The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
If I'm a bad person, you don't like me
Well, I guess I'll make my own way
It's a circle, a mean cycle
I can't excite you anymore
Where's your gavel? Your jury?
What's my offense this time?
You're not a judge, but if you're gonna judge me
Well, sentence me to another life
Don't wanna hear your sad songs
I don't wanna feel your pain
When you swear it's all my fault
'Cause you know we're not the same (no)
We're not the same (no)
Oh, we're not the same
Yeah, the friends who stuck together
We wrote our names in blood
But I guess you can't accept that the change is good (hey)
It's good (hey), it's good
Well, you treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
You treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
Ignorance is your new best friend
Ignorance is your new best friend
This is the best thing that could have happened
Any longer and I wouldn't have made it
It's not a war, no, it's not a rapture
I'm just a person, but you can't take it
The same tricks that, that once fooled me
They won't get you anywhere
I'm not the same kid from your memory
Well, now I can fend for myself
Don't wanna hear your sad songs
I don't wanna feel your pain
When you swear it's all my fault
'Cause you know we're not the same (no)
We're not the same (no)
Oh, we're not the same
Yeah, we used to stick together
We wrote our names in blood
But I guess you can't accept that the change is good (hey)
It's good (hey), it's good
Well, you treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
You treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
Ignorance is your new best friend
Ignorance is your new best friend
Ignorance is your new best friend
Ignorance is your new best friend
Well, you treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
You treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
Well, I guess I'll make my own way
It's a circle, a mean cycle
I can't excite you anymore
Where's your gavel? Your jury?
What's my offense this time?
You're not a judge, but if you're gonna judge me
Well, sentence me to another life
Don't wanna hear your sad songs
I don't wanna feel your pain
When you swear it's all my fault
'Cause you know we're not the same (no)
We're not the same (no)
Oh, we're not the same
Yeah, the friends who stuck together
We wrote our names in blood
But I guess you can't accept that the change is good (hey)
It's good (hey), it's good
Well, you treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
You treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
Ignorance is your new best friend
Ignorance is your new best friend
This is the best thing that could have happened
Any longer and I wouldn't have made it
It's not a war, no, it's not a rapture
I'm just a person, but you can't take it
The same tricks that, that once fooled me
They won't get you anywhere
I'm not the same kid from your memory
Well, now I can fend for myself
Don't wanna hear your sad songs
I don't wanna feel your pain
When you swear it's all my fault
'Cause you know we're not the same (no)
We're not the same (no)
Oh, we're not the same
Yeah, we used to stick together
We wrote our names in blood
But I guess you can't accept that the change is good (hey)
It's good (hey), it's good
Well, you treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
You treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
Ignorance is your new best friend
Ignorance is your new best friend
Ignorance is your new best friend
Ignorance is your new best friend
Well, you treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
You treat me just like another stranger
Well, it's nice to meet you, sir
I guess I'll go
I'd best be on my way out
Lyrics submitted by hobomclacey
Ignorance Lyrics as written by Joshua Farro Hayley Williams
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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All the personal meaning is something only Hayley will really ever know. But in search of a more general meaning we can all relate to, I think this song is about a best friend who's sort of ditched or defriended you without explanation, most likely saying that you've "changed". Which doesn't really explain things since we all change in life. I think it's about being just pissed off and hurt that someone you used to call a best friend would just judge you and turn on you like that. Kind of like a betrayal.
From the Hayley's lyric journal in the BNE box set: "You MUST be open-minded. You have to accept people's flaws or differences from you.... Sometimes friends become enemies but what's worse is when they become strangers"
I wish the band the absolute best in their supposed struggle to get along and stay together, but honestly, I think I like Hayley a lot better when she's angry.
These lyrics show incredible growth for the band as a whole, and for Hayley as a writer. I absolutely loved "All We Know is Falling", and "Riot!" killed a lot of my interest in Paramore, but this song gives me so much hope for the new album. This is, without question, as far as I'm concerned, the band's best effort to date.
haha i agree she sounds well angry compared to the other albums and i love it!! XD hope the rest of the albums like this!! :P
wow all of you need to read or watch some fucking interviews. this song IS FOR A FACT about hayley feeling judged and ignored by the other band members. josh wrote the music first, and the music brought all the frustrated emotion out of hayley and she couldn't help but write these honest and harsh lyrics. when they went on the break after the final riot tour, her and the boys weren't talking at all until "decode" happened and they were forced to cooperate ...and then after "decode" they still weren't really talking until they went into the recording studio for this album and sorted some shit out. and come on guys we all know decode is about her feelings towards the boys (or more so josh), not twilight "how did we get here, I used to know you so well". this band is divided (jeremy and hayley are close now and always chilling, while you never really see the other band members with her outside of a gig) and not the same friends they used to be, specifically with hayley and josh. hopefully they can find the amazing friendship they once had and enjoy being in a band together again.
Hayley said it herself.<br /> <br /> "I chose the title "Decode" because the song is about the building tension, awkwardness, anger and confusion between Bella and Edward. Bella's is the only mind Edward can't read and I feel like that's a big part of the first book and one of the obstacles for them to overcome." -Hayley Williams, Paramore
i agree.
I don't think the song has to be about other members of the band, necessarily. It could be, but not every song they write is about themselves and the band's issues. If it happens to be about that, however, I do hope they work it out and stay friends. I would never want them to break up and stop making awesome music.
~Music Is Life~
loving the new song, defantly a good insite into the new album!
What u mean?
There are two parts to a song, the music and the lyrics.
Josh wrote the MUSIC.
Hayley wrote the LYRICS.
Please don't try to argue when you don't even know the full story.
dude u need to shut up like !!! u think u know everything when u dont!!!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> reply
so what is the story?
I honestly don't care who it's about.
It's a good song and that's all that matters :)
Song sounds very Billy Talent-ish to me.
EXACTLY what I thought too! Goddamn , and I can't remember the name of that song
According to Hayley, she wrote it because of the differences and tension in the band. But that happens with all bands right? They got through it so I don't see how some people could feel sorry for them. I've got to say, I love that their new direction is going to a more serious darker tone, even the way she sings "ignorance is your new best friend" you can feel the anger and frustration over not being heard by the people you love. Well, at least I had been there. And there's this thing that's been bothering me when I read comments on their songs. I mean, yes maybe some songs of theirs are about the relationships in Paramore, but it doesn't mean it's the same in every freak'n song! I want to hear people's interpretation of it, it's not going to hurt anyone to voice their opinions anyways. To me, it's rather about friendship. We've all went through a time in our lives when we depended on someone who turned the other way and abandoned you, because "you've changed". It's all about the fact that people grow apart in this song, but it's unfair to be judged pretty bad when it's just the person you are. You end up alone because of it, or I feeling isolated because of a stupid misunderstanding.
Well... I'm done babbling lol