I'm almost positive it's about suicide. He "bought the things he thought he would need." Pills? A gun, perhaps? He wrote a letter to his family. A suicide note, most likely. So why was he going to kill himself? Perhaps because he was disillusioned. Maybe he had been really happy as a child, but he thought he was losing all of his potential as he got older. He was no longer a "smiling face," he was becoming a "fucking wreck." He tried to hide his depression for as long as possible because he didn't want people to feel sorry for him, but he didn't think that he could hold it inside any longer. That's why he's embarassed by the withering flower. The flower's natural reaction to a bad situation is to wither. He's been in lots of bad situations, but he doesn't want people to realize that he's withering.
Anyway, it's March, it's winter, he's decided he's going to kill himself. But then spring comes and suddenly it's sunnier again. The "persuasive rays" (fantastic line, btw) convince him that not everything in life is unhappy, there are some things to live for. The thing that finally makes up his mind, though, is when his brother Justin basically tells him "If you kill yourself, I'll be so devastated that I'll die, too." He realizes that, yes, things have been going bad, but people still love him and there are still things to live for.
The last verse is a dedication to his brother's unborn child (haha, this is where I start to cry). It's a parallel to his own life. The womb (childhood) is warm and deceiving, but sometimes, when you get older, the world can be cold and cruel. But he wants to show his nephew that not everything is horrible, not everything is a lie. Sometimes there's just love. He promises this to his nephew, and to himself.
Absolutely beautiful song. Easily the best song about suicide ever. Allow me to restate that Conor is pure genius.
I'm almost positive it's about suicide. He "bought the things he thought he would need." Pills? A gun, perhaps? He wrote a letter to his family. A suicide note, most likely. So why was he going to kill himself? Perhaps because he was disillusioned. Maybe he had been really happy as a child, but he thought he was losing all of his potential as he got older. He was no longer a "smiling face," he was becoming a "fucking wreck." He tried to hide his depression for as long as possible because he didn't want people to feel sorry for him, but he didn't think that he could hold it inside any longer. That's why he's embarassed by the withering flower. The flower's natural reaction to a bad situation is to wither. He's been in lots of bad situations, but he doesn't want people to realize that he's withering.
Anyway, it's March, it's winter, he's decided he's going to kill himself. But then spring comes and suddenly it's sunnier again. The "persuasive rays" (fantastic line, btw) convince him that not everything in life is unhappy, there are some things to live for. The thing that finally makes up his mind, though, is when his brother Justin basically tells him "If you kill yourself, I'll be so devastated that I'll die, too." He realizes that, yes, things have been going bad, but people still love him and there are still things to live for.
The last verse is a dedication to his brother's unborn child (haha, this is where I start to cry). It's a parallel to his own life. The womb (childhood) is warm and deceiving, but sometimes, when you get older, the world can be cold and cruel. But he wants to show his nephew that not everything is horrible, not everything is a lie. Sometimes there's just love. He promises this to his nephew, and to himself.
Absolutely beautiful song. Easily the best song about suicide ever. Allow me to restate that Conor is pure genius.
I think this is the best interpretation I've heard yet, I totally agree with you!
I think this is the best interpretation I've heard yet, I totally agree with you!
i like what you said about the whithering flower line, very well put
i like what you said about the whithering flower line, very well put