There's so much left to see,
but I'd rather shut my eyes.
I don't know what's come over me,
but I'd rather shut my eyes.
There is so much that I could see,
but i'd rather shut my eyes,
I'd rather shut my eyes, I'd rather shut my eyes.

Call this a mess, call me strong.
Call me a mess, call me wrong.
'Cause sick hearts do fine with wasting their time.
Call me a boy 'till I've learned.
Call me the bird or the worm.
'Cause sick hearts do fine with wasting their time.
With wasting their time.



Lyrics submitted by TerribleThings___x

Track duration: 03:28


Sick Hearts song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I'm pretty sure I have a good idea what this song is about.

    Bert (singer) grew up in the Mormon (LDS) Church.

    As a mormon in Orem Utah, if there is anybody who doubts the teachings of the church, or goes "against the grain" in any way, they are almost always shunned. They are treated as if they are a "mess" or that they are "sick" and "wrong"...(I'd say 75% of the songs by The Used reference this situation.)

    Fellow unbelievers usually help each other to be strong after leaving the church and point out the falsehoods of the religion. The unbelievers typically band together to help each other resist the MASSIVE amounts of judgement that the members of the church pass on to the people who leave.

    This situation accounts for the lines, "Call this a mess, call me strong; Call me a mess, call me wrong."

    Next, people in the mormon church often pretend to have a "definite knowledge" that they are right and everybody else is wrong. Bert says, "Calling to angels to slow dance with you - you don't believe they exist anyway" In my opinion, I think he is referencing the way that church members often claim to pray to receive divine help from angels. He is saying that these people are hypocrites and they are kidding themselves because deep down, they know that it is all false.

    To go along with my first thought on the song, he says "Make friends with the devil, it's dangerous sad
    That I don't really have any friends" Again, growing up in Orem, Utah, by going against the Mormon church, you are bound to not have any friends because the neighborhood kids will not be allowed to hang out with the "bad boy"... I saw this in my own life and didn't have a single friend from church. not a single one.

    This is getting long so I'll address one more part of the song...

    The members of the Mormon church are absolutely dead set on not listening to anything that could possibly go against what the church claims. They would rather be happily wrong and blind than come to the knowledge that the church may not be correct. They are scared of punishment from the church and being socially quarantined by not blindly following. They go about their lives shunning people who have studied the real foundation of the church. I think he is referencing those people who are blind followers when he says

    "There's so much left to see,
    but I'd rather shut my eyes."

    ..because the people he grew up around know what they would find if they studied the church foundation, but they do not out of fear. they would rather "shut their eyes"

    Bert openly talks about the mormon church and his resentment towards it... Do you recall the line, "Brothers and Sisters, I'm right here with you!" ? ... everyone in the church calls each other "brother" and "sister"

    What do you all think?

    sorry so long..
    Flag nickbentleyon April 23, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the song is about wasting your life and not knowing what to do with it, while being strong and surviving but still thinking in your head that you just want it to be over(basically figure it out)... i can explain further if anyone wants me to...
    Flag Steelearth126on June 27, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:definitely a fuck you song(: i love itt.
    Flag lyriclovee33on August 23, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:love this song, and i pretty much agree with everyone here ... fuck you song - for sure.

    i love how they incorporate "the bird and the worm" into the lyrics

    saw them perform and met them 4/20, most amazing night of my life
    Flag theusedfan85on April 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:OMFG . . this song (= . .It's my theme song atm . .ironically I'm not sure what it's about but I'll give it a shot at picking it's brains .

    It's a def "F U" song to haters . .It makes me think of a person who doesn't give a rats ass of people's judgements and does what he/she whats in life . .they live in the moment and are spontaneous . .'sick hearts' possibly some sort of drug abuse . .love problems (lol) . .or maybe just a person who lives a life of sin that it's bad for their emotions and health . .

    "I'd rather shut my eyes" . .remain ignorant and blind to reality and/or how their lifestyle is effecting their overall health . .
    Flag DreamersDiseaseon April 24, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:These lyrics are wrong.
    Here's the right version.


    Call this a mask, call me strong;
    Call me a mess, call me wrong.
    'Cause sick hearts do fine
    With wasting their time.
    (Yeah!)

    Make up two words on the spot for the moment,
    Acting like it's what you meant to say.
    Calling to angels, that slow dance with you-
    You don't believe they exist anyway.

    I'd rather shut my eyes...
    Call this a mask, call me strong;
    Call me a mess, call me wrong.
    'Cause sick hearts do fine
    With wasting their time.

    (Wasting time, wasting time)

    Aching my head like it's the weight of the world,
    And it seems that I've forgot how to smile (Forgot how to..)
    Make friends with the devil, it's dangerous sad
    That I don't really have any friends
    (Don't have a friend)

    I'd rather shut my eyes...
    Call this a mask, call me strong;
    Call me a mess, call me wrong.
    'Cause sick hearts do fine
    With wasting their time.
    Call me a boy 'til I've learned ('til I've learned)
    Call me the bird or the worm.
    'Cause sick hearts do fine
    With wasting their...

    There's so much left to see,
    But I'd rather shut my eyes.
    I don't know what's going over me,
    But I'd rather shut my eyes.
    There's so much that I could see
    But I'd rather shut my eyes,
    I'd rather shut my eyes (Rather shut my...)
    I'd rather shut my eyes.

    Call this a mask, call me strong;
    Call me a mess, call me wrong.
    'Cause sick hearts do fine
    With wasting their time.
    Call me a boy 'til I've learned ('til I've learned)
    Call me the bird or the worm.
    'Cause sick hearts do fine with wasting their time (Wasting time)
    With wasting their time.
    Flag prtylilnitemareon April 09, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm pretty sure this song is basically a fuck you to anyone who passes judgment on another...when Bert say's "call this a mess call me strong...call me a mess call me wrong" he's basically saying say what you want "sick hearts do fine with wasting their time". get it...got it...good...it sounds right to me...
    Flag bighead1064on March 25, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:its not in the right order!!!
    Flag its.not.meon March 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:'that I don't really have any crimes.'
    I think its friends, not crimes. It fits better.
    Flag its.not.meon February 27, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Yep its mess fo sho.
    Flag SayDayzAgoon February 25, 2008   Link

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