It Ends Tonight

My OpinionAs much as I love many of your interpretations about the whole idea of a failed relationship, I have to say that you are not correct, at least to the original writer. Tyson Ritter (lead vocalist of the All-American Rejects, guitar player, and co-songwriter) has said in an interview that the song is not about a girl, but about "a dude". He goes on to say that this is about a failed friendship, implying one with an untrustworthy friend. That being said, I can definitely see where the failed relationship idea comes from, since that's what I thought it was about until I heard what Tyson Ritter said.

• No Replies Log in to reply

General CommentI really like this song, prob my fave by AAR. Here's my take on it:

It's about being in a relationship where he realizes they're both unhappy, and he is tired of playing games with her. He's tired of trying to fix the problem because it's unfixable - he just wasn't meant to be with her. He can't be happy with her, even if she does have some great qualities, and he realizes he has to be miserable alone for a while in order to EVER be happy again.

"Your subtleties, they strangle me"

The little things about you, the games you play, they kill me.

"I can't explain myself at all
And all that wants and all that needs
I don't want to need at all"

I can't explain where we went wrong or exactly what is wrong with this relationship. I can however tell you that I'm tired of needing you or the things you give me, because in the end, you only make me miserable.

"The walls are breathing
My mind's unweaving
Maybe it's best you leave alone"

Things are getting intense, but you have to leave tonight. I am breaking up with you now, I need to be alone.

"A weight is lifted on this evening
I give the final blow"

I'm taking the weight of our relationship off our shoulders as I give the final blow aka break up with you, tell you it's over.

"When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight, it ends tonight"

Darnkess turning to light represents not only the night turning to day, but his life going from being dark (with her) to being light (happy again) when he's alone.

"A falling star, at least I fall alone"

It hurts to be alone, but it feels better to be alone than to be with her.

"I can't explain what you can't explain
You're finding things that you didn't know
I look at you with such disdain"

He doesn't know where they went wrong (as mentioned above). She's also finding things in him she doesn't like anymore, and when the two look at each other, they don't feel love, they feel disdain.

"...
Just a little insight won't make this right
It's too late to fight
It ends tonight, it ends tonight"

In relationships, usually someone will say "or we're fighting because I've been jealous lately/started my new job today/whatever", or they think one little solution will fix their problems. Here he says that nothing can fix their relationship. It's broken beyond repair. The only solution is to leave.

"Now I'm on my own side
It's better than bein' on your side"

Now he's single but it's better than being with her.

"It's my fault when you're blind
It's better that I see it through your eyes
All these thoughts locked inside
Now you're the first to know"

It's his fault for ignoring all the problems the relationship had. She maybe yelled at him and was a bitch, but it made him realize how much he didn't want to be with her. He's been keeping these feelings forever and now he's letting them out, and she's the first to hear about it.

• No Replies Log in to reply

General CommentSimply beautiful. Seems like it would be a great closing track to the album. It just has that feel to it. And I believe it is definitely about a failed relationship, and then possibly still trying to make it work-out after it has ended. I can definitely relate to that.

• 2 Replies Log in to reply

General Commentit's also known as the sexy song, according to tyson. this song makes you feel so many emotions. it's like sadness, but a feeling of completeness, because it's coming to an end. i suck at articulating my thoughts.

so he's got a relationship
it goes sour
everything detail about the girl, the subtleties, kill him.

"The walls are breathing
My mind's unweaving"
things are coming down on him (the walls are alive), everything's crashing.

"It's my fault when you're blind
It's better that I see it through your eyes"
the girl's blind and he's looking from her perspective to see nothing. nothing as in their future together? that's a total guess.

"Just a little insight won't make this right
It's too late to fight"
trying to solve everything and talk the situation out won't help, since it's too late to fight

• No Replies Log in to reply

General CommentThis song goes brilliantly for the last episode of a TV show. *Thinks Charmed* Definitely...

• 1 Reply Log in to reply

My Interpretation"I give the final blow" I see some people taking it literally - I think it means a metaphorical final blow, like having the last word in an argument or taking control of a situation, not a literal blow to the face or something.

• No Replies Log in to reply

General CommentI think this song is about life not a relationship, or a relationship with life if u will. The subtleites of life strangle you but you can't really explain how. Constantly being made to worry about your needs "all i don't want to need at all". The walls are breathing your foundations are being shaken your mind is unweaving. Maybe you need to be alone to figure this out. Then you start to see it and the weight is lifted in this moment you give the final blow. You have to stand up and say it. When the darkness of control and manipulation turn to the light of self-awarness it ends tonight. But will a little insight make this right or is it too late to fight?

• No Replies Log in to reply

General CommentThis song is about a cell phone that has failed him countless of times and he's preparing to go to sleep because he's upgrading in the morning.

• No Replies Log in to reply

My Interpretationgod.... all right guys here's the thing i need to let it out... and this seems to be the perfect spot.

so today i find my girl is like... well i dont for sure but i saw a message when i opened her FB account...
she was telling another dude that she loved him and that she wanted to be with him... so i think maybe it
ends tonigh... cuz' i think i found a meaning for this phrase:

When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight, it ends tonight

when i found about this secret (darkness turns to light)
all i wanted... & all i want its for this relationship to end...

so just wear my shoes for a minute and you'll have a whole new perspective bout this song...

• No Replies Log in to reply

My InterpretationYour subtleties, they strangle me
I can't explain myself at all
And all that wants and all that needs
All I don't want to need at all

A girl requires mental acuteness or penetration and this keeps him thinking about her everyday without realizing it.
This one girl has qualities that satisfy him and has him hooked over all the past women he's met.

The walls start breathing
My mind's unweaving
Maybe it's best you leave me alone
A weight is lifted on this evening
I give the final blow

Since he met her, everything around him makes him think of her. Thinking about buying her gifts and his mind unravels as he travels his routines everyday.
He doesn't want to get involved with her because he knows in the future something will happen that will end their relationship. The final blow is relating to realizing all this time and effort will be for nothing in maybe 1 year or w/e time set, so he wants to put things to an end.

When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight, it ends tonight

This future is happening and he meets new people. Maybe like senior year and going off to college, all the time wasted with this girl is a waste if they go to seperate states.

A falling star
Least I fall alone
I can't explain what you can't explain
You're finding things that you didn't know
I look at you with such disdain

He didn't want to bring these feelings up with her at seperation date, so he feels depressed for leaving her now before their unforeseen future came about.
The girl is the type to seize the day and live in the present and never foresaw their end future.
He now sees her reaction and thinks of her to be unworthy to some small level for not realizing the truth beforehand.

Just a little insight
Won't make this right
It's too late to fight

Before he had trouble judging her character, which is what made his thoughts spark for her. Now she's dropped her guard; however, it doesn't change their future.
There is no use fighting/talking about it. It's enevitable to do anything.

Now I'm on my own side
It's better than being on your side
It's my fault when you're blind
It's better that I see it through your eyes
All these thoughts locked inside
Now you're the first to know

He wants his mind clear of her.
The girl however, feels blinded and wants to fight for their relationship.
He wants to live in the present like her, and share her reasons for actions.
The thoughts of their relationship ending before it truly happened has haunted him until this girl poked him around to finally make this guy confess the truth.

• No Replies Log in to reply