Light and Shadow

I think Jeremy’s giving advice to songwriters/artists in general. I think many young artists have a tendency to get overly frustrated when they suffer a setback with respect to their art, whether it be negative feedback or a lack of recognition and success that they feel they deserve, whereas those who have been successful seem to understand that setbacks are not only inevitable but healthy, capable of strengthening one’s character and resolve. There is no hint of condescension or mockery in this song, though, which is one of the things that makes it so touching. Essentially, Jeremy- a musician with an incredible career and a ton of great music under his belt- is telling all prospective artists to keep failing, to keep “tearing at the wall”. You will fail as many times as it takes for you to finally strike the blow that will “light up this world”. In other words, failure is not only healthy, but is the only true path to success. Having to “knock/A thousand times” will surely be frustrating, and many people will see you as foolish for pursuing a goal as abstract as artistic renown. Ignore them, and ignore the frustration, because the “dream” that causes all artists to brave the awkward, often painful path toward artistic mastery: “I know it’s real”, Jeremy says. Take it from him, if you’re gonna take it from anybody.