Dear Sergio

I believe this song is about a man who feels depressed, and his depressions is ruining his life.

"Run, run, run all you do is fucking run but you’ll never run away from yourself."

The man is trying to run away from his problem but his problems lie within himself.

"I know it’s hard but you've been there before and you know you’re gonna be there again."

His depression is chronic, so he thinks it's just another low point.

"I don’t care what the stars may say because they always feed their bullshit to me."

Not sure about this phrase.

"It’s kinda sad how you lost what you had and you’re never gonna have it again and so I say:"

He used to be happy and energetic guy, but he doesn't feel that way anymore.

"Hey Sergio, you gotta' get us out of here And so I say: Hey Sergio, it's getting kind of hot in here And so I say: Hey"

The chorus are the problems in his head talking to him, urging him to talk to somebody so they can leave. It's getting "hot in here" because the problems are becoming crowded.

"Every other day you don’t care what they say because they always leave you two steps behind. You try to smile and it lasts for a while but they always send you back to the start. Eenie meenie miney mo they shoot down everyone you know and then they leave you there all alone. You wish they’d stop but they never give up and you know deep inside that you’re stuck and so I say:"

His depression is alienating him in his social life, and he always feels "two steps behind" and his peers don't try and ask what's wrong. The depression he feels is "shooting down everyone he knows" because he's losing all his friends as a result. He tries to get by by faking a smile but it never works.

"Sergio laughed for the last time today, He said “It never really bothered me: we all have dues to pay” Like a man that’s cut off at the knee, he hobbles and hobbles because nothing is free. So wake up, wake up, wake up but don’t cry because you’ll fuck up your make up and if you do, you won’t get laid, you won’t make money, no you won’t get paid. So you act so free, you act so free, everybody’s happy because you act so free. Well you might fool them, but you can’t fool me with your mindless chatter like “I don’t need them, I don’t need help” I don’t even need to see the end."

At this point, Sergio has lost his happiness and he seems to accept that. He hobbles on one foot because he is disabled due to his crippling depression. When waking up, he realizes how much of an emotion wreck he is, but he can't cry or else he will reveal to everybody his sadness and as a result he will lose is love life and his job. He tries to act happy and most people don't see through it, but the singer sees through it but Sergio still insists that he doesn't need his friends to help him, or any help for that matter, since he doesn't want to see what would happen if he revealed his depression.

Tremendous song. One of my favourites. Especially lyrically.

I think it's about a kid who found something he loved. Later lost it, and has sunk into great depression. He tries to find love in fake friends. No one really means anything to him and he means nothing to them. He feels ostracized by society and everything encompassing it.

The friends aren't friends. They're just people he can escape to when he's feeling down. They don't help him sort things out, he doesn't talk to them, he simply tries to mesh with the crowd. But they don't see him, don't realise he's there and needs help.

"So you act so free, you act so free, everybody's happy because you act so free." Simply put, he's a crowd pleaser. He's putting on a front to make himself feel better and try to earn his respect in the world so he can forget about whatever he lost. Kalnoky sees this and tries to get him to snap out of it ("Hey Sergio, you've gotta get us out of here" and "Well you might fool them, but you can't fool me with your mindless chatter...").

Those last lines, "'I don't need them, I don't need help. I don't even need to see the end,'" explain his eventual fall into seclusion from society. Fed up with everyone and all of his problems once and for all, he's probably going to commit suicide (I don't even need to see the end).

One of Kalnoky's biggest themes when he writes his music is anti-suicide. I think, in essence, this is what the song's about. That and what led up to it, all of the problems surrounding him. What is it that he lost that he'll never have again, I don't know.

On a side note, the new CD is out on the net and open for free download by someone that had somehow got a copy of the mp3's. Why do people insist on ruining things for the band? Shame on them.

This is probably the greatest ska song ever written ever.

Just my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.

SM played the BOTAR version at a concert (it was awesome) and Tomas said Sergio was a kid who used to mess with him when he was little.

i say this is catch... if anyone saw streetlight play it then woah. must have been a good show. after all, tom did write it.

Streetlight has played the B.o.t.a.r version live, I have it as the last song played at Turnbridge 04/22 I dunno if they played it at other shows, but I know it was played at least once, and its gonna be on Keasbey Nights II anyways, myabe with a fourth verse :O!

yeah if Keasby Nights II happens someday (I'm losing faith... and I'm running low on things to say ;) )

where can I find this song to listen to? if the music is anyhting like the lyrics I'm in for a show.

Hey, guys. I just got this song online. I'm sure most of you want to hear it, so www.skachilles.com/music/botar Click on "03sergio.mp3". Its soooo cool.

Streetlight Manifesto actually re-did "Keasby Nights" (originally done by Catch 22). Streetlight Manifesto changed some instrumental parts and added lyrics (as seen in this song). I suggest everybody listen to the new album, it's good.