Matt Shadows their lead singer says the song was written as per request from the developers of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Watching the initial trailers for the game & looking at production sketches reminded him of the 'S-Town' podcast & its main protagonist, John B. McLemore. Matt also comments specifically on the lyrics: "I decided that the lyrics would shadow McLemore's life." In 2012, antiquarian horologist John B. McLemore sent an email to the staff of the show 'This American Life' asking them to investigate an alleged murder in his hometown of Woodstock, Alabama, a place McLemore claimed to despise. After a year of exchanging emails & several months of conversation with McLemore, producer Brian Reed traveled to Woodstock to investigate. Reed investigated the crime & eventually found that no such murder took place, though he struck up a friendship with the depressed but colorful character of McLemore. He recorded conversations with McLemore & other people in Woodstock. McLemore killed himself by drinking potassium cyanide on June 22, 2015 while the podcast was still in production. In the narrative of the podcast, this occurs at the end of the second episode; subsequent episodes deal with the fallout from McLemore's death while exploring more of McLemore's life & character.
Hey, I ain't never coming home
Hey, I'll just wander my own road
Hey, I can't meet you here tomorrow
No, say goodbye don't follow
Misery so hollow
Hey you, you're livin' life full throttle
Hey you, pass me down that bottle, yeah
Hey you, you can't shake me round now
I get so lost and don't know how
And it hurts to care, so I won't now
Forgot my woman, lost my friends
Things I'd done and where I've been
Sleep in sweat, the mirrors cold
See my face, it's growin' old
Scared to death, no reason why
Do whatever to get me by
Think about the things I've said
Read the page, it's cold and dead
Take me home
Yeah, take me home
Take me home
Take me home, yeah
Take me home
Say goodbye, don't follow
Hey, I'll just wander my own road
Hey, I can't meet you here tomorrow
No, say goodbye don't follow
Misery so hollow
Hey you, you're livin' life full throttle
Hey you, pass me down that bottle, yeah
Hey you, you can't shake me round now
I get so lost and don't know how
And it hurts to care, so I won't now
Forgot my woman, lost my friends
Things I'd done and where I've been
Sleep in sweat, the mirrors cold
See my face, it's growin' old
Scared to death, no reason why
Do whatever to get me by
Think about the things I've said
Read the page, it's cold and dead
Take me home
Yeah, take me home
Take me home
Take me home, yeah
Take me home
Say goodbye, don't follow
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I agree with your sentiment, that the narrator in this song is basically telling his friend not to follow him into the dark.
So sad.
I agree! You completely blew my mind!! I attempted suicide 2 times last year. My last attempt was an experience that I just couldn't describe!!! And I'm a writer! Your interpretation of Don't Follow nailed it! Thank you!
I like to see some positives within I could be wrong the beauty of music is the purpose is to interpret it they way we want.
I love this song man, discovered chains during a very dark period of my life which in ways still am recovering from. this song was very relatable at the time and still holds up now and I feel Layne's part is meant to be more of a positive side to the story being told in this song
as a former addict, i feel this song so much. this is only my perception but i think this is what its about.
Things I'd done and where I've been
Sleep in sweat the mirrors cold
See my face it's growin' old
Scared to death no reason why
Do whatever to get me by
Think about the things I said
Read the page it's cold and dead"
the drugs cost him his woman and friends. he cant remember most of the stuff that he did to lose them. he sleeps in sweat from the detoxing from the heroin. the mirror is cold because he cant stand to see his own reflection. scared to death from the paranoia and helpless/hopelessness so he does whatever to get through it(the dope). when he remembers some of the stuff he did he cant believe the things he's done and lost. finally, he is screaming and pleading for God to take his life. unbelievable song. really sad, i feel everything he says because i too lost a lot due to my addiction. it can literally bring me to tears every time i hear it, because there was a day when i felt the exact same.