This song is about an idealistic young adult who doesn't know what life to live in this world. On the one side there is the 'real' world, where the behemoth called free market economics resides; it will shallow you whole. This is the jungle where others prey on you in order to survive. ('Businessmen drink my blood'). On the other side there are his friends and others he knows, the hippie kind of people who are anti-establishment and just want to have fun and be artistic and free. They have seen that the ‘real world’ is hostile and try stay away from it ('Like the kids in art school said they would'). The person cannot choose, because he thinks neither of those 'choices' is really what he wants. There is a sense that there could be some sort of solution to a problem. ('And I guess I'll just begin again'). The people he cares about go in different directions, so he asks himself if he should let them go ('You say, can we still be friends'). He uses the form ‘you’ to reflect his own doubts.
In the chorus the person reflects on who he is, what drives him and what he stands for. If he was afraid and ignorant he would already have made his choice ('If I was scared I would'). If he wasn't a person who looks for a deeper meaning in his life, he would've chosen what to do already ('And if I was bored You know I would'). And if he was ready to commit himself to the people he loves he would base his life choices on them ('And if I was yours Well I'm not'). The chorus expresses how much pressure the world puts on you if you do not yet have a clear direction for your life. It feels like you are constantly forced to explain yourself.
The second verse is about society and how it deals with purpose. Almost everyone understands at some point in his young life that objective purpose is an illusion ('All the kids have always known That the emperor wears no clothes'). Most people try to ignore the man behind the curtain and try to fit into society ('But to bow to down to them anyway'). Being conformist seems easier than trying to discover if there could really be a deeper purpose in life. It takes courage to face your inner fears ('Is better than being alone').
In the chorus the person reflects again on where he stands, who he is and what he wants. If he was afraid he would've fit into society already, but he has the courage to explore and discover everything ('If I was scared I would'). If he already found out that there is nothing out there, no deeper meaning or purpose, he would have given up by now, but he is not done yet ('And if I was bored You know I would'). The people who love him keep interfering with his personal choices, but he begins to understand that he is an individual who must try to find his own place in this world ('And if I was yours But I'm not').
Note: The difference between the first and second chorus is the replacement of the word 'well' by 'but'. This change marks the difference in confidence the person has. In the second chorus he really understands that he has his own life to live and he is less reluctant to let people go if they drag him down.
The third verse is about an existential crisis and depression you have to face, because this is an inevitable effect of the path the person has chosen to take. At certain points you think the world might be too hostile, too evil. Is life really worth living you ask yourself? This is the point where your family and friends try to help you by dragging you into 'normal life' again ('Now you're knocking at my door Saying please come out against tonight'). At his moment you are not yet weak enough to let that happen. You have ideals and do not want to give up on them, you don’t want to give upon yourself! The person accepts he has to feel miserable sometimes to get somewhere (‘But I would rather be alone Than pretend I feel alright’). The rest of the verse is the same as the first verse. It means that the person reminds himself of his reasons for taking control of his own life. It reminds him why he is where he is right now. The world has not changed. There is still the underlying structure of corporately promoted materialism. In society there is still the pretense that everything is all right and the person cannot bear that yet.
In the chorus the person tries to reassure himself and find his strength again to continue his existential path. Yes, he would turn backwards if he was afraid. He would stop if he could, but he feels no remorse for being egoistic (‘And if I was Pure You know I would’). He realizes that he is truly a liberated individual, set free from the societal hive-mind. He understands that he has to give his own value to everything he knows.
The next chorus is a repetition to strengthen the message. The person has become the master of his own mind. He is reborn and is ready to take on any challenge. He is truly Read to Start!
In the last part of the song he has to exclaim it to the world. He is sure, he is determined. He does not care about what others think of him anymore ‘(I would rather be wrong’), because he is free from ignorance (‘Than live in the shadows of your song’). His mind is open to accept anything he is willing to dedicate himself to (‘My mind is open wide And now I'm ready to start’). His soul-searching is completed and now he can re-enter the world as a new person (‘Your mind surely opened the door To step out into the dark’). He is Ready.
