The song is about a awakening Conor had nearly eight years ago after suffering alcohol poisoning. From the time the song was written not even a year had passed since he was rushed to the hospital for it. As the song reveals, Conor was at a point in his life where he would allow the anxieties of life drive him out of his mind. While driving under the influence, he saw a world so hopeless, led by a man with no compassion for human life. Conor was under alot of scrutiny at the time and felt discouraged with the way things were in his life (Next time he will not aim so high...neither will I). He saw himself a selfish person...only looking after his own interests, yet argues his reasons for being that way...one major reason being how it is useless trying to make a difference in a world that is doomed. He also argues how the government a major reason for this discouragement. So he has "the blues." However, after an incident where his life is almost lost, he realizes that things could be a lot worse...he could be dead. He also realizes that there are people that ginuinely love him (his father) and return his love, a contrast to the false love he speaks of throughout the album. The entire album continually explores the idea of what it means "to love and to be loved," and how millions spend their entire lives searching for love that is real; Conor finally discovers it towards the very conclusion of the album. He hopes this "love" is enough to keep him going and that it will allow him to look past the millions of things that bother him in society. The song overall has a positive message to it, if you look past all the discouraging truths he brings up.
The song is about a awakening Conor had nearly eight years ago after suffering alcohol poisoning. From the time the song was written not even a year had passed since he was rushed to the hospital for it. As the song reveals, Conor was at a point in his life where he would allow the anxieties of life drive him out of his mind. While driving under the influence, he saw a world so hopeless, led by a man with no compassion for human life. Conor was under alot of scrutiny at the time and felt discouraged with the way things were in his life (Next time he will not aim so high...neither will I). He saw himself a selfish person...only looking after his own interests, yet argues his reasons for being that way...one major reason being how it is useless trying to make a difference in a world that is doomed. He also argues how the government a major reason for this discouragement. So he has "the blues." However, after an incident where his life is almost lost, he realizes that things could be a lot worse...he could be dead. He also realizes that there are people that ginuinely love him (his father) and return his love, a contrast to the false love he speaks of throughout the album. The entire album continually explores the idea of what it means "to love and to be loved," and how millions spend their entire lives searching for love that is real; Conor finally discovers it towards the very conclusion of the album. He hopes this "love" is enough to keep him going and that it will allow him to look past the millions of things that bother him in society. The song overall has a positive message to it, if you look past all the discouraging truths he brings up.