I can still remember
The words and what they meant
As we etched them with our fingers
In years of wet cement
The days blurred into each other
Though everything seemed clear
We cruised along at half speed
But then we shifted gears

We ran like vampires from a thousand burning suns
But even then we should have stayed

[Chorus]
But we ran away
Now all my friends have gone
Maybe we've outgrown all the things that we once loved
Runaway
But what are we running from?
A show of hands from those in this audience of one
Where have they gone?

Identities assume us
As nine and five add up
Synchronizing watches
To the seconds that we lost
I looked up and saw you
I know that you saw me
We froze but for a moment
In empathy

I brought down the sky for you but all you did was shrug
You gave my emptiness a name
And you ran away
Now all my friends have gone
Maybe we've outgrown all the things that we once loved
Runaway
But what are we running from?
A show of hands from those in this audience of one
Where have they gone?

We're all OK, until the day we're not
The surface shines, while the inside rots
We raced the sunset and we almost won
We slammed the brakes, but the wheels went on

[Chorus]



Lyrics submitted by Yoshü

Track duration: 04:05

"Audience of One" as written by Zach Blair, Joseph Principe, Timothy Mcilrath, Brandon Barnes

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Audience Of One song meanings
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73 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I saw this song Live and acoustic and it literally changed so much about me as a person. Its about giving everything about yourself to a girl who never really appreciated what you did. I teared up when Tim sang -
    "I brought down the sky for you, and all you did was shrug..
    You gave my emptiness a name, and you ran away"
    Because that is really what I felt like I was doing with my relationship at the time. This song gave me the sense and the strength to finally end it with her, less than a month later.

    But anyway, It then says "A show of hands from those in this Audience of One, where have they gone?" I think that is saying that, when you gave your all to the girl, You lost some friends along the way, and now that she is your only "fan" or friend, but she doesnt cheer you on, because she doesnt respect you like she should and doesnt love you back.

    This song has touched me and I dont think Ive ever related to a song in my life more than this one.
    Flag SpJibro683on August 22, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ahhh, this song means so much to me right now. It makes me tear up. When you're young and free, time feels endless, there is no rush to do anything or go anywhere. Sure, there's school, but that isnt much. Time in general, it just feels endless. Then the real world comes along and whisks us away. It hits much harder when you're lost in believing that the good times will never end. Adulthood and responsibility and the real world comes along and shakes the very foundation of what being young is all about, and suddenly we realize we have to grow up real fast... people come and go from your life, and what you once thought you could count on seems so weak and uncertain as you face the future. :(
    Flag Tig45on August 19, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Memory:I've been a Rise Against fan for many years, I believe my brother had me listening to them when the Unraveling came out, but back then music wasn't much to me other than something that sounded cool. As the years went by I was more in tune to the lyrics to the songs and Rise Against had been right there when I needed deep messages to pull me from my depression, but when I told people that I loved Rise Against, they said that it was only because they were mainstream and I don't know where from I found myself ready to hit this person, but I think it was because that they tried to say that something that was important to me was liked only because everybody else did. Rise Against's music meant so much more because they actually had meaning to their lyrics (not to say other bands don't) that related to my emotions and my moralities. I will forever remain a Rise Against fan until the end of time, but the only thin g I have regretted not doing so far is attend a concert, but that day will eventually come, Rise Against forever!
    Flag RaphaelShoukoon April 09, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This song is a very political song. The boy represents US governement while George Bush Jr was still in office. Rise Against sings about the ultimate decay of the United States, economically and ethically. The war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, death of our soldiers overseas, deforestation, the rising of gas prices, and the gradual decay of our own economy. Watch the music video, people. In the video the boy smashes the band at the end with his fist. Rise against sings/speaks the truth about what the US has become, and the boy smashing them represents our governement silencing the truth.
    Flag brittstarr88on January 26, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:I'm going to venture and say that the song is from the perspective of Bush; I think it makes the music video and some of the lyrics make a lot more sense.

    "We ran like vampires from a thousand burning suns
    But even then we should have stayed"

    He thinks we should have finished our business in iraq during the first iraq war. to him its wrong we left.


    "But we ran away
    Now all my friends are gone
    Maybe we've outgrown all the things that we once loved
    Runaway
    But what are we running from?
    A show of hands from those in this audience of one
    Where have they gone?"

    His presidency. He went back into iraq, and public opinion turned against him when it was once so strong. the 'maybe we've outgrown all the things that we once loved refers to his view that the values and beliefs he holds, and that his supporters held, are no longer held dear, hence the public turning against him. Audience of one refers to how nobody listens to him anymore.

    "I brought down the sky for you but all you did was shrug
    You gave my emptiness a name"

    his view that he accomplished a ton with the iraq war and his legislation, but the public felt differently. he feels unappreciated for what he views as success.


    I think this is a song that pushes for understanding of a person's motivations and feelings, despite how much we dislike their policy or something. not everyone is terrible.
    Flag squishytomatoon November 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:And as far as what this song is about, it's most likely about his youth and all the good times with all the good friends he had.
    Flag Pogoflipon February 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Lyric Correction:it's suns dude. We ran like vampires from a thousand burning suns.
    Flag Pogoflipon February 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Probably the most moving songs on the album, aside from Hero of War.
    Flag Punkrock1039on February 11, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i know it been like 3 years since ehyone commented. but...i wanted too,

    i think that some of the lyrics are about a boy pretty much ditched his like for a girl he thought he loved. but when they needed to work on the relationship they boy did everything he could but the girl just half-assed it. and didn't care that much. so after it was over the boy needed his friends and they were no longer there for him becuase of how he ditched them for the girl..

    Flag toniion January 01, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Its about growing up and losing some really good friends - "now all my friends are gone"
    As a kid with school and everything it can seem like the days just keep coming and you lose track of how much time has gone by, and you think you know what the future holds - "days blurred into each other, though everything seemed clear"
    Kids are always to worked up about how others view them instead of just ignoring what people say and having fun - "identities assumed us"
    I love this next part: kids always want to grow up and become adults because 'being a kid isnt fair' but when they become adults they realize this sucks and they want to be kids again but cant and time just keeps moving on - "we raced the sunset and we almost won, we slammed the breaks but the wheels went on"

    P.S. im 13 and i dont want to grow up!
    Flag blink182usa1on October 07, 2010   Link

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