When we were young, the future was so bright (whoa)
The old neighborhood was so alive (whoa)
And every kid on the whole damn street (whoa)
Was gonna make it big and not be beat
Now the neighborhood's cracked and torn (whoa)
The kids are grown up but their lives are worn (whoa)
How can one little street swallow so many lives?

Chances thrown, nothing's free
Longing for what used to be
Still it's hard, hard to see
Fragile lives, shattered dreams, go

Jamie had a chance, well, she really did (whoa)
Instead she dropped out and had a couple of kids (whoa)
Mark still lives at home 'cause he's got no job (whoa)
Just plays guitar and smokes a lot of pot
Jay committed suicide (whoa)
Brandon OD'd and died (whoa)
What the hell is going on?
The cruelest dream, reality

Chances thrown, nothing's free
Longing for what used to be
Still it's hard, hard to see
Fragile lives, shattered dreams, go

Chances thrown, nothing's free
Longing for what used to be
Still it's hard, hard to see
Fragile lives, shattered dreams


Lyrics submitted by spitfirek7, edited by UndeadFan112

The Kids Aren't Alright Lyrics as written by Bryan Keith Holland

Lyrics © ROUND HILL CARLIN, LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Kids Aren't Alright song meanings
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101 Comments

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  • +16
    General Comment

    I think this song is about our childhoods, and how eagar we were to venture into the world, we were all hell bent on succession. But then the teen years roll around and everyone's made mistakes and screwed up their life bad. Longing for how we used to be, happy go lucky with something to hope for and live by. And you watch your friends turn from young perfect children to suicidal, or getting in a mess with teen pregnancy, and other mistakes many people have made time after time, and chances we should have taken, gone now, and no one's giving us a ride into the world, and its hard and again we're wishing for what used to be.

    InsanityXon February 13, 2002   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    Great song. This song makes me think about when you are younger you go into the world with aims. You all have high aims like doctors and vets and hairdressers. But when you get older you realise this may not be realistic. Things can get in the way of things like this that kids hadn't planned on. You look back on when you were a kid when you thought you could make it big and every thing was so simple and wish you were back there.

    Evilsheepon April 11, 2004   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    This song is blunt with no hidden meaning. When you were six suicide or drugs werent even in your vocabulary so it's just growing up, seeing and hearing shit that is depressing or what have you. "Longing for used to be." <---says it all

    not my fav but like 2# fuck yeah btw #1 is gone away.....look into it

    Terminix420on January 25, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song is about how as kids we are so innocent and have big dreams, being doctors scholars, etc... but when they become exposed to all the evil stuff in the world (suicide, teen pregnancy, dong drugs and overdosing). Because once you go that path there's no gong back. It's the teenage dilemma, "longing for what used to be." After all the cruelest dream is reality!

    wbninjakiwi42on September 01, 2014   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Every person named in the second verse of this song I know one of them: I knew a girl who had a chance, but got pregnant....I know a guy who rather sit and do drugs and nothing more....I have a friend who committed suicide(really got to me) and I have a friend who OD'd and almost died.....Unfortunatly the "Cruelest dream is reality" AND mentioned above about teens making the "wrong desicions" its true.....As we see in this song, MISTAKES ARE HARD TO UNDO

    Drink_and_Fighton September 07, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think i used to live in this neighborhood

    spliphstaron January 18, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's pretty sad how everything's become. Probably everyone's seen this neighborhood before, or at least heard of it. :S

    walking-catastropheon February 11, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i totally agree with insanity x! now that ive read that comment, ill never hear this song the same way again. it is by far one of the greatest songs of all time dontcha think? and its message is so cool. how could anyone not think this is a good song?!? i was gonna add my own interpretation, but insanity x has got it on the dot! way ta go! and yeah, this song is sad when you think about it. the more times i hear it the better and sadder it gets.

    luv linkin p!!on March 01, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This reminds me alot of my old street. Too much.

    FaithinNothingon April 19, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    1 of the truest lines in a song:The cruelest dream, reality

    iamtheoneon May 12, 2002   Link

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