Secrets

For the most part, I agree with what others have been saying about the meaning. It sounds like the person singing is feeling a lot of pressure to tell some juicy story that will have everyone talking about him so that he can be in the spotlight again.

"I need another story, something to get off my chest. My life gets kind of boring, need something that I can confess."

However, he doesn't have an exciting story about a troubled family life or a dark, shameful past; the kind of stories that people love to gossip about.

"Got no reason, got no shame, got no family I can blame."

The first time I listened to the song, I thought he had become so desperate that he had decided to just make up some story or do something dangerous that would attract a lot of attention. But the chorus convinces me that that's not the case.

"Sick of all the insincere... This time, I don't need another perfect line. I don't care if critics never jump in line."

It sounds like he realizes that if he did that he would get a lot of attention, but he personally feels like it's not worth it. He's doing what he is just because he loves doing it, not because he wants fame and attention. He's realized that he doesn't care about shocking everyone with the perfect, story; he's sick of everyone working so hard to get attention that way and he wishes that people weren't so shallow and insincere.

Finally, I hear a plea for people to pay attention to him for the right reasons - his music, his personality, his dedication to what he does - even though he doesn't have an 'exciting' life that would be on all the magazine covers. He's going to be honest and show us who he really is, and he hopes people will appreciate that.

"Just don't let me disappear. I'm gonna tell you everything... I'm gonna give all my secrets away."

I believe he is saying "Something that will Light those ears." not "something like those years."

I've interpreted the lyrics as a guy who has a boaring life and sees the news everyday, that is also the same thing( poverty,war,etc) He's wants to say something different, something that will speak to the whole world. Something that will open his heart to new, vibrant things and events and broaden his perspective of the variety of life. But i think it's a very nice song and i like it alot.

I need another story Something to get off my chest My life gets kind of boring Need something that I can confess

Till all my sleeves are stained red From all the truth that I've said Come by it honestly, I swear Thought you saw me wink, no; I've been on the brink, so

Tell me what you want to hear Something that'll light those ears I'm sick of all the insincere So I'm gonna give all my secrets away

This time Don't need another perfect lie Don't care if critics ever jump in line I'm gonna give all my secrets away

My God Amazing that we got this far It's like we're chasing all those stars Who's driving shiny big black cars

And every day I see the news All the problems, bet we could solve them When a situation rises Just write it into an album

Send it straight to gold But I don't really like my flow, no

Se tell me what you want to hear Something that'll light those ears I'm sick of all the insincere So I'm gonna give all my secrets away

This time Don't need another perfect lie Don't care if critics ever jump in line I'm gonna give all my secrets away

Got no reason, got no shame Got no family I can blame Just don't let me disappear I'ma tell you everything, so

Tell me what you want to hear Something that'll light those ears I'm sick of all the insincere So I'm gonna give all my secrets away

This time Don't need another perfect lie Don't care if critics ever jump in line I'm gonna give all my secrets away

Simply my interpretation of the lyrics. It's certainly NOT "sick of all the act sincere."

I actually think that the chorus is supposed to be ironic and insincere. In the chorus, the singer is claiming that he's "sick of all the insincere" and doesn't "need another perfect lie," . . . but he's also asking the listener to tell him what they want to hear in the same verse. And in the beginning, he's clearly being dishonest - his life is boring and he wants something to confess, something to make him feel more real and exciting. So he lies and makes stuff up. "Come by it honestly I swear, thought you saw me wink but no."

Everything in the song belies that the singer's actually "sick of all the insincere." His desperation to know what the listener wants to hear, to not disappear, to send his album "straight to gold."

Lyrics are:

I need another story Something to get off my chest My life gets kinda boring Need something that I can confess Til' all my sleeves are stained red From all the truth that I've said Come by it honestly I swear Thought you saw wink, no I've been on the brink, so

Tell me what you want from here Something that were like those years Sick of all the insincere So I'm gonna give all my secrets away This time, don't need another perfect line Don't care if critics never jump in line I'm gonna give all my secrets away

My god, amazing how we got this far It's like we're chasing all those stars Who's driving shiny big cars And everyday I see the news All the problems that we could solve And when a situation rises Just write it into an album Singing straight, too cold I don't really like my flow, no, so

Tell me what you want from here Something that were like those years Sick of all the insincere So I'm gonna give all my secrets away This time, don't need another perfect line Don't care if critics never jump in line I'm gonna give all my secrets away

Oh, got no reason, got not shame Got no family I can blame Just don't let me disappear I'mma tell you everything

So tell me what you want from here Something that were like those years Sick of all the insincere So I'm gonna give all my secrets away This time, don't need another perfect line Don't care if critics never jump in line I'm gonna give all my secrets away

So tell me what you want from here Something that were like those years Sick of all the insincere So I'm gonna give all my secrets away This time, don't need another perfect line Don't care if critics never jump in line I'm gonna give all my secrets away All my secrets away, All my secrets away

Okay, I think I get the jist of the song...but the music video LOST me. I am completely confused. Does anyone have an opinion on that?!

I think it is pretty clear that this song is about a song writer discussing his craft. The verse that goes "And every day I see the news/ All the problems, we could solve/ When a situation rises /Just write it into an album / Send it straight to gold /But I don't really like my flow, no / Se tell me what you want to hear..." captures the dynamic of the writing process and the ambivalence the writer feels about it. In this sense it reminds me very much of Blues Traveler's "Hook". In fact the parallels are pretty striking. Both songs discuss the song writer's need for confession in the song (and likely insincere one at that) and concern for the audience's reaction/reception: "I need another story...something that I can confess....Come by it honestly, I swear/Thought you saw me wink, no/ I've been on the brink so/ tell me what you want to hear...i'm gonna give all my secrets away" (OneRepublic) versus "There is something amiss/ I am being insincere / In fact I don't mean any of this/ Still my confession draws you near....the hook brings you back / on that you can rely" (Blues Traveler). Despite these feelings both narrators recognize that song writing is at least in part a business (e.g. "i've been the [financial] brink so/tell me what you want to hear" and "the hook brings you back" to buying records]. This of course creates a level of ambivalence that is expressed later in the song as the writer's discusses the need to please the critics ("don't care if the critics ever jump in line"), the fans ("tell me what you want to hear"), and himself ("sick of all the insincere"). Given the meta-quality of the song (a song writer, writing about song writing) one is left to wonder whether either of the lines "this time don't need another perfect lie" or "give all my secrets away" is a real confession or just another insincere confession ("another story...that I can confess"). I'm tempted to believe him, but I thought I saw him wink, though....

i think this song is about being unique and living life in your own terms rather then whats expected of you,imperfection is perfection

I think the singer is alot like Rose off of Titanic. She hated her life, she didn't like dealing with society and it's superficiality. He wanted something more, a life with more meaning. He doesn't care what others think of him, but he is sick of the insincerity. They wanted the truth to come out, so they decided to start by telling all their secrets. No more acting. The singer is letting go of all their secrets because they have nothing to lose. He sees the stupidity in society, and finally decides to not be like everyone else.