'I just want to be better than your head's only medicine'
A downward spiral just a pirouette
Getting worse til there's nothing left
What good comes of something when I'm just the ghost of nothing?
'I'm just the man on the balcony singing':
"Nobody will ever remember me,"
Rejoice, rejoice and fall to your knees
(for a)
Lunatic of a god or a god of a lunatic?
Oh, their faces are dancing
They're dancing til
Til they can't stand it
A composer but never composed
Singing the symphonies of the overdosed
A composer but never composed
'Singing':
"I only want what I can't have"
'Heralded as a king before I had a birthday
With double digits
Fit the crown to my head but I was only a kid'
'I'm just the man on the balcony singing':
"Nobody will ever remember me,"
Rejoice, rejoice and fall to your knees
(for a)
Lunatic of a god or a god of a lunatic?
Oh, their faces are dancing
They're dancing til
Til they can't stand it
A composer but never composed
Singing the symphonies of the overdosed
A composer but never composed
'Singing':
"I only want what I can't have"
'I just want to be better than your head's only medicine'
'I'm just the man on the balcony singing':
"Nobody will ever remember me,"
Rejoice, rejoice and fall to your knees
(for a)
Lunatic of a god or a god of a lunatic?
Oh, their faces are dancing
They're dancing til
Til they can't stand it
A composer but never composed
Singing the symphonies of the overdosed
A composer but never composed
'Singing'
"I only want what I can't have"



Lyrics submitted by auberginedreams09

Track duration: 03:36

"From Now on We Are Enemies [*]" as written by Peter Wentz, Patrick Stump, Joseph Trohman, Andrew Hurley

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


From Now On We Are Enemies song meanings
Add your thoughts

14 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:Okay guys so this is what I've got,

    Obviosuly this song has a massive Amadeus reference, from title to lyrics it's fairly evident but looking beyond the obvious Salieri/Mozart links there are just a few things I'd like to point out. All the while it's also worth remembering that as with most of FOB's later stuff (FUCT-IOH-FD) the lyrics were probably written in huge chunks by Wentz, then stump picked them apart and put them together and so what we're seeing in this song isn't the whole story.

    'I just want to be better than you're head only medicine,"

    FOB referred to themselves as the medicine in various ways numerous times,

    Sophomore Slump- we're the therapists pumping through your speakers//delivering just what you need//

    While perhaps this may have the tone of pre fame//post fame (and probably does) i think maybe it's also wrestling with the fact that they just wanted to release something bigger than FUCT, neither IOH nor FD were as big for the band as FUCT.

    the references to crashing, well it's my opinion that FOB knew they were going down and they couldn't hold it up much longer, above all else I think you can hear it in what a catch Donnie, no matter what anyone says that song is nothing short of the band's epitaph. If you watch the original video (which was cut down) you'll see pete standing and saluting on a sinking ship, even in the new cut of the vid he isnt rescued.

    'nobody will ever remember me'
    could be lots of things, the legacy of the band? the legacy of its memebers? the weight of the weight of the world on prefame shoulders contrasted with the rejoicing of having finally established a legacy to be proud of? who can say? One thing that is worth noting is that Wentz himself said he felt trapped by the standard 4/4 time signature of the music the band wrote perhaos he is reflecting on despite the band's success he doesn't feel as though tehy have really changed music? In ten, twenty years they'll be remembered as a big but not musically significant group- just part of a wave. Not my opinion but I'm just speculating.

    'Dancing til they can't stand it' & 'I always want what I can't have'
    clearly about over doing it. Either the band has been stuck doing something great (touring/shows/recording) for too long and now they want out, or at least a break. The irony is they wanted it so badly and now they're stuck doing it they feel trapped, all tehy wnat is peace, yet they all know if they go back to normal life they'll miss it as much as before they even started. They're stuck on the fence, either way they lose, either way tehy will wnat what they can't have. Add to this the pressure of starting a family, being two people at once, a father & a star and perhaps Wentz dilemma supports this interpretation too.

    'A Composer but never composed' & 'singing the symphonies of the overdosed'
    Singing the symphonies of the overdosed, literally the words of the overdosed- Wentz's lyrics. Composer but never composed either Wentz again or perhaos the band, Wentz struggled with composure as did the band as it began to weaken, could be taken either way.

    Verse II

    The troubles of stardom? child stardom? The relative youth of the band (as in how long FOB had been together)and struggling to cope with that pressure. Certainly it's about struggling to live up to expectations, something which permeates the song.

