EDIT: Scroll down to see my interpretation of Sorry by the Jonas Brothers. Or read both if you haven't already; my interpretation of In The End is one of my favorites to date!
On the almost one-month anniversary since anyone posted in this thread...
Sorry for the long neglect, guys. I have nothing to blame except my poor time management skills. I will tackle the bulk of these over Thanksgiving break, but until then... no promises...
...except that I am posting a song interpretation right now!
~*~
Linkin Park wrote:In The End
(It starts with)
One thing / I don’t know why
It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme
To explain in due time
All I know
time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day
The clock ticks life away
It’s so unreal
Didn’t look out below
Watch the time go right out the window
Trying to hold on / but didn’t even know
Wasted it all just to
Watch you go
I kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart
What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
One thing / I don’t know why
It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme
To remind myself how
I tried so hard
In spite of the way you were mocking me
Acting like I was part of your property
Remembering all the times you fought with me
I’m surprised it got so (far)
Things aren’t the way they were before
You wouldn’t even recognize me anymore
Not that you knew me back then
But it all comes back to me
In the end
You kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart
What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There’s only one thing you should know
I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There’s only one thing you should know
I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
Though this song seems almost general enough to be about any loss or great fall, it is neither vague nor general to the members of Linkin Park. To them, this is a brutally honest, autobiographical song – a reminder that their ascension in the musical world came at a terrible price.
The lead singer of Linkin Park, you see, had lofty political aspirations back in 2003. A rising star in his city government, these youthful ambitions carried him first to regional attention, then, suddenly, the eyes of the nation were upon him. This young dreamer, who was amazed by the effect his words had on people - words like “You can close your eyes to the things you do not want to see, but you cannot close your heart to the things you do not want to feel” - decided he would run for president in 2004. The powers that be decided that his young age wasn’t an issue. Everything was falling into place – even his friends, because of their association with him, seemed to have rosy futures awaiting them on the political front.
But it all changed on November 25, 2003. While preparing for his first major rally, he saw a guitar strategically placed next to his red-white-and-blue suitcase. He had played off and on in his more carefree days, but suddenly had the urge to put some of his most quotable slogans and catchphrases into song.
It was a set up.
Suddenly, the press were upon him with their flashing cameras and aghast questions. Suddenly, the words that had sounded so inspiring now sounded like nothing more than silly song lyrics, and his credibility as a serious political figure was shattered. The rally was a complete failure, and not even his city council would take him back.
With nowhere else to turn, he and his friends embraced the musical world, and through that half-hearted hug have found success. Sadly, almost no one remembers him as a presidential candidate, and those who do call him a joke.
Only one thing is uncertain: why he is talking about this personal tragedy now, after five years of silence. Could a political comeback be in the works, or maybe a book detailing his life story?
Or perhaps this is simply his way of telling his girlfriend about that painful fall from favor... and to explain why he has a hard time being happy on her birthday.
*********************************************************************************************
*dusts off the Open sign and pushes the creaky door open*
I actually wrote two interpretations to this one because I couldn’t definitively decide on one.
The Jonas Brothers wrote:Sorry
Broken hearts and last goodbyes
Restless nights but lullabies
Helps make this pain go away
I realize I let you down
Told you that I'd be around
Building up the strength just to say
I'm sorry
For breaking all the promises that I wasn't around to keep.
Its all me
This time is the last time that I will ever beg you to stay.
But your already on your way.
Filled with sorrow, filled with pain
Knowing that I am to blame
For leaving your heart out in the rain
And I know your gonna walk away
And leave me with the price to pay
But before you go I wanted to say
Yeah!
That I'm sorry
For breaking all the promises that I wasn't around to keep
Its all me
This time is the last time that I will ever beg you to stay.
But you're already on your way.
Can't make it alive on my own
But if you have to go, then please girl
Just leave me alone.
Cause I don't want to see you and me going our separate ways.
I'm begging you to stay
If it isn't too late
I'm sorry
For breaking all the promises that I wasn't around to keep.
Its all me
This time is the last time that I will ever beg you to stay.
But your already on your way.
But your already on your way...
Once upon a time, there was a boy who, like boys often do, lost his baby teeth one by one. He left the first one under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy, but when he only got a nickel in exchange, he felt cheated and decided to look for a better deal elsewhere.
However, unbeknownst to the boy, the Tooth Fairy came every night after he’d lost a tooth, and each time went away feeling sad and betrayed. This went on for some time, with the boy pawning off his teeth during recess, and the Tooth Fairy finding nothing under his pillow.
It all changed one day…the day the boy lost his last tooth. That day, one of his classmates reprimanded him about his foolish ways, explaining that the Tooth Fairy always left a wonderful present in exchange for a child’s last tooth… and that his actions had not only cost him that present, but that he had likely hurt the feelings of the very-sensitive Tooth Fairy.
The boy was torn between feeling genuinely guilty and wanting the marvelous present, so he stayed up late writing this very emotional song (or, at least, a less-refined version of it) to try to win the Tooth Fairy over. Ironically, however, he forgot to put his newly-lost tooth under the pillow with the letter. So, even though the Tooth Fairy was very moved by his words, she could not leave him anything.
The boy never again took anyone for granted. Years later, he polished up the song and had it published, so all apologetic people everywhere could unite.
~*~
Or this song is about a child who’s all grown up and is finally parting with his (or her) teddy bear. The anguish of parting is expressed here, and the regret at having not played enough with it… or not taking as good of care of it as he/she could have. This song, however, is full of many exemplary life lessons that even those not dealing with the pain of giving up their favorite stuffed animal can heartily relate to. Oh, and the line
For leaving your heart out in the rain makes sense only after you’ve seen the following picture of the infamous teddy bear: