Black heart sun rides the sky
Now your eyes are running dry
Oh, like the space around me
I take my spot in time

Who knows who is both your best friend and brother
When everyone's deserted you
Who'd shoot first and ask questions later
If anybody's messed with you
Pretty soon we'll all be tumblin' like a barrel
Thrown from the top of the waterfall, well
I'm drowning in piranhas in the river
Man, what a drag, man

Black heart sun rides the sky
Now your wells are runnin' dry
Like the space around me
I take my spot in time

Who knows who is both your best friend and brother
When everyone's deserted you
Who'd shoot first and ask questions later
If anybody's messed with you
Pretty soon we'll all be tumblin' like a barrel
Thrown from the top of the waterfall, well
I'm drowning in piranhas in the river
Man, what a drag!
Man, what a drag!
Man, what a drag!

I was talkin' to my teacher
Said I didn't have a clue
I think my principles are reachin'
An all time low

I saw my lady in the streetlight
She was walkin' with her man
They were headed for the fire
That was burnin' in the sand
I think my principles are reachin'
An all time low

I think my principles are reachin'
An all time, all time low

All time low
All time low
All time low
All time low


Lyrics submitted by SuperKind311

All Time Low Lyrics as written by Hermann Bell

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

All Time Low song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

7 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    That's some real hate, wingnutz. Some hottie Panic girl must have really broke your heart. Poor fella...

    Cavocon November 09, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this is my favorite panic song! where is the WP love? yea but this song is pretty blatant in what it is about. i my favorite part is "i saw my lady in the streetlight she was walkin' with her man they were heading for the fire that was burnin' in the sand" actually .... all panic songs are my favorite... mmm yes!

    k9ttyk1ton June 06, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    When I was in Athens, I heard that this song was written by Jojo after a bad break up w/ one of his old girlfriends. "I saw my lady in the streetlight..." lines are about when he was at the beach, and saw his GF headed to the beach w/ some other guy. He apparently caught them f&$king on the beach. Not a pretty scenario.

    mikesinkon January 30, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song was written when the band got on heroin pretty bad in the late 80's and 90's. Its talking about how they were at an all time low.

    SpreadHeadon February 22, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    mikesink is the most accurate. This actually started as a beanland song, which was jojo's first band. I have live cds where they sing some, but not all lyrics. The "principles reaching an all time low" were not on original song with beanland. it morphed into a panic song. So Spreadhead is wrong and to my knowledge this band never delved into serious herion. c'mon dude! And wingnut is just searching for meaning in this world. I really get tired of people relating everything widespread panic to drugs. It ain't about that. Go to everydaycompanion.com sometime and read the lyrics. powerful stuff! Happy 25th anniversary to the boys!

    meltedwhiskeyon March 04, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    like every panic song this can be interpreted many ways. but it is just a generalized comment on how falling into an all time low brings about a revelation. seeing how anything can make you realized you have fucked up. but you have to fuck up to see the truth. J.B. dave schools jojo and jimmy nailed it. its about beng a fucking human being

    gfdrake89on May 17, 2013   Link
  • -3
    General Comment

    widespread panic is a bunch of drugged out untalented losers who think they are composing music but are really too fucked up to comprehend any sense of reality and only have a followers because they are so fucked they cant think for themselves they just go along with all the other hippy loser burn outs scum bags

    wingnut44on May 15, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Album art
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms. “Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.