    From there it's just repeats.

    Amazing song, one of the best by far, really shame this and Alphadog didn't become part of a much wider album. Of course, all teh Amadeus imagery and references are clearly there- I can see them myself but those references aren't to be taken literally; they support the message and tone of the song. FOB never wrote about anything but the real issues as they saw them, whether it was young relationships, revenge, thanking friends, political injustice and so on. Wentz was a fan of the Smith's his lyrics would never be such an opaque reference. Hope this gives people some food for thought. Much love.


    Flag Sabiruon August 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"I just want to be better than your head's only medicine." After reading everyone else's interpretations, I kind of felt almost mediocre in comparison. I only have to offer this one line! But, that line, to me, kind of sounds like he wants to be better than just who you listen to when you're feeling lonely or sad. You know? Because, a lot of FOB fans, myself included, find comfort and solace in their songs. But Pete wants to be better than that. Maybe, he wants to be a friend to his fans? Or, maybe, he wants to be better than something that makes you happy. See, it kind of splits into two different meanings there, doesn't it?
    Flag LizzySquareon June 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i don't know for sure, but this song sure as hell has the making of swan song... (aka, they're last)
    'I'm just the man on the balcony singing: "Nobody will ever remember me," Rejoice, rejoice and fall to your knees' this sounds like they saying this as a wish, like here it is, now forget about us because this life is making us crazy (lunatic references)
    Flag iAMtheDREAMERon December 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:This song is about Pete to me. Or that's how it seems.
    'I just want to be better than your head's only medicine'
    is a line that I think refers to how Pete always hears about people whose lives have been saved by Fall Out Boy, and though it's an honor, he wishes he could meet them all. If I saved someone's life who I didn't even know, it seems to me, I would love meeting them as well.
    'I'm just the man on the balcony, singing nobody will ever remember me.'
    reminds me of his suicide attempt, and how he might have felt while doing it.
    'Fit the crown to my head, but I was only a kid'
    refers of how Pete got the famebug, or as he always claims, and how on top of everything he was in 2007 that he lost sight of how to deal with it. Now he's more mature.
    This song also reminds me of Michael Jackson. A lot.
    But hey, what do I know. I'm just a thirteen year old.
    Flag phandabearon December 13, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This is by far my favorite song by FOB (like my username?), and it's probably their most well-composed.

    "I just want to be better than your head's only medicine"
    He wants to outweigh (be better than) the drugs/alcohol they're taking (head's medicine)

    "A downward spiral just a pirouette, getting worse till there's nothing left"
    They're not only going down, but they're getting there fast (pirouetting downwards), and they won't stop until they hit rock bottom (nothing left)

    "What good comes of something when I'm just the ghost of nothing?"
    A double negative of sorts. Ghosts aren't really there, and so the ghost of nothing must really be practically invisible. In short, 'what good is trying to help if it's not going to do anything at all?'

    "I'm just the man on the balcony, singing 'nobody will ever remember me', rejoice and fall to your knees"
    The man on the balcony is a reference to Romeo and Juliet, i think. 'Nobody will ever remember me' is when the two don't think they're very important, and won't be missed. When Romeo and Juliet die (fall to your knees), they are finally happy (Rejoice).

    "For a lunatic of a god, or a god of a lunatic, oh, their faces are dancing till they can't stand it"
    I think this is a little more intricate. It's either a crazy dictator-type person with power or someone who can control someone with power. The people under their dictatorship have to feign happiness (their faces are dancing) under any and all circumstances (till they can't stand it).

    "Composer but never composed, singing the symphonies of the overdosed"
    Not necessarily a music composer, rather someone who creates something (not particularly anything), who has no idea how to create that something (never composed). Also, it's not necessarily drug overdosage either, and could be just the overuse of something. And the 'composer' is the spokesperson for these overusers.

    "Singing, 'I only want what I can't have'"
    In their case, composure, poise, and rationality (P!ATD reference, anyone?)

    "Heralded as a king before I had a birthday with double digits"
    I think, as far as the 'storyline' goes, the head of house (i.e. possibly the father) died when they were young, and they have to take over in the father's place. Not techinically a 'king', but the leader.

