Am I the only one I know
Waging my wars behind my face and above my throat?
Shadows will scream that I'm alone-lone-lone

I-I-I I've got a migraine
And my pain will range from up, down, and sideways
Thank God it's Friday 'cause Fridays will always be better than Sundays
'Cause Sundays are my suicide days
I don't know why they always seem so dismal
Thunderstorms, clouds, snow, and a slight drizzle
Whether it's the weather or the letters by my bed
Sometimes death seems better than the migraine in my head
Let it be said what the headache represents
It's me defending in suspense
It's me suspended in a defenseless test
Being tested by a ruthless examiner
That's represented best by my depressing thoughts
I do not have writer's block, my writer just hates the clock
It will not let me sleep, I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead
And sometimes death seems better than the migraine in my head

Am I the only one I know
Waging my wars behind my face and above my throat?
Shadows will scream that I'm alone
But I know, we've made it this far, kid

Yeah, yeah, yeah

I am not as fine as I seem, pardon
Me for yelling, I'm telling you green gardens
Are not what's growing in my psyche, it's a different me
A difficult beast feasting on burnt down trees
Freeze frame, please let me paint a mental picture portrait
Something you won't forget, it's all about my forehead
And how it is a door that hold's back contents
That makes Pandora's box contents look non-violent
Behind my eyelids are islands of violence
My mind ship-wrecked this is the only land my mind could find
I did not know it was such a violent island
Full of tidal waves, suicidal crazed lions
They're trying to eat me, blood running down their chin
And I know that I can fight, or I can let the lion win
I begin to assemble what weapons I can find
'Cause sometimes to stay alive, you gotta kill your mind

Am I the only one I know
Waging my wars behind my face and above my throat?
Shadows will scream that I'm alone
But I know, we've made it this far, kid

(Ah, yeah) Yeah, yeah, yeah
(Oh, oh) Yeah, yeah, yeah

And I will say that we should take a day to break away
From all the pain our brain has made, the game is not played alone
And I will say that we should take a moment and hold it
And keep it frozen and know that life has a hopeful undertone
And I will say that we should take a day to break away
From all the pain our brain has made, the game is not played alone
And I will say that we should take a moment and hold it
And keep it frozen and know that life has a hopeful undertone

Am I the only one I know, oh
Waging my wars behind my face and above my throat?
Shadows will scream that I'm alone
But I know, we've made it this far, kid

Made it this far
Made it this f-


Lyrics submitted by vkw619, edited by DarkSidePoet, KSWIZZLE18, twentyoner, Aimee2323, Jarhead21, RTLAL, JennyBeary, 0zzu, i have not

Migraine Lyrics as written by Tyler Joseph

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Migraine song meanings
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21 Comments

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  • +8
    My Interpretation

    This song truly resonates with me personally. As someone who has suffered from major depression since I was 14 (28 now) It is so ironic... "Am i the only one...?" is quite literally a thought I would have years before this song came out and I instantly fell in love with the tune from the very first verse. It is so ironic because clearly others out there are having mental struggles, as well.

    SO much of this song is a perfect reflection of what true depression is like... it is paired with its lover: anxiety. When he discusses how his mind is fighting this constant battle against the 'lion' and it won't let him sleep, so he has sought a permanent fix: permanent 'sleep' in the form of suicide: "It will not let me sleep I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead."

    With depression and the accompanying anxiety one finds him/herself trying to use the depression sleep for abnormally long periods of time, seeking reprieve from through the form of unconsciousness in between times when the anxiety causes abnormally grueling insomnia. One can easily have those thoughts of defeating the 'lion' aka depressed and violent thoughts through suicide. For the sufferer, it doesn't seem like a cowardly act and can, in fact, seem like a very logical solution: "you- depression/anxiety- are killing me anyway, as I do not feel truly alive but rather like a walking zombie pretending to be normal:

    ("I am not as fine as I seem. Pardon, me for yelling and telling you green gardens Are not what's growing in my psyche, it's a different me A difficult beast feasting on burnt down trees.")