This song is about an idealistic young adult who doesn't know what life to live in this world. On the one side there is the 'real' world, where the behemoth called free market economics resides; it will shallow you whole. This is the jungle where others prey on you in order to survive. ('Businessmen drink my blood'). On the other side there are his friends and others he knows, the hippie kind of people who are anti-establishment and just want to have fun and be artistic and free. They have seen that the ‘real world’ is hostile and try stay away from it ('Like the kids in art school said they would'). The person cannot choose, because he thinks neither of those 'choices' is really what he wants. There is a sense that there could be some sort of solution to a problem. ('And I guess I'll just begin again'). The people he cares about go in different directions, so he asks himself if he should let them go ('You say, can we still be friends'). He uses the form ‘you’ to reflect his own doubts. In the chorus the person reflects on who he is, what drives him and what he stands for. If he was afraid and ignorant he would already have made his choice ('If I was scared I would'). If he wasn't a person who looks for a deeper meaning in his life, he would've chosen what to do already ('And if I was bored You know I would'). And if he was ready to commit himself to the people he loves he would base his life choices on them ('And if I was yours Well I'm not'). The chorus expresses how much pressure the world puts on you if you do not yet have a clear direction for your life. It feels like you are constantly forced to explain yourself. The second verse is about society and how it deals with purpose. Almost everyone understands at some point in his young life that objective purpose is an illusion ('All the kids have always known That the emperor wears no clothes'). Most people try to ignore the man behind the curtain and try to fit into society ('But to bow to down to them anyway'). Being conformist seems easier than trying to discover if there could really be a deeper purpose in life. It takes courage to face your inner fears ('Is better than being alone'). In the chorus the person reflects again on where he stands, who he is and what he wants. If he was afraid he would've fit into society already, but he has the courage to explore and discover everything ('If I was scared I would'). If he already found out that there is nothing out there, no deeper meaning or purpose, he would have given up by now, but he is not done yet ('And if I was bored You know I would'). The people who love him keep interfering with his personal choices, but he begins to understand that he is an individual who must try to find his own place in this world ('And if I was yours But I'm not'). Note: The difference between the first and second chorus is the replacement of the word 'well' by 'but'. This change marks the difference in confidence the person has. In the second chorus he really understands that he has his own life to live and he is less reluctant to let people go if they drag him down. The third verse is about an existential crisis and depression you have to face, because this is an inevitable effect of the path the person has chosen to take. At certain points you think the world might be too hostile, too evil. Is life really worth living you ask yourself? This is the point where your family and friends try to help you by dragging you into 'normal life' again ('Now you're knocking at my door Saying please come out against tonight'). At his moment you are not yet weak enough to let that happen. You have ideals and do not want to give up on them, you don’t want to give upon yourself! The person accepts he has to feel miserable sometimes to get somewhere (‘But I would rather be alone Than pretend I feel alright’). The rest of the verse is the same as the first verse. It means that the person reminds himself of his reasons for taking control of his own life. It reminds him why he is where he is right now. The world has not changed. There is still the underlying structure of corporately promoted materialism. In society there is still the pretense that everything is all right and the person cannot bear that yet. In the chorus the person tries to reassure himself and find his strength again to continue his existential path. Yes, he would turn backwards if he was afraid. He would stop if he could, but he feels no remorse for being egoistic (‘And if I was Pure You know I would’). He realizes that he is truly a liberated individual, set free from the societal hive-mind. He understands that he has to give his own value to everything he knows. The next chorus is a repetition to strengthen the message. The person has become the master of his own mind. He is reborn and is ready to take on any challenge. He is truly Read to Start! In the last part of the song he has to exclaim it to the world. He is sure, he is determined. He does not care about what others think of him anymore ‘(I would rather be wrong’), because he is free from ignorance (‘Than live in the shadows of your song’). His mind is open to accept anything he is willing to dedicate himself to (‘My mind is open wide And now I'm ready to start’). His soul-searching is completed and now he can re-enter the world as a new person (‘Your mind surely opened the door To step out into the dark’). He is Ready.