A Mistake

The meaning is pretty obvious. She's tired of playing by the rules, of doing everything right, like people are supposed to. So she decides to fuck it up, make a mistake. Cool song. Especially when you're mad, it's great to listen to.

love it when she says "hell no"

I don't think this song is about doing the right thing or the wrong thing, in the sense of committing a crime.

I think this song is about the demands of society to fit into a certain mold, and how she is breaking free from these constraints, to do something which most people would consider "a mistake", and living the life that makes her happy.

Particular lines that back up my meaning

"All the advice I shunned And I ran where they told me not to run But I sure had fun"

"And when I find my way back The fact is I just may stay Or I may not" (This line says that later she might do what society says she should do, but if she does it will be her own decision)

"Why can't I make a mistake?"

"I'm always doing what I think I should Almost always doing everybody good"

"Do I wanna do right? Of course But do I really wanna feel I'm forced to answer you? Hell no"

internal self hatred for the battels of the family inside of her. Shes afraid of happyness or having something to loose so she repeatedly faces her fears to teach herself its not the end of the world.

and the voice of the mother inside of her, always making her feel like she should be doing this and should be doing that, to try to keep her from regret, but the child inside of her wants to rebel against the mother.

"I'm always doing what I think I should" throws it off a bit.

She's questioning her instincts, and her instincts are telling her to be perfect. I think that she could be talking to herself this whole time. She's not normally the type to stray from what's good and right, what's normal, what's safe, so her mind's split in two. She wants to do something, but she can't quite let herself.

As to why she'd feel this way, I think something happened to her. After people blame you for things you didn't do, label you wrongfully, or talk about you, you tend to get to wondering why the hell you're trying so hard to go against what everyone believes after this has been going on for so long, and you know it's not going to change.

She's asking herself why she's doing everybody good and doing what she thinks she should. She's wondering what it would be like to go in the absolutely opposite direction--will everyone's opinion of her turn around? Will she be happier? She's thinking about doing something different, but she's just not certain if she can let herself do it.

I love this song..she is SUCH a woman.

"As to why she'd feel this way, I think something happened to her. After people blame you for things you didn't do, label you wrongfully, or talk about you, you tend to get to wondering why the hell you're trying so hard to go against what everyone believes after this has been going on for so long, and you know it's not going to change."

I don't understand completely what you're saying here, but it made me come up with this; what if she's trying so hard to be a "good girl" but nobody seems to notice. They all expect her to do wrong and let them down just like someone else did before. So, she finally just says "fuck it, they think I'm doing wrong, so why even try to prove them wrong anymore? I'm just gonna' do what I want because people will always see me the same - because of my mistakes, not what I'm doing right."

I feel like I've heard this song a thousand times, but in fact, I'm just thinking of me. This is the past four months of my life in a three minute song. She's tired of doing what's right. And whether she really thinks it's okay to go fuck something up or she just wants to feel alive and escape what feels safe, she's going on a journey. She's ignoring the sensible advise that people are giving her because that's just the irrational thing she wants to do. She's battling what she feels like she can't be anymore because no one really sees her as she is. They don't see how hard it is to do everything for everyone and still be the girl they've always known. If she can just make a mistake and fuck up something sure on purpose, maybe she can accomplish what she wants to accomplish. Just saying... I didn't.

fey...you're totally right, tired of being good...so you have to do something bad or fuck something up...

I agree, she's tired of acting how she's supposed to, so she is deciding to make a mistake for fun.

I love this song, the words just mesh so well together like "acquired quite a taste" or "do another detour"