The lyrics are ambiguous and vague at times, but I'm quite sure that Skyscrapers is about a jumper who is sorry for not having sooner realized that the solution to all of his problems was "right here all the time."
...
"Skyscrapers, please forgive me
I didn't mean a word I said"
The author of the lyrics establishes right away that the protagonist clearly is 'not right' because he is talking to skyscrapers as though they have feelings and can be offended by words.
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"Skyscrapers, I was just tangled up in my own head"
It's funny, because offering inanimate objects apologies is probably a bigger sign you might be "tangled up" in your own head.
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"And somehow in all the madness
I thought that I was seeing straight"
Ironic, because affirming life is usually what is thought of as seeing straight, not jumping off skyscrapers.
...
"It ain't always pretty, but it seemed there was no other way"
Did you know jumping to your death could be sometimes pretty? YES! But I guess living life out to its fullest is clearly not acceptable.
...
"And I guess, all I ever loved
Was standing right before my eyes
And I, oh I, I was blind"
One might hope LIFE was all he ever loved, and that his love of LIFE is what blinded him from seeing skyscrapers. But, to remain more consistent with the rest of the story, it is more likely that the object of his love is skyscrapers and not life, because he's just that crazy.
...
"So skyscrapers, please forgive me
I'm standing here a repentative, man"
More nonsense, as if skyscrapers are going to care that he is ready to jump for penance. As if jumping were a acceptable form of penance to start with.
...
"Oh skyscrapers, I'll never look down again, again"
I guess he might have lost his nerve or gotten scared and balked at a prior attempt after looking down?
...
So, em, I guess I should thank you ... OK GO? For being so creative and imaginative and giving us all the much needed song about a crazy jumper. You really took the coo coo out of the clock for this song. To all who don't see this as suicidal ideation, your dead wrong. It has nothing to do with Chicago, or big cities. It's about a jumper, people.
The lyrics are ambiguous and vague at times, but I'm quite sure that Skyscrapers is about a jumper who is sorry for not having sooner realized that the solution to all of his problems was "right here all the time." ... "Skyscrapers, please forgive me I didn't mean a word I said" The author of the lyrics establishes right away that the protagonist clearly is 'not right' because he is talking to skyscrapers as though they have feelings and can be offended by words. ... "Skyscrapers, I was just tangled up in my own head" It's funny, because offering inanimate objects apologies is probably a bigger sign you might be "tangled up" in your own head. ... "And somehow in all the madness I thought that I was seeing straight" Ironic, because affirming life is usually what is thought of as seeing straight, not jumping off skyscrapers. ... "It ain't always pretty, but it seemed there was no other way" Did you know jumping to your death could be sometimes pretty? YES! But I guess living life out to its fullest is clearly not acceptable. ... "And I guess, all I ever loved Was standing right before my eyes And I, oh I, I was blind" One might hope LIFE was all he ever loved, and that his love of LIFE is what blinded him from seeing skyscrapers. But, to remain more consistent with the rest of the story, it is more likely that the object of his love is skyscrapers and not life, because he's just that crazy. ... "So skyscrapers, please forgive me I'm standing here a repentative, man" More nonsense, as if skyscrapers are going to care that he is ready to jump for penance. As if jumping were a acceptable form of penance to start with. ... "Oh skyscrapers, I'll never look down again, again" I guess he might have lost his nerve or gotten scared and balked at a prior attempt after looking down?
... So, em, I guess I should thank you ... OK GO? For being so creative and imaginative and giving us all the much needed song about a crazy jumper. You really took the coo coo out of the clock for this song. To all who don't see this as suicidal ideation, your dead wrong. It has nothing to do with Chicago, or big cities. It's about a jumper, people.