    "Fit the crown to my head but I was only a kid"
    They weren't ready to be the leader yet, and if they could, they would want the 'father' to be the king.
    Flag ManOnTheBalconyon December 12, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think the title of this song comes from the character Frank Grimes from the Simpsons. Look up the character and his relation to Homer Simpson and his role in the episode he was in. He says "From Now On We're Enemies" to homer. Pete also said the song is about two guys and their perspective on each other. -shrug-
    Flag wordsforthison December 11, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Okay so the whole song is about this intense rivalry between Mozart and Antonio Salieri.

    The first verses,

    "I just want to be better than your, your head's only medicine
    A downward spiral just a pirouette
    G-g-getting worse til there's n-n-nothing left
    What good comes of something when I'm
    Just the ghost of nothing, nothing?"

    This whole verse is talking about how Mozart wanted to speak to people
    through music, but then through the pollution of alcohol in his mind,
    he began crashing towards the ground, until he was so polluted that the
    alcohol killed him.

    "I'm just the man on the balcony singing,
    "Nobody will ever remember me,"
    Rejoice, rejoice and fall to your knees"

    At the beginning of the movie Amadeus, a movie based on this epic
    rivalry, Antonio is seen singing on his balcony about nobody will
    remember him because of how popular Mozart has become.

    "(For! A!)
    Lunatic of a god or a god of a lunatic?
    Oh, their faces are dancing
    They're dancing 'til,
    'Til they can't stand it"

    This God line is interesting cause it has a double meaning. In one
    sense, it's a play on how religious Antonio was, and through the movie
    he loses his faith in God, and curses him for giving Mozart such talent.
    On the other hand, it could be Pete simply asking out, "Is God crazy? or are we crazy for not understanding God?"

    "A composer but never composed
    Singing the symphonies of the overdose
    A composer but never composed
    Singing,
    "I only want what I can't have"
    "I only want what I can't have" "

    Here Antonio is grieving in these lines, and the line "singing the
    symphonies of the overdose." is referring again to Mozart succumbing to
    alcohol, and yet still everyone knows his music and not Antonio's.
    Obviously "I only want what I can't have." is talking about how Antonio want's Mozart's genius, but can't have it.


    "Heralded as a king before I had a birthday
    With double (double) digits (digits)
    Fit the crown to my head but I was only a kid
    Yeah I was only a kid!
    Yeah I was only a kid!"

    This verse talks about how Mozart was famous before he was even 10, writing his first masterpieces at 4-6.
    "Fit the crown to my head but I was only a kid" explains why Mozart
    wasted himself with alcohol, because he was a child and didn't know any
    better.
    Flag IWannaWriteLikeWentzon December 01, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about FOB taking a break, and possibly not being happy about what they've done with the band so far.
    "I'm just a man on the balcony singing, 'Nobody will ever remember me'." could be referring to them no feeling sufficent in the music industry, like they aren't making their mark.
    "Lunatic of a god or god of a lunatic?" could be referring to them constantly touring and recording albums, nonstop. Doing this just sets a band up for self destruction, so they are asking, "Are we crazy for moving so fast, or can we handle it?"
    "Their faces are dancing, they're dancing, til they can't stand it." could possibly be meaning the fans. "Their faces are dancing" could mean the fans enjoying music, and at concerts, the joy in fans eyes of seeing them play live. And the "til they can't stand it" could be referring to the music style of FOB changing, and how some fans aren't fans anymore because they do not enjoy, or they can't stand, the music FOB is now producing.
    "A composer but never composed." means, simply, that they compose their own lyrics and music- but they can't compose themselves due to all of the chaos.
    "I only want what I can't have." about them wanting to take a break, but not being able to because of their large fanbase- they don't want to let them down.

    I could be totally off, but that's my point of view.
    Flag GrenadeJumperon November 24, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I really love this song, I would have prefered it as a single over Alpha Dog. Not sure what it's about though, but my guesses would be consumerism, fakers and selfishness (as per usual of Pete Wentz's lyrics).
    Flag minimegooseyon November 20, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Wentz was talking about it in an interview saying that this song is about two different people: one is a king, rich, etc and the other is poor and unfortunate.

    Honestly, what I think is that these two people are Wentz before fame and Wentz after fame. Basically, when he wasn't a big rockstar, he wanted to be one.
    And now that he is, he doesn't want to be.

    Or, about him having like, two personalities, but not really.
    Like, two different moods that he often goes through. One, being confident, self-sufficent and comfortable with his life. The other being the other side of himself saying, "What are you doing with this life?" and like, him thinking that what he does amounts to nothing.

    That's just my say.
    I do like lolcat's interpretation.
    Flag Molz017on November 17, 2009   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain