Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
If the businessmen drink my blood
Like the kids at art school said they would
The I guess I'll just begin again.
You say, can we still be friends?
If I was scared, I would,
And if I was bored, you know I would,
And if I was yours, but I'm not.
All the kids have always known
That the emperor wears no clothes
But they bow down to him anyway
'cause it's better then being alone.
If I was scared, I would,
and if I was bored, you know I would,
And if I was yours, but I'm not.
Now you're knocking at my door
Saying: "Please come out with us tonight"
But I would rather be alone,
then pretend I feel alright.
If the businessmen drink my blood
Like the kids at art school said they would
The I guess I'll just begin again.
You say, can we still be friends?
If I was scared, I would,
And if I was pure, you know I would,
And if I was yours, but I'm not.
Now I'm ready to start.
If I was scared, I would,
And if I was pure, you know I would,
And if I was yours, but I'm not.
Now I'm ready to start.
Now I'm ready to start,
I would rather be wrong than
Live in the shadows of your song.
My mind is open wide and
Now I'm ready to start.
My mind is open wide
And now I'm ready to start.
You're not sure
You opened the door
and step out into the dark.
Now I'm ready.
Like the kids at art school said they would
The I guess I'll just begin again.
You say, can we still be friends?
If I was scared, I would,
And if I was bored, you know I would,
And if I was yours, but I'm not.
All the kids have always known
That the emperor wears no clothes
But they bow down to him anyway
'cause it's better then being alone.
If I was scared, I would,
and if I was bored, you know I would,
And if I was yours, but I'm not.
Now you're knocking at my door
Saying: "Please come out with us tonight"
But I would rather be alone,
then pretend I feel alright.
If the businessmen drink my blood
Like the kids at art school said they would
The I guess I'll just begin again.
You say, can we still be friends?
If I was scared, I would,
And if I was pure, you know I would,
And if I was yours, but I'm not.
Now I'm ready to start.
If I was scared, I would,
And if I was pure, you know I would,
And if I was yours, but I'm not.
Now I'm ready to start.
Now I'm ready to start,
I would rather be wrong than
Live in the shadows of your song.
My mind is open wide and
Now I'm ready to start.
My mind is open wide
And now I'm ready to start.
You're not sure
You opened the door
and step out into the dark.
Now I'm ready.
Lyrics submitted by MaxpowerSupreme, edited by mattisyourhero
Track duration: 04:18
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!
I agree that the main idea is about idealism vs. commercialism, and also having to make the choice between them. That much is clear from the get-go, with "Businessmen drink my blood / Like the kids in art school said they would"
But the key here is "And if I was pure / You know I would / And if I was yours / But I'm not". In the dichotomy of blood-sucking businessmen and art-school indie musicians, if one is "pure" and the other one "corrupt", it's the indie musicians who are pure. (Side note: Agreed, RIAA is a bunch of punks.) Who is he talking to when he says that? Not the businessmen; they don't care whether he's pure. If it were the businessmen inviting him to come out tonight, when he doesn't feel like it, then it definitely would not happen if he were "pure" (true to his indie roots, perhaps?) Instead, it makes more sense that he's talking to his indie music friends. They're the ones who care and would know what he would do if he were pure. They're the ones who are asking him to come out tonight, and asking about their friendship.
So clearly, there's some element of business success, and the downsides that go with it, that Arcade Fire experience, for better or for worse. Of course -- they're probably the most popular indie band. (I love their music!) But that goes against the starving artist, fiercely independent at all costs type of mentality that they must have started with. Is it really so bad that people actually like their music and their message enough to make them be so successful? Well, the friends immediately question AF's bona fides, "You say, can we still be friends[?]" But AF doesn't think that there's anything wrong with their fans' support. AF is still the same, and people just happen to like it. (I mean, people just like Funeral and The Suburbs. Do fans express as much interest, real or fake, in Neon Bible? Not as many. So it goes.) So AF says, if the businessmen are sucking the blood of AF, then AF will re-evaluate their situation and begin again with the businessmen. At the scale AF deals with, you can't hire indie companies to organize all your concerts, but, at least, you can at least re-negotiate a fairer cut from the contracts with the businessmen.
So when it comes to their friends, AF says that they're not going to throw away their success just because some of their indie friends don't like it. They're not going to throw what they have away to "stick it to the man" -- not because they're afraid of what their friends are thinking ("If I were scared"), not because they don't have much going on business-wise anyways which makes it an easy position to hold ("If I were bored"), not because they are absolutist in their approach ("If I were pure"), and not because they're beholden to anyone besides themselves ("If I were yours").
These friends who are questioning AF's bona fides don't sound like good friends after all. They sound jealous, maybe, because true friends are happy for each other. So it sounds like AF realizes that those friends suck, and it's no wonder they say, "Now you're knocking at my door / Saying please come out against the night / But I would rather be alone / Than pretend I feel alright". Stupid frienemies. And furthermore, those frienemies probably aren't bold enough to buck the system themselves, "All the [art] kids have always known / That the emperor wears no clothes / But they bow down to him anyway / 'cause it's better then being alone." So they're hypocrites, too. Truly working 100% outside the system and sustaining a movement for change is a hard thing. AF knows that it's hard, and that effecting real change might require a little dancing with the devil, even if that idea is heretical in hardcore indie circles, "I would rather be wrong than / Live in the shadows of your song. / My mind is open wide and / Now I'm ready to start." Time will tell who's in a better position to make change. Maybe it's already happening, "You're not sure / You opened the door / and step out into the dark."
Lots of issues going on there, it's kind of deep. It's a lot like U2's "Gone". Sorry for the epistle -- I feel like I just explained 1000 jokes or something. But it took me a while to figure this out, and I'm not sure if others would get it otherwise. It may not be "correct", and it's nice to see everyone finding their own meaning in something. My interpretation has really been resonating with me personally for a few months, now. Enjoy!
'I would rather be wrong
Than live in the shadows of your song
My mind is open wide
And now I'm ready to start
Your mind surely opened the door
To step out into the dark
Now I'm ready'
Room 101.
("Businessmen drink my blood. Like the kids in art school said they would")
I think it's about profit oriented mindset, where today, more kids consider art as million dollar 'commodity', and of course, a way to become a star.
("And I guess I'll just begin again. You say can we still be friends")
There are nothing wrong with that mindset, but at the end idealism and profit-orientation should go in separate way. You have to go with your own way when your friends don't agree with you and your idealism.
The line "If I was scared... If I was bored" expressing how the meaning of art has lost because it's just a commodity to make money. And of course, we all bored with mainstream art driven by business to gain more dollars.
The line "If I was pure. You know I would. If I was yours. But I'm not" explain clearly that it's about choosing your own way.
("Now I'm ready to start. I would rather be wrong. Than live in the shadows of your song")
Again, in the end when we choose to stay in our own idealism instead of the comfort of 'just' follow what everyone's like (the mainstream/the market), we have to be strong and open minded.
I agree that the main idea is about idealism vs. commercialism, and also having to make the choice between them. That much is clear from the get-go, with "Businessmen drink my blood / Like the kids in art school said they would"
But the key here is "And if I was pure / You know I would / And if I was yours / But I'm not". In the dichotomy of blood-sucking businessmen and art-school indie musicians, if one is "pure" and the other one "corrupt", it's the indie musicians who are pure. (Side note: Agreed, RIAA is a bunch of punks.) Who is he talking to when he says that? Not the businessmen; they don't care whether he's pure. If it were the businessmen inviting him to come out tonight, when he doesn't feel like it, then it definitely would not happen if he were "pure" (true to his indie roots, perhaps?) Instead, it makes more sense that he's talking to his indie music friends. They're the ones who care and would know what he would do if he were pure. They're the ones who are asking him to come out tonight, and asking about their friendship.
So clearly, there's some element of business success, and the downsides that go with it, that Arcade Fire experience, for better or for worse. Of course -- they're probably the most popular indie band. (I love their music!) But that goes against the starving artist, fiercely independent at all costs type of mentality that they must have started with. Is it really so bad that people actually like their music and their message enough to make them be so successful? Well, the friends immediately question AF's bona fides, "You say, can we still be friends[?]" But AF doesn't think that there's anything wrong with their fans' support. AF is still the same, and people just happen to like it. (I mean, people just like Funeral and The Suburbs. Do fans express as much interest, real or fake, in Neon Bible? Not as many. So it goes.) So AF says, if the businessmen are sucking the blood of AF, then AF will re-evaluate their situation and begin again with the businessmen. At the scale AF deals with, you can't hire indie companies to organize all your concerts, but, at least, you can at least re-negotiate a fairer cut from the contracts with the businessmen.
So when it comes to their friends, AF says that they're not going to throw away their success just because some of their indie friends don't like it. They're not going to throw what they have away to "stick it to the man" -- not because they're afraid of what their friends are thinking ("If I were scared"), not because they don't have much going on business-wise anyways which makes it an easy position to hold ("If I were bored"), not because they are absolutist in their approach ("If I were pure"), and not because they're beholden to anyone besides themselves ("If I were yours").
These friends who are questioning AF's bona fides don't sound like good friends after all. They sound jealous, maybe, because true friends are happy for each other. So it sounds like AF realizes that those friends suck, and it's no wonder they say, "Now you're knocking at my door / Saying please come out against the night / But I would rather be alone / Than pretend I feel alright". Stupid frienemies. And furthermore, those frienemies probably aren't bold enough to buck the system themselves, "All the [art] kids have always known / That the emperor wears no clothes / But they bow down to him anyway / 'cause it's better then being alone." So they're hypocrites, too. Truly working 100% outside the system and sustaining a movement for change is a hard thing. AF knows that it's hard, and that effecting real change might require a little dancing with the devil, even if that idea is heretical in hardcore indie circles, "I would rather be wrong than / Live in the shadows of your song. / My mind is open wide and / Now I'm ready to start." Time will tell who's in a better position to make change. Maybe it's already happening, "You're not sure / You opened the door / and step out into the dark."
Lots of issues going on there, it's kind of deep. It's a lot like U2's "Gone". Sorry for the epistle -- I feel like I just explained 1000 jokes or something. But it took me a while to figure this out, and I'm not sure if others would get it otherwise. It may not be "correct", and it's nice to see everyone finding their own meaning in something. My interpretation has really been resonating with me personally for a few months, now. Enjoy!
"If I was scared, I would."
If he was afraid of death, he'd join a religion.
"If I was bored, you know I would."
If he had nothing else to do, he'd join a religion.
"If I was pure, you know I would."
If he felt that their version of morality matched his, he'd join a religion.
"If I was yours, but I'm not."
He can't pretend to belong to the religion, even though it's assumed that he is.
The entire emperor's no clothes verse
He knows that many of the people don't really believe in the religion, but they bow down anyway, so they feel accepted and part of a group.
"Now you're knocking at my door
Saying please come out with us tonight
But I would rather be alone
Than pretend I feel alright"
The religion visits his home, trying to get him to come out to a service, but he doesn't want to put on a face and pretend.
"Now I'm ready to start,
I would rather be wrong than
Live in the shadows of your song."
He's ready to be honest about his beliefs, and would rather die and go to hell than live a lie his entire life.
"My mind is open wide and
Now I'm ready to start. "
"You're not sure
You opened the door
and step out into the dark.
Now I'm ready."
He's ready to leave what he's been told his entire life and step out into the unknown.
Living in the buckle of the bible belt, Middle TN, that's what I took from this song. This song along with a few Modest Mouse songs encouraged me to "come out" to my community about my atheism. While I've mostly received negative feedback from the bible-thumpers, I'm finally at peace with myself, and others who feel like I do. I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I pretend to be.
When I first heard the song, I thought Win sang "I would rather be wrong than live in the shadows of your sun (Son?)".
It certainly sounds like he's talking about some type of unverifiable belief, something the present consequences of which are greater than the possible future consequences of being wrong about faith.
Thank you for posting this!
That the emperor wears no clothes
But to bow to down to him anyway
'cause its better than bein' alone"
I love this verse. To me it's about 'the next big thing' as in everyone goes on about how great it is, but we all know it's not but we don't want to be left out of something that's sweeping the nation or world.
"All the kids have always known
That the emperor wears no clothes
But to bow to down to him anyway
'cause its better than bein' alone"
Essentially, we like to consort with superficial friends, "emperor[s that] wear[] no clothes," so as to avoid this isolation, and, implicitly, to avoid the often painful introspection that is married to it. We'd rather live on this veneer of society than come to grips with loneliness and our own identity.
"Now you're knocking at my door
Saying please come out against the night
But I would rather be alone
Than pretend I feel alright"
This is the most clear statement Butler makes in the song. He is explicitly saying that he does not wish to comply with this societal pressure to exist on such a plane of superficiality. He doesn't wish to mask his pain and inadequacy behind a drunken night with friends or a numbing outing. He has no intention of softening life's blow, like so much of society is designed to accomplish. Butler wants to actually feel what this world deals each and every one of us, not to hide in an illusory refuge of friendship.