    So the suicidal thoughts are warped into a form of bravery: "If you're taking me down, I'm taking you down with me."

    I've been there, and when I first came across this song it totally hit home. It seems several of their tunes deal with the issue of suicide/suicidal ideations. They seem to always end the songs with a hopeful stanza, so I'm curious as to whether they are speaking from personal experience in overcoming depression and transforming that negative energy into hope and optimism- anyone know?

    julius1848on February 27, 2016   Link
  • +6
    My Opinion

    I thought the part where he goes "waging my wars behind my face and above my throat" that sounds like the feeling you get right before you cry. Where it hurts right above your theoat

    sbrichie14on December 13, 2014   Link
  • +5
    My Opinion

    Well, in my opinion this song is about thoughts. We can take the lyrics to a song and apply them in any way to our own lives, and this one to me is a reminder that I am not the only one who has had to deal with an attack on the mind, or maybe it was just me all along. All I know is that the mind is a battlefield and we can choose to win or lose. I believe that the lion in the song is Satan, cause he loves to use our mind as a garbage dump. We can choose to listen and dwell on his roaring lies, or we can choose to reject it.

    ginnyboyon May 28, 2013   Link
  • +2
    My Opinion

    This song is great. Its about thinking too much and not being able to control it. Its about feeling alone even when there's people around who say they understand. But no one can really truly understand the fights we have with ourselves. "behind my face and above my throat."

    FrTHMMRS21on November 10, 2013   Link
  • +2
    My Opinion

    This song is about thinking too much and wanting to stop. When it says "Am I the only one I know, waging my wars behind my face and above my throat", I'm pretty sure it's referring to your brain. Because, if you think about it quite literally, your brain is behind your face and above your throat. And I think the lion in the song is your thoughts. So, you're fighting wars against your thoughts, and they're trying to kill you, and that's where "Full of tidal waves, suicidal crazed lions.They're trying to eat me, blood running down their chin And I know that I can fight, or I can let the lion win. I begin to assemble what weapons I can find Cause sometimes to stay alive you gotta kill your mind." comes in because he calls the lions suicidal. So the lions are suicidal thoughts he's having and he has to kill his mind before those thoughts make him destroy himself. And "And I will say that we should take a day to break away From all the pain our brain has made, the game is not played alone. And I will say that we should take a moment and hold it And keep it frozen and know that life has a hopeful undertone." says that you need breaks from the self hating and suicidal thoughts in your head.

    MyUserIs2Longon November 25, 2013   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    this song is definitely about depression, no doubt about it. the "war" is in his head. his brain is where the depression is. it attacks you constantly, hence all the pain references. the migraine represents thoughts because when you have depression your brain constantly produces sad thoughts and even if they don't make sense they make you feel like you're suffocating or drowning and you just want it to end.

    neverusingthison April 26, 2014   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    "Am I the only one I know waging my wars behind my face and above my throat?" my favorite part of this song. tyler is asking "am i the only one i know..." as referring to his depression and he feels that he is alone with this and that there is no one there to help him. and "waging my wars behind my face and above my throat." is keeping all his thoughts and wars (his problems from the past) in his mind and his 'throat' is getting the feeling thinking about all this is the feeling right before someone starts to cry

    devonbarkson June 17, 2015   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    alrighty so this is my favorite song. top is not my favorite band, one of, but this song is something I understand on so many levels. so lemme explain.

    Am I the only one I know Waging my wars behind my face and above my throat. Shadows will scream that I'm alone.

    I-I-I I've got a migraine. And my pain will range from up, down, and sideways. Thank God it's Friday cause Fridays will always be better than Sundays 'Cause Sundays are my suicide days.

    this part is honestly easy. essentially tyler is admiting to extreme depressive feelings (Am I the only one i know, ...shadows will scream that im alone) and is forced to deal with them on his own, and is not necessarily winning (Waging my wars behind my face and above my throat) The depressive feelings essentially surround you, hence (my pain will come from up down and sideways) He has gotten to the point where he honestly debats suicide with (thank god its friday cause fridays will always be better than sundays cause sunday is my suicide day) I don't know why they always seem so dismal.- doesnt know why he feels hopeless Thunderstorms, clouds, snow and a slight drizzle.-trying to guess why Whether it's the weather or the letters by my bed- suicide notes Sometimes death seems better than the migraine in my head.-wants all the shit to stop Let it be said what the headache represents - an attempt to explain the depressing thoughts It's me defending in suspense - trying and failing to ignore the thoughts It's me suspended in a defenseless test - acknowledges there is nothing he can do Being tested by a ruthless examiner - the examiner is depressive thoughts That's represented best by my depressing thoughts. I do not have writer's block my writer just hates the clock. - one of the few parts I dont have a reason for It will not let me sleep I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead And sometimes death seems better than the migraine in my head. Tyler is trying to remain hopeful with (but i know we've made it this far, kid.)

    I am not as fine as I seem. - pretty straight forward Pardon, me for yelling I'm telling you green gardens Are not what's growing in my psyche, it's a different me - admiting his thoughts are not happy or healthy A difficult beast feasting on burnt down trees. - describing his thoughts as a barren wasteland Freeze frame, please let me paint a mental picture portrait. - still attempting to explain to the listener Something you avoid yet it's all about my forehead And how it is a door that hold's back contents That makes Pandora's box contents look non-violent. - an attempt to convey how not okay he is (yes that was a mcr refrence) Behind my eyelids are islands of violence - his mind is full of horrible thoughts My mind ship-wrecked this is the only land my mind could find - almost no wear in his head is safe from these thoughts I did not know it was such a violent island - tyler didnt want these thoughts but he has no choice Full of tidal waves, suicidal crazed lions. - extremly violent and unstable thoughts They're trying to eat me, blood running down their chin - the thoughts want him to die And I know that I can fight, or I can let the lion win. - he can live or give in to the thoughts I begin to assemble what weapons I can find - sturdying himself to stand against his thoughts 'Cause sometimes to stay alive you gotta kill your mind. - I want a tattoo of this line. to stay alive, you have to fight and defeat the suicidal thoughts

    And I will say that we should take a day to break away From all the pain our brain has made, the game is not played alone. - the game (life) is something that you dont go through alone and people can help you And I will say that we should take a moment and hold it And keep it frozen and know that life has a hopeful undertone. - to quote zombieland, enjoy the little things.

    Gamermanon February 29, 2016   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    "Am I the only one I know" They're questioning whether they're the only people to have ever thought these thoughts or felt these feelings.

    "Waging my wars behind my face and above my throat" Their mind is stuck in a continuous war against themselves, where they're constantly battling against depression and trying to function normally, but this war isn't ever a simple one. This war is all hidden away in their brain, whilst their face is smiling.

    "Shadows will scream that I'm alone" They feel as if they're alone, and that nobody else feels like this. "Shadows" may be referencing to the depression itself, where it tells you that you're alone.

    "I-I-I I've got a migraine" The migraine is a reference to their depression. The fact it's described as a migraine suggests that they felt a need to describe the depression in a form of physical pain, because mental pain is seen as many people by something people can just "get over it", rather than a serious issue. It puts emphasis on how much pain this is causing for them, and how it's almost impossible to ignore. "And my pain will range from up, down, and sideways" The pain isn't only mental, it causes pain in their body, and they feel as if they've been trapped by this pain, and can't escape.

    "Thank God it's Friday cause Fridays will always be better than Sundays 'Cause Sundays are my suicide days" This suggests that their life is a constant repeat of days, where they spend the weekdays at their worst, and then spend the weekend worrying about going back to the weekdays.

    "I don't know why they always seem so dismal Thunderstorms, clouds, snow and a slight drizzle" Everything around them now feels depressing, they see sadness in everything around them.

    "Whether it's the weather or the letters by my bed" They don't even know what's making them sad anymore. "letters by my bed" may be suicide notes.

