Sometimes I try to do things, and it just doesn't work out the way I wanted to
And I get real frustrated and like I try hard to do it
I like take my time and it doesn't work out the way I wanted to
It's like I concentrate on it real hard and it doesn't work out
And Everything I do and everything I try it never turns out
It's like I need time to figure these things out
There's always someone there going

Hey Buddy:
You know, we've been noticing you've been having a lot of problems lately
You know, you need to maybe get away and like maybe you should talk about it
You'll feel a lot better

I go:
No it's okay, you know I'll figure it out, just leave me alone I'll figure it out
You know I'll just work it out myself

And they go
Well you know if you want to talk about it I'll be here you know and you'll
Probably feel a lot better if you talk about it, so why don't you talk about it?

I go:
No. I don't want to talk about it. I'm okay, I'll figure it out myself but they just keep
Bugging me and they just keep bugging me and it builds up inside

So you're gonna be institutionalized
You'll come out brainwashed with bloodshot eyes
You won't have any say
They'll brainwash you until you see their way

I'm not crazy, institutionalized
You're the one who's crazy, institutionalized
You're driving me crazy, institutionalized

They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself

I was in my room and I was like just sitting there staring at the wall thinking about
Everything but then again I was thinking about nothing
And my mom came in and I didn't even realize she was there and she calls my
Name but I didn't even hear it, and she started screaming BUDDY! BUDDY!
And I go
What, what's the matter?
And she goes
What's the matter with you?
I go
There's nothing-wrong Mom
And she goes
Don't tell me that, you're on drugs
I go
Mom I'm not on drugs I'm okay, I was just thinking you know, why don't
You get me a pepsi?
And she goes
NO you're on drugs
I go
Mom I'm okay, I'm just thinking
She goes
No you're not thinking, you're on drugs! Normal people don't act that way
I go
Mom just give me a Pepsi please
All I want is a Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me
All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me
Just a Pepsi

They give you a white shirt with long sleeves
Tied around you're back, you're treated like thieves
Drug you up because they're lazy
It's too much work to help a crazy

I'm not crazy, institutionalized
You're the one who's crazy, institutionalized
You're driving me crazy, institutionalized

They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself

I was sitting in my room and my mom and my dad came in and they pulled up
A chair and they sat down, they go
Buddy, we need to talk to you
And I go
Okay what's the matter?
They go
Me and your mom we've been noticing lately that you've been having a lot of
Problems, you've been going off for no reason and we're afraid you're gonna
Hurt somebody, we're afraid you're gonna hurt yourself
So we decided that it would be in your best interest if we put you somewhere
Where you could get the help that you need
And I go
Wait, what are you talking about, we decided!? My best
Interest?! How do you know what MY best interest is? How can you say what
MY best interest is? What are you trying to say, I'M crazy? When I went to
YOUR schools, when I went to YOUR churches, when I went to YOUR institutional learning
Facilities?! How can you say I'm crazy?

They say they're gonna fix my brain
Alleviate my suffering and my pain
But by the time they fix my head
Mentally I'll be dead

I'm not crazy, institutionalized
You're the one who's crazy, institutionalized
You're driving me crazy, institutionalized

They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself

Doesn't matter. I'll probably get hit by a car anyway


Lyrics submitted by SayWhatever...

Institutionalized Lyrics as written by Mike Muir Louis Mayorga

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Institutionalized (Suicidal Tendencies cover) song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

46 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This is a terrible cover. I can't BELIEVE they even dared to play a fucking suicidal tendencies song.

    Piss Offon December 30, 2005   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.