    "Sometimes death seems better than the migraine in my head" To them, death is a more inviting option than having to deal with all the pain. Death seems like the only way to get out of it, and it seems as if it'll get rid of all the pain.

    "Let it be said what the headache represents It's me defending in suspense It's me suspended in a defenseless test Being tested by a ruthless examiner That's represented best by my depressing thoughts" They feel as if this is a test, and it's "ruthless", whilst they're left there not knowing what to do, being "defenseless". They feel as if their thoughts will never leave them alone, and that they're incredibly harsh on them.

    "I do not have writer's block my writer just hates the clock It will not let me sleep I guess I'll sleep when I'm dead" They lose a lot of sleep because of the depression, and it means that they're constantly tired. There's another mention of death, which suggests it's on their mind a lot and that they see positives in death, that they'll finally be able to rest when dead.

    "And sometimes death seems better than the migraine in my head" The fact it's repeated shows that it's not a one off thought, that it's something that often goes through their mind.

    "But I know, we've made it this far, kid" They've managed to live through life so far.

    "I am not as fine as I seem" They look as if they're fine, however a world of depression hides within them.

    "Pardon, me for yelling and telling you green gardens Are not what's growing in my psyche, it's a different me A difficult beast feasting on burnt down trees" They feel as if they have to apologize for being depressed, and that it's their fault. They feel as if it makes them a burden to people and that they annoy people and disappoint people when they decide to talk about it.

    "Freeze frame, please let me paint a mental picture portrait Something you won't forget, it's all about my forehead And how it is a door that hold's back contents That makes Pandora's box contents look non-violent" They suggest that the things going on in their minds are unforgettable, and that it's an experience you never truly forget. They suggest that it's filled with terrible things, things that are worse than something that's said to contain all the evils in the world. This comparison emphasises how it feels like it's the end of the world to the person, and how much pain it causes.

    "Behind my eyelids are islands of violence My mind ship-wrecked this is the only land my mind could find I did not know it was such a violent island Full of tidal waves, suicidal crazed lions They're trying to eat me, blood running down their chin And I know that I can fight, or I can let the lion win I begin to assemble what weapons I can find 'Cause sometimes to stay alive you gotta kill your mind" In this part, he creates a metaphor for how his depression feels. They say that their mind is "ship-wrecked", which conveys that they never meant to end up there, and that they can't escape now and they're lost. The fact it's the "only land my mind could find" suggests that they see no other way other than this land, and it's the only way they can currently be. "Full of tidal waves" suggests that it feels overwhelming, something that totally engulfs them. "suicidal crazed lions" is the thoughts that are telling them to kill themselves, and the fact they're lions suggests they're deadly, and that they're terrifying. "I know that I can fight, or I can let the lion win" conveys that the battle against suicidal thoughts isn't an easy one, but it's one you have to do to survive. "'Cause sometimes to stay alive you gotta kill your mind" suggests that the only away to get away from the island is to get away from all your thoughts and feelings, and that the only think you need to kill is your mind, not you.

    "And I will say that we should take a day to break away From all the pain our brain has made, the game is not played alone And I will say that we should take a moment and hold it And keep it frozen and know that life has a hopeful undertone" Here, they convey that everyone needs a break, and it's important to reach out to other people. It may suggest that we need to savor the good moments, and with the bad ones we just need to know that it will get better.

    "Made it this far Made it this..f.." The fact they don't quite finish the last "far" suggests that the fact they've made it doesn't mean they will always, and that it's an ongoing struggle to make it that far for them.

    Overall, the song describes a persons experience with depression. In my opinion, it's a very good picture of what the experience is like.

    Aimee2323on March 23, 2016   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    i think the "I begin to assemble what weapons I can find 'Cause sometimes to stay alive you gotta kill your mind" part is about antidepressants because many people believe they make your mind "numb" so choose not to take them however Tyler is saying that taking them "weapons" will save you and that you should take them tto save yourself

    auroraquinnon June 09, 2016   